VA New England Healthcare System

From left: Bob McDonald, Secretary, Dept. of Veterans Affairs; John Concato, MVP Principal Investigator; J. Michael Gaziano, MVP Principal Investigator

How the MVP is Changing the Face of Medical Research

What do 450,000 of our nation's VETERANS have in common? They have all become part of the Million Veterans Program (MVP), a medical research partnership between the VA and Veterans.

Veterans from VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1) and across the country are now a part of this historic program that aims to revolutionize medical research as we know it. The MVP’s goal is simple: to provide better health care for our Veterans, our nation, and future generations.

Veterans helping to fight disease

Cancer, post traumatic stress disorder, heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and diabetes are just a few of the conditions that researchers hope to study with the information collected in the MVP. As the name implies, the goal is to get one million Veteran volunteers enrolled in the study in the next few years – and they’re nearly halfway there already.

To participate, Veterans are asked to take a survey and provide a blood sample at one of the MVP locations. The information will be used in a secure, database that will become the largest study of genes and health in the world.

Jennifer Deen, Program Manager for the MVP, says the database will give researchers and clinicians the ability to study and treat diseases in ways not possible before. “The sheer number of participants, coupled with the comprehensive information in the health records, will lead to faster discoveries of treatments and, ultimately, better lives for those who suffer from many different conditions.”

Deen feels enormous gratitude toward the MVP participants in VISN 1 and across the country. “Our Veterans have been eager to be a part of this program,” she says. “They fought for our country, and now they want to fight disease. Their desire to hel others is amazing. It makes all our efforts worthwhile.”