Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

CSRD Newsletter

Vol. 4, No. 8, 2022.9.30

We Have Relocated

Where oh where is Clinical Science Research and Development located these days? If you plan to visit the Washington, DC, area you will no longer find CSRD and the rest of the Office of Research and Development in 1100 1^st Street where they have been located for the past several years. The new location for staff members, who are not remote, is 811 Vermont Avenue NW in DC, just across the street from the main VA building at 810 Vermont Avenue NW and one block from the White House. 811 Vermont AKA The Lafayette Building was completed in 1940 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005. It occupies two-thirds of an irregularly shaped block bounded by Vermont Avenue and Fifteenth, I, and H streets and has an unusual footprint that is shaped like a lowercase E. ORD’s move there took place last week after at least a couple of months of preparation.  That preparation included clean up and clean out of 376 boxes of Federal records that have reached their disposition dates and non-record materials sent for shredding/destruction along with 222 boxes of records to be transferred for storage. The conservative estimate is 12,000 pounds or six tons of paper. It was a time to keep and a time to throw away all in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration approved records control schedules. Many thanks to everyone in ORD who was a part of this effort and a special shout out to Jeannine Ferrel from Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development who continues to work tirelessly to see the records transfer to completion!

--Lucindia Shouse, ORD Records Liaison

.

Boxes on loading dock at 1100 1st Street, awaiting transfer for destruction

ORD Fall Family Picnic Fun

The photos below are from the ORD Fall Family Picnic held September 24 at Bluemont Park in Arlington. Approximately 30 staff members attended along with family members and friends.

From left: Picnic Team -- Vetisha McClair, Eden and Amanda Garcia, Lisa Eiben, Amanda Hunt and Mario Rinaudo

From left: Masood Kahn, Holly Krull, Arun Sharma

From left: Masood Kahn, Kiberlee Potter, Kristina Nord, Arun Sharma, Carol Fowler

From left: Carol Fowler, Kristina Nord, Masood Kahn

From left: Holly Krull, Lisa Eiben

36 Investigators Selected for Funding

Clinical Science Research and Development (CSRD) selected 36 investigators for the Spring 2022 funding cycle. Congratulations to the eight Career Development Selectees and 28 Merit Award Selectees! Most applications were released on Friday, August 12, 2022, in eRA Commons Just-in-Time (JIT). Selected PIs and individuals with the Signing Official (SO) role were notified through email. Guidance documents and templates are on the ORD JIT website: Just-in-Time Process to Release Funds (va.gov).

The CSR&D Career Development Selectees for Spring 2022 cycle are:

JOSEPH  BOFFA,  PhD,  NEW ORLEANS, LA ,  ''Effects of a Targeted Web-Based Suicide Prevention Intervention on Suicidal Ideation and Self-Directed Violence: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Veterans''

MICHAEL  JACOB,  PhD,  SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,  ''Stressed heart-brain communication in Veterans with schizophrenia: neurovascular and autonomic mechanisms''

HELEN  MA,  MD, LONG BEACH, CA ,  ''Epigenetic Dysregulation, Genetic Mutations, And Outcomes Of Lymphoid Malignancies Related To Agent Orange And Burn Pit Exposures Compared To Unexposed Case-Matched Controls''

ASHLEY  MARTIN,  PhD,  WEST HAVEN, CT ,  ''A neurobiological investigation of cannabis use and misuse in Veterans''

LEE  NEILSON,  MD,  PORTLAND, OR ,  ''Biomarkers of disease severity and progression in Parkinson’s''

MICHAEL  RUDERMAN,  DO.,  SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,  ''Approximating Mechanisms of Suicide Risk to Innovate Interventions for Mid-to-Late-Life Veterans''

LEE  WHELESS,  MD, PhD,  NASHVILLE, TN ,  ''Identifying clinical and genetic factors for risk of multiple skin cancers in organ transplant recipients''

JONATHAN  YOUNG,  MD,  DURHAM, NC ,  ''Neuroimaging correlates and feasibility of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to improve smoking cessation outcomes in Veterans with comorbid PTSD''

