Research & Development - US Department of Veterans Affairs

: VA researchers in VA Salt Lake City Health Care System developed a new approach to reduce infection risk in bone and dental implants by incorporating low concentrations of copper into fluorapatite, a mineral with strong potential as a synthetic bone graft material.

Bone graft failure due to bacterial infection is a significant clinical challenge. While copper is well known for its antibacterial properties, previous attempts to use it in bone graft materials caused toxicity in osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone growth and regeneration. The Salt Lake City research team identified the precise copper concentration that limits bacterial adhesion and growth without harming osteoblasts, preserving the material's ability to support bone regeneration.

This research was published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research on May 19, 2026.
https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/news_brief.cfm?RecordID=258415

Dr. Michelle Pebole, PhD, MA, from VA Boston Healthcare System, was selected for the NIH–VA Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program for her development of exercise programs designed specifically for Women Veterans who have experienced trauma, including sexual or partner violence.
As a 2026–2028 BIRCWH Scholar, Dr. Pebole will receive national interdisciplinary mentorship and training opportunities through NIH as her research will help eventually provide real‑world delivery in VA settings that helps Women Veterans rediscover movement in positive, sustainable ways.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Haley A. Miles-McLean, PhD, from VA Maryland Health Care System in Baltimore, was selected for the NIH–VA Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program for her studies into how major mental illness, aging, and menopause intersect to influence daily functioning for Women Veterans.

As a 2026–2028 BIRCWH Scholar, Dr. Miles-McLean will receive national interdisciplinary mentorship and training opportunities through NIH as her research helps shape future efforts, inform standards, and guide the development of interventions attuned to women’s lived experiences, promoting improved functioning not only in clinical settings, but also in community and home environments.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Sarah Javier, PhD, MS, from VA Palo Alto Health Care System, was selected for the NIH–VA Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program for her studies in pain care and non pharmacological pain management disparities.

As a 2026–2028 BIRCWH Scholar, Dr. Clark will receive national interdisciplinary mentorship and training opportunities through NIH as her research helps shape future efforts, inform standards, and guide the development of interventions aimed shared decision‑making and advocacy for pain care tailored to an individual’s history and needs.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Kendra L. Clark, PhD, from VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System was selected for the NIH–VA Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program for her studies on how exposure to per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) affect reproductive health, including ovarian function.
As a 2026–2028 BIRCWH Scholar, Dr. Clark will receive national interdisciplinary mentorship and training opportunities through NIH as her research helps shape future prevention efforts, inform safer exposure standards, and guide the development of interventions aimed at protecting reproductive health throughout a woman’s life.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

: Researchers at VA San Diego Healthcare System and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System have found that Veterans with mid- and late-life depression face a significantly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).

The study drew on more than 20 years of electronic health records from over 700,000 Veterans. Those diagnosed with depression before age 60 had more than a 250% greater risk of developing ADRD compared to those without depression, while Veterans diagnosed after age 60 had a 70% higher risk.

Importantly, the link between depression and ADRD held regardless of whether Veterans had a history of traumatic brain injury or PTSD. The findings emphasize the need to screen Veterans with depression for cognitive changes, especially those diagnosed in mid-life.
(Alzheimer's & Dementia, May 21, 2026)

: Improved Diabetes Risk Score Factors in Ancestry

Researchers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center were part of an international team that developed a new genetic risk calculation for type 2 diabetes with greater accuracy for people of European, African, mixed American, South Asian, and East Asian ancestries.

Currently, roughly 70% of existing genetic risk scores for type 2 diabetes were built using data from people of European ancestry alone. To address this gap, the research team analyzed genetic data from 2.2 million people across three datasets, including VA's Million Veteran Program. The resulting score outperformed single-ancestry risk scores and has been made freely available to the public.

This advancement could improve diabetes risk prediction and prevention strategies for people around the world.

Published in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Apr. 27, 2026.


https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/news_brief.cfm?RecordID=258417

: Extreme temperatures may be able to build better bones.
VA researchers found sintering can be used to improve bone regeneration. Researchers from found sintering can be used to improve bone regeneration. Sintering is the process of compacting material by pressure or heat, often used in ceramics. Fluorapatite (FAp) is a calcium phosphate mineral containing fluoride, primarily used in bone tissue engineering and regeneration. FAp scaffolds provide a porous, biodegradable structure to support new bone growth but are usually not strong enough to be load-bearing. The researchers sintered gel-cast FAp scaffolds with 50%, 60%, and 70% porosity at temperatures of either 1050°C, 1150°C, or 1250°C, achieving compressive strengths of 5-13 megapascals, roughly 725-1,885 psi. The team believes they can further optimize the process before it is ready for human trials, but it is a promising discovery to help Veterans with critical bone defects return to normalcy.
https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/news_brief.cfm?RecordID=258412

: New study guides AI development for health apps.
Researchers developed several considerations for health intervention apps. Researchers from VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System worked with other researchers to develop several considerations for health intervention apps. Reinforcement learning algorithms help app-based interventions to determine the best times to send reminder notifications, personalized for the user, to encourage positive changes in health behavior. In particular, this study looked at a recent trial of a sodium reduction app to identify challenges, and their solutions, during the deployment of online algorithms in clinical trials. Their work to balance personalization and computer learning with computation ability and robustness contributes to the growing body of literature on AI development. (via ScienceDirect May 28, 2026)


https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/news_brief.cfm?RecordID=258411

: Veterans have better lung cancer survival rates with VA.
Delivering lung cancer care within an integrated system leads to greater and faster improvements for Veteran survival rates. researchers compared nearly 1.5 million Veterans treated for lung cancer to find overall survival rates more than doubled from 2007 to 2019. For Veterans using VA, the three-year survival increased from 24% to 51%, and Veterans using community care showed an increase of 24% to 41%. Non-small cell lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., but VA's efforts to increase screening, to catch the cancer early and when it is most treatable, continue to yield positive results. The research team concluded that when lung cancer care is delivered within an integrated, publicly funded system it leads to greater and faster improvements for Veteran survival rates across the entire health care environment.

https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/news_brief.cfm?RecordID=258410