Boston CSP Epidemiology Center (CSPEC)
The Boston CSP Epidemiology Center (CSPEC) was established in 1997, as the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center (MAVERIC). The Epidemiology Center is part of MAVERIC’s Division of Population Health and Data Science and serves as a national resource to foster epidemiologic research in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
The Boston CSPEC conducts a wide range of population health research relevant to the needs of Veterans; facilitates the transfer of vital epidemiological information to VHA providers and administrators; and educates the next generation of population researchers. The Epidemiology Center has been involved in 500+ publications.
Portfolio/Initiative Objectives
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Conduct genetic and non-genetic population health studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes
- Mental Health
- Conduct mental health research with a cross-disciplinary approach (i.e., interplay between mental health & physical health) and collaborate with an extensive research network
- Frailty/Aging
- Define frailty in clinical and research cohorts, understand the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of frailty in the VA, working closely with GRECC/MAVERIC/GEDAC/VA Operations
- Cancer
- Improve the health of Veterans by better understanding the mechanisms that cause cancer, evaluate existing treatments, and find new drugs and therapies for Veterans and others with cancer
- Environmental Exposures
- Understand the health effects of environmental exposures to improve the health and well-being of Veterans
- VA CAUSAL Methods
- Develop methods and tools for causal inference analyses within the VHA, bridging randomized controlled trials, target trial emulation, and biobank-based mendelian randomization and drug discovery
- Innovative Analytics & Methods
- Pilot initiatives, build collaborations, develop cross-cutting methods, and integrate teams across center programs and with affiliated partners
- Quality Improvement Program
- Improve clinical processes within the VHA through a learning healthcare system model of quality improvement
- CSP Epidemiology Analytic Resource (CSPEAR)
- Provide ORD and VHA leadership with epidemiologic summary data on Veterans’ disease burden and treatment to internally inform the priorities of the ORD research program and to anticipate future health care needs within VHA
- CSP Data & Biostats Working Group
- Promote connection, foster relationships, and facilitate learning and knowledge between the analytic groups within the CSPECs
- CSP Study Operations Working Group
- Facilitate information and resource sharing across CSPEC to improve research operations
- CSPEC Quality Initiative
- Develop quality and performance standards by which a CSPEC should be evaluated
Related Programs
Affiliations
Leadership
- Director: Michael Gaziano, MD, MPH
- Deputy Director: Kelly Cho, PhD, MPH
Location/Contact
Lafayette City Center, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111
Email: VHAPHDS@va.gov (We can’t respond to emails from research participants or registry members due to VA security and privacy requirements)
Join Our Team!
If you’re interested in joining our team, please reach out to us at: VHAPHDS@va.gov