The CSR&D Merit Selectees for Spring 2022 cycle are:

JESSICA  BOMYEA,  PhD,  SAN DIEGO, CA ,  ''Application of a mobile health platform for assessing cognition and psychiatric symptoms in Veterans''

ANDREW  BUDSON,  MD,  BOSTON, MA ,  ''Consequences of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic in older adults with and without Alzheimer’s disease''

JEFFREY  CHENG,  MD,  SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,  ''Precision medicine approaches to chronic inflammatory skin disease of older veterans''

VIKAS  DUDEJA,  MBBS, PhD,  BIRMINGHAM, AL ,  ''Role of Gut Microbiome in Smoking Induced Promotion of Pancreatic Cancer''

TERENCE  GADE,  MD, PhD,  PHILADELPHIA, PA ,  ''Targeting Ischemia-Induced Autophagy Dependence in hepatocellular Carcinoma through Image-guided Locoregional Therapy''

LING  GAO,  MD, PhD,  LONG BEACH, CA ,  ''Unravel the role of CD276 and determine efficacy of CD276-targeted therapy on Merkel cell carcinoma progression and metastasis''

ERIC  GROGAN,  MD,  NASHVILLE, TN ,  ''Creating a Veterans specific risk model to improve lung cancer screening''

KATIE HARLE, PhD, SAN DIEGO, CA, “Neuro-computational predictors of treatment responsiveness in trauma-exposed Veterans”

MATLOCK  JEFFRIES,  MD,  OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ,  ''Cartilage Microbial Products as Novel Drivers of Knee Osteoarthritis Epigenetic Dysregulation''

EUN-KEE (EK)  JEONG,  PhD,  SALT LAKE CITY, UT ,  ''Quantitation of myelin damage in optic nerve, brainstem, cervical spinal cord, and corpus-callosum in MS''

DAVID  KOSOFF,  MD,  MADISON, WI ,  ''Evaluation of novel microscale cell culture platform for translational drug development in prostate cancer''

BETH  LEEMAN-MARKOWSKI,  MD,  NEW YORK, NY ,  ''Methylphenidate for the treatment of epilepsy-related cognitive deficits: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial''

KEBIN  LIU,  PhD,  AUGUSTA, GA ,  ''Type I Interferon Regulation of Tumor Cell and Immune Cell Interaction in Human Colon Cancer''

BRIAN MARX, PhD, BOSTON, MA, “Center for Harmonizing and Improving Interventions to Prevent Suicide (CHIIPS)”

JASON  MATEIKA,  PhD,  DETROIT, MI ,  ''Intermittent hypoxia-initiated plasticity in humans: A multi-pronged therapeutic approach to treat sleep apnea and overlapping co-morbidities.''

CRAIG  MCCLAIN,  MD,  LOUISVILLE, KY ,  ''Inflammation Resolving Lipid Mediators: Novel Therapy for Alcohol Associated Liver Disease''

RENUKA  NAYAK,  MD, PhD,  SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,  ''Identifying and targeting gut microbial mechanisms that contribute to methotrexate response in rheumatoid arthritis''

SONYA  NORMAN,  PhD,  SAN DIEGO, CA ,  ''Non-Inferiority Trial of Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR) for PTSD''

JOSE  PARDO,  MD, PhD,  MINNEAPOLIS, MN ,  ''Aging, PTSD, and the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)''

MAHADEVAN  RAJASEKARAN,  PhD,  SAN DIEGO, CA ,  ''Repeated Transurethral Interventions and Progressive Urethral Stricture Disease: Elucidation of Mechanisms and Novel Interventional Strategies''

MURRAY A RASKIND, MD,  SEATTLE, WA, “Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Methylphenidate for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with Associated Neurocognitive Complaints”

WILLIAM  ROBINSON,  MD, PhD,  PALO ALTO, CA ,  ''BCCMA: Targeting Osteoarthritis Pain and Progression: Proteomics, RNASeq & Immunostaining to elucidate the immune pathotypes of OA''

MATTHEW  RONDINA,  MD,  SALT LAKE CITY, UT ,  ''Platelet Reprogramming During Inflammation''

NASIA  SAFDAR,  MD, PhD,  MADISON, WI ,  ''BCCMA: Targeting Gut-Microbiome in Veterans Deployment related Gastrointestinal and Liver diseases; CMA5- Functional metagenomics in GWI-related gut dysfunction''

VIJAYASARADHI  SETALURI,  PhD,  MADISON, WI ,  ''Immuno-electrochemical Detection and Characterization of Melanoma Circulating Cells''

BINITA  SHAH,  MD,  NEW YORK, NY ,  ''Impact of Colchicine on Peri-Operative Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Prior Coronary Revascularization''

ANDREA  SPADONI TOWNSEND,  PhD,  SAN DIEGO, CA ,  ''Neural correlates of fear conditioning and extinction in veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder''

KEITH  WILSON,  MD,  NASHVILLE, TN ,  ''BCCMA: Targeting Gut-Microbiome in Veterans Deployment Related Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases: Dysbiosis, PTSD, and Epithelial and Immune Biology in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Veterans''

For JIT related questions please send emails to the BLR&D and CSR&D shared JIT mailbox: VHACOBLCSRDJIT@va.gov

Geriatric Mental Health Research Conference Scheduled for October 27

To any investigator who is interested in Geriatric Mental Health Research, the VISN 21 Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center and the Center for Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports in partnership with the Office of Mental Health and suicide prevention, GEC and ORD invite you to a virtual conference titled “The role of Geriatric Mental Health Research in the VHA Learning Healthcare System” to be held Thursday October 27, 11:00 am to 4:30 pm EST

Vision for the Conference:

To bring together VA researchers and VACO program office leaders for discussions of the application of research evidence and implementation science in improving VHA care, as well as to develop collaborations, in three areas:

• Late life suicide
• Care models for older Veterans with complex comorbidities and disruptive behaviors
• Geriatric mental health research in integrated care settings

Meeting Information:

The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams. For additional information, please contact Carole Woodle (carole.woodle@va.gov),

Career Development Updates Shared

• On September 14, CSRD and BLRD co-hosted a virtual office hours session for anyone with questions about preparing a Career Development Letter of Intent for our November 1, 2022, submission deadline.  This session was open to applicants, mentors, and research office staff, and was entirely Q&A. Questions may be directed to  VHACADEReview@va.gov.
• On August 24, CSRD and BLRD co-hosted a welcome call for investigators selected for Career Development Award funding during the Spring 2022 Scientific Review round.  Many research office staff members and Career Development Award mentors were also in attendance.  The group heard presentations about working with their local research office and the Just-in-Time (JIT) documentation process.  We look forward to helping our newest VA-funded investigators get their projects started.

Summer Research Program...

After a busy day of meetings and talks, seven members from the Caribbean VA Summer Research program accompanied Dr. Mark Roltsch on a tour of all the Washington, DC, memorials. They rented electric scooters and headed past the White House and over to the Washington Monument.  The photo at right is from the WWII memorial.  The group members headed out at 8 p.m. and 4 hours later returned to their hotel. The next morning they headed to the Baltimore VA for a day of presentation for all the SRP students and visiting the labs there. Other photos below were submitted by the students.

...Participants tour DC...

...with Dr. Roltsch

CSRD DMC Seeks Members

The CSRD Data Monitoring Committee (DMC), that provides data and safety monitoring for CSRD funded projects, is seeking new members. For more information, please contact DMC Manager Tamara Paine, DBA. (Tamara.Paine@va.gov). 

CSRD Contact Information

areer Development: VHACADEReview@va.gov

Clinical Trials: clin-review@va.gov

General Mailbox: VHABLRD-CSRD@va.gov (Please note this is a shared mailbox that should be used for general questions that will triaged by staff to the appropriate individual.)

Just in Time Mailbox: VHACOBLCSRDJIT@va.gov

Newsletter: Lucindia.Shouse@va.gov

Scientific Portfolio/Program Managers: BLR&D and CSR&D Contact Information (va.gov)