United States Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Boston Healthcare System

Research & Development

R & D logo 

About VA Research & Development

Did you know that in 1958, the United States Congress identified medical research as one the three basic missions of VA? VA researchers work alongside physicians within VA medical centers to contribute to the nation’s knowledge about disease and disability. Only VA Research and Development Service is devoted specifically to research that aims to better the health and welfare of veterans.

• We are committed to understanding the causes and outcomes of injuries that are unique to serving in the military.  VA Research seeks to reduce the risk of sustaining injuries and improve the ability to treat injuries that do occur.
• Veterans experience physical and mental health problems that either do not exist or are seldom seen in the civilian population. Research with veterans has resulted in many advances, to include :
   o development of prosthetic limbs to replace those lost on the battlefield
   o assessment and treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems following deployment
   o new methods to regenerate lost or damaged body parts
• VA Research develops new drugs and medical devices that might not otherwise be invented. Because of the limited market, such advances are often not profitable for private industry; this is not a concern for VA.

VA researchers have contributed many medical and scientific advances that benefit everyone, not just veterans. Read about some of our most notable contributions.
National VA Research and Development website
VA Research Briefs Online  

Research at VA Boston

VA Boston Healthcare has one of the largest and most active research programs in VA nationwide. Researchers on each of our three campuses work to provide state-of-the-art medical techniques and treatments for veterans:

  • addictions and alcoholism
  • behavioral research
  • neurophysiology of mental illness
  • schizophrenia
  • sleep disorders

  • aging
  • alcoholism
  • aphasia
  • blast exposure and traumatic brain injury
  • cardiovascular disease
  • diabetes
  • hemostasis
  • hypertension
  • infectious disease
  • language and memory disorders
  • neuroscience
  • post-traumatic stress disorder
  • retinal prosthesis
  • tissue engineering

  • cardiology and cardiovascular diseases
  • cardiothoracic surgery
  • endocrinology
  • gastrointestinal motility disorders
  • gastrointestinal surgery
  • genetics
  • hematology
  • multiple myeloma
  • neurology and neuroscience
  • orthopedic surgery
  • pulmonary medicine
  • rehabilitation
  • spinal cord injury

 

I am interested in research at VA Boston. How can I get more information?

Take a look at our clinical trials*. Here you can find projects that are currently seeking volunteers as well as contact information.

*This link will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites. The link will open in a new window.

How can I learn more about participating in VA research?

More educational materials for veterans are available here.

Accreditations

VABHS R&D Program is fully accredited through the National Commission for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its Human Research Protection Program (pending AAHRPP review) and is also fully accredited through the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and use AAALAC) for its Animal Research Protection Program.

VABHS is a member of COBTH, the "Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals" and was recognized as one of the largest contributors of research in their portfolio.