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Office of Research & Development

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Summer Research Program

In June 2022,  VA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) sponsored a pilot Summer Research Program (SRP) that welcomed 115 student participants across 21 VA sites nationwide. This program is a cornerstone of ORD's efforts to strengthen and diversify the VA scientific workforce by offering research experiences to student Veterans, children of Veterans, and students from underrepresented populations.

VA-ORD has signaled its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by recently renewing funding for this important program through 2029, as well as expanding the summer program to 25 sites in 2025 to accommodate the growing number of student applications. The SRP offers students valuable career development training and hands-on research experiences in diverse research areas of importance to Veteran healthcare.

 VA ORD Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative Summer Research Program map

ORD Summer Research Program locations are indicated with stars.

Contacts

For questions regarding the VA ORD Summer Research Program, please contact VHACOORDDEIWG@va.gov, Sarah.Jackson@va.gov, or any of the site point of contacts (POCs) listed below.

SRP Site

Focus Areas

POC Email/Website

Site PI(s)

Ann Arbor VAMC

Laboratory-based biomedical focus: infectious disease, pulmonary, cancer, neurology, rehabilitation

Christine.Basmagjian@va.gov
Melanie.Powers@va.gov


https://tinyurl.com/2swu929z

Christine Basmajian, PhD

Asheville, NC

Multi-disciplinary, including bench science, mental health, primary care, and nursing

Paula.Geigle@va.gov and
Karla.Weidner@va.gov;
vhaashscan-rd@va.gov

Paula Geigle, PhD

Atlanta VAMC

Oncology
Endocrinology
Neurocognitive Behavior
PTSD
Oncology
Pulmonology
Nephrology
AI
Orthopedics
Surgery
Cardiology
GI
Vision

Ashley.Scales@va.gov
Selma.Cuya-Smith@va.gov

C. Michael Hart, PhD

Baltimore VAMC

Data science, geriatrics and aging science, rehabilitation and whole health.

Beth.hogans@va.gov
Susan.conroy@va.gov
jenny.bernstein@va.gov

https://tinyurl.com/2m8r8a9v

Conroy, Susan, DPT
Hogans, Beth, MD, PhD, MS

Bedford, MA VAHCS

Health services research and implementation science

Renda.Wiener@va.gov;
Guneet.Jasuja@va.gov

https://www.choir.research.va.gov/

Renda Wiener, MD, MPH & Guneet Jasuja, PhD

Boston VAHCS

Basic and translational research

vivian.cristofaro@va.gov

ASPIRE Scholar Research Program

Vivian Cristofaro, PhD

Boston VAHCS

Imaging, Computers, and AI in Medicine

Lisa.jepeal@va.gov

VA Boston Healthcare System Scholars Research Program: Biomedical Imaging, Computers, and AI

Singh, S

Central Western Massachusetts VAMC

Women’s Health


Kristin.Mattocks@va.gov
Aimee.Kroll-Desrosiers@va.gov

Kristin Mattocks, PhD, MPH

Charleston VAMC

Bench Science and Clinical Science:

Cardiology (heart failure, myocardial infarction); Vascular (stroke, aortic aneurysm); Orthopedics (bone repair); Immunology (cellular immune system)

Neurology (brain, sleep, cognitive function) Mental Health (PTSD, suicide prevention, substance abuse)

Rehabilitation Research:

Human Rehabilitation Science; Stroke Recovery; Gait analysis; Neurocognitive studies

Health Services Research:

Health services delivery; Quality improvement studies; Data science; Health Care access studie

Sarah.Jackson@va.gov

R. Amanda C. LaRue, (PhD) and Jeffrey A. Jones (PhD)

Cleveland VAMC

1) Prosthetics and Orthotics
2) Neural Interfaces
3) Health Monitoring and Maintenance
4) Activity-Based Neurorehabilitation
5) Enabling Technologies

Allison Hess-Dunning:
ahess@aptcenter.org

https://tinyurl.com/3td7d4r9

Allison Hess-Dunning,PhDand Jeffrey Capadona, MD

Columbia VA Health Care System

Preclinical and translational research, high school biomedical research exposure.

