Research

Our research and development (R&D) 

R&D is an integral component of our facility’s affiliation with the University of Washington, which brings that institution's premier academic medicine program to VA Puget Sound. This strong relationship enables both institutions to benefit from world class collaborations that help transform today’s innovative bench science breakthroughs into tomorrow’s life-saving, patient-centered medical and mental health care. The VA Puget Sound R&D research community’s cohesiveness and strengths are felt throughout the Northwest.

Veteran study participants wanted

Are you a Veteran interested in participating in our R&D program?  

VA researchers wouldn't be able to make the advancements they do without help from the volunteers who take part in studies. If you'd like to contribute to VA's medical advancements, consider participating in research. 

• I'm a Veteran. Should I participate in research? (PPT)
• Volunteering in research (PDF)

If you decide to volunteer for a research study, you can change your mind at any time. Your decision to participate (or not) will not affect your VA benefits.

Veterans interested in learning more about opportunities to participate in studies that are part of our R&D program are encouraged to reach out to us at VAPugetSoundResearch@VA.GOV (as a reminder, please don't send protected health information via email). You can also visit National Institute of Health's clinical trial database to learn more about clinical studies conducted around the world.

Our world-class research projects

VA Puget Sound R&D program is home to over 750 active research projects, funded by 95 different entities, including VA Office of Research Development, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation. VA awards are administered in-house by R&D staff and grants from other federal and private entities are administered by our non-profit affiliate, Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research (SIBCR). This strong, diversified base of support has enabled VA Puget Sound to maintain a robust, productive research program that is regionally and nationally renowned for over 75 years.

Principal investigators represent virtually every major clinical department at the University of Washington, including:  anesthesiology, audiology/speech, cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology/metabolism, gastroenterology, gerontology, hematology, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, nursing, oncology, orthopedics and sports medicine, pathology/lab medicine, psychiatry & behavioral sciences, psychology, pulmonary care, radiology, rehabilitation medicine, spinal cord injury, surgery, urology.

Several non-clinical UW departments are also represented, including: bioengineering, electrical engineering, epidemiology, health systems and population health, and mechanical engineering.

VA Puget Sound has a well-respected and enviably efficient Institutional Review Board (IRB) that reviews and monitors research pertaining to humans to ensure that it is carried out ethically and safely.

VA Puget Sound also has an AAALAC-accredited animal facility that supports vital research requiring animal models. The facilities and the program comply fully with the Animal Welfare Act and US Public Health Service Policy on humane care and use of laboratory animals. The program is managed by specialty-certified veterinarians and animal care staff. The R&D animal ethics committee (IACUC) oversees the program and reviews research protocols and ongoing work.

VA Centers and Special Emphasis Programs

VA Puget Sound is home to numerous VA Centers and Special Emphasis Programs, programs that are competitively secured and that serve the entire VA system and our nation’s Veterans.

• Alzheimer's Research Center
• Center of Excellence for Substance Abuse Treatment & Education (CESATE)
• Diabetes/Endocrinology Research Center
• Epidemiologic Research & Information Center (ERIC)
• Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)
• Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
• Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence
• Northwest Hepatitis C Field Based Resource Center
• RR&D Center for Limb Loss and MoBility (CLiMB)
• Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered & Value-Driven Care
• The Northwest Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center

Excellent clinical care, solid medical education, and innovative and ethical research are the crucial “three legs of the stool” in academic medicine. At VA Puget Sound, this triad not only helps us recruit skilled, top-notch clinical staff, but it also enables us to provide our Veteran patients with access to the latest pharmaceutical and behavioral therapies and diagnostic techniques. In other words, the quality of "routine" care here at VA Puget Sound is enriched by our team’s ability to bring advancements we discover and scrutinize for safety in the lab into the clinic in support of Veterans’ health and well-being.

Contact our research and development program

VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Research and Development, MS-151
1660 S. Columbian Way 
Seattle, WA 98108

Phone: 206-277-1417
Email: VAPugetSoundResearch@VA.GOV
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT