VA Research Week at Columbia VAHCS

The theme for National VA Research Week 2023 is “Cutting-Edge Care Through Research.” During the event, the Columbia VAHCS highlighted the work of researchers investigating the treatment and care of Veterans affected by PTSD, depression, headaches/migraines, Gulf War Illness, sleep apnea, and more.

“We are fortunate to have institutional leadership that is supportive and research forward, coupled with expert research staff, and strong partnerships with the Dorn Research Institute and the University of South Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, Columbia VAHCS Associate Chief of Staff, Research. “The sponsored research in Columbia, SC continues to advance our understanding of stress neurobiology, chronic headaches, vascular disease, heart failure, hypertension, cancer biology and more.  The event also spotlights the critical process improvement and systems redesign work ongoing in Columbia that will enhance clinical care for our Veterans.”  

This year’s Research Week Event saw an 83% increase in abstract submissions compared to the 2022 Research Week Event.

“I am proud of the work accomplished by our exceptional researchers and support staff.  Thanks to this team, advances in medicine will continue to expand for years to come,” said Columbia VAHCS Director/CEO, David Omura.

The event not only included abstract presentations from Columbia VAHCS staff, but also staff at the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine, who has an academic partnership with Columbia VAHCS and the Dorn Research Institute.

 “Everyone knows that the USC School of Medicine has long shared a campus with the Dorn VA Medical Center. Our significant and longstanding research collaborations are less well-known, but to say that the two institutions enjoy a symbiotic research relationship would be an understatement,” Dr. Julius Fridriksson, USC School of Medicine Vice President for Research. “USC’s health sciences researchers rely on VA labs and VA patients to conduct cutting-edge research that serves America’s Veterans as it enhances knowledge and discovery to benefit us all.”

VA Research has a significant impact in how the VA advances its mission of caring for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors for nearly a century.  Our research enables us to connect Veterans with the soonest and best care, supporting their whole health and providing a health system of the highest reliability.

Nationwide, VA’s scientific investigations range from traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries to chemical exposures and cardiovascular disorders, which not only helps our Veterans but pushes medical science forward for all Americans.  The research we are doing to understand service-related illnesses and injuries enables us to develop innovative new treatments and enhance Veteran lives.

Our researchers are also deeply involved in investigating mental health including research on post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), anxiety, depression, substance abuse and other conditions. Suicide prevention is a top VA priority and VA researchers are hard at work to better understand and mitigate the factors that put Veterans at higher risk.

VA research also examines how well the VA delivers health care to all Veterans, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or economic background. No Veteran should ever be underserved, and the efforts of these investigators are crucial to improving health equity.

To learn more about National VA Research Week, recent studies, or opportunities for Veterans to enroll in research programs, visit http://www.research.va.gov. 

For more information about what’s going on at the Veterans medical center, clinic locations and other services available to Veterans in and around Columbia, visit the website https://www.va.gov/columbia-south-carolina-health-care/ and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, keyword: VAColumbiaSC.

Wyatt Anthony, Public Affairs Specialist