Michael.Ryan1@va.gov
Emanueal.Smith@va.gov

Michael R. Ryan, PhD

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital

Veterans with disabilities, whole health, infectious diseases, antibiotic stewardship, and QUERI funded projects

Charlesnika Wilson, PhD, Geneva Wilson, PhD and Marissa Wirth, MPH

Charlesnika.Evans@va.gov
Geneva.Wilson2@va.gov
Marissa.Wirth@va.gov

https://tinyurl.com/zebyrhy6

Charlesnika Evans, PhD

Houston VAMC

Veteran-focused research across the translational spectrum

Natalie.Hundt@va.gov;
Christopher.Legier@va.gov

Natalie Hundt, PhD & Rolando Rumbaut, MD

Minneapolis VAMC

Veterans Mental Health research areas, such as suicide risk/prevention, mild TBI, PTSD, severe mental illness, substance use disorders, aging/cognitive decline, personality assessment, and resilience

Melissa.Polusny@va.gov
Snezana.Urosevic@va.gov

Melissa Polunsy, PhD

Nashville VAMC

Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology


Holly.Algood@va.gov

Holly Algood, PhD

Oklahoma City VAMC

Bench/preclinical science

Robert.Scofield@va.gov
https://tinyurl.com/4pvhx7u3

Robert Hal Scofield, MD

Palo Alto VAMC



Health Systems Track (Implementation Science, Suicide Prevention, Substance Use Disorder, Digital Health, PTSD, Data Science)

Health Systems and Life Science Research: carla.garcia2@va.gov
Life Science Track: ngan.huang@va.gov

https://tinyurl.com/3nwa8j42

Odette Harris, MD., MPH
Jessica Breland, PhD., and Ngan Huang, PhD

Phoenix VAMC

Nutrition Research

Katherine.Petersen@va.gov

https://tinyurl.com/2utk2xt5

Katherine Petersen, PhD

Pittsburgh VAMC

Rehabilitation engineering, Assistive technology design and development, Bioengineering, Clinical research

josh.marino@pitt.edu
HERL Educational Opportunities -
VA Learning Opportunities in Research (VALOR) program

Dr. Rory Cooper, PhD and Dr. Alicia Koontz, PhD

Providence VAMC

Improving quality, safety, equity, and value of long-term services and supports programs; mental health and suicide prevention and pharmacologic interventions for older Veterans

Whitney.Mills@va.gov

Whitney Mills, PhD

Rocky Mountain VAMC

Suicide Prevention



Samantha.Hack@va.gov
Kathryn.Nearing@va.gov
or KATHRYN.NEARING@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

https://tinyurl.com/dv8paak3p

Samantha Hack, PhD, LMSW
Kathryn Nearing, PhD

San Juan, PR - Caribbean VAHS 23:26

Clinical Research (Health Disparities Research, TBI, Mental Health, Cardiac, Pulmonary, Cancer, Gastro, Nuclear Medicine, Women Health)

irma.molina@va.gov
lourdes.guerrios-rivera@va.gov
ingrid.bonilla-mercado@va.gov
Gerardo.jovet-toledo@va.gov

Irma L. Molina-Vicenty, MD
Lourdes Guerrios Rivera, MD, MS
Ingrid Bonilla Mercado, PhD
Gerardo Jovet Toledo, MS

Seattle VAMC

Muscle Wasting in Cancer & Aging, Cognitive Decline in Aging, & TBI/hormone dysfunction.


Lindsay.Ansderson5@va.gov

Lindsay Anderson, PhD

Southern Arizona VA (Tucson)

Medical student research focusing on clinical and basic science investigations

jwertheim@arizona.edu
Jason.wertheim@va.gov

WERTHEIM, J

Tampa VAMC

Traumatic Brain Injury and Polytrauma and Military Exposures

Paula.Bickford@va.gov and
Marc.Silva1@va.gov

Paula Bickford, PhD and Marc A. Silva, PhD (MPIs)



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