Genetics and clinical risk factors for traumatic brain injury effects in veterans
Official title: Phenotyping, Genotyping, and Risk Prediction of TBI-Related Variables and Comorbidities in Military Veterans Enrolled in MVP
Funded at VA San Diego Healthcare System · NIH-11213857 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at veterans' health records, survey answers, and genetic data to find who is more likely to have lasting problems after a traumatic brain injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA San Diego Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006350-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11213857 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
U.S. military veterans who are enrolled in the VA Million Veteran Program and have a history of traumatic brain injury or available VA health and genetic data are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not veterans, not enrolled in the VA/MVP, or who lack usable medical or genetic records are unlikely to be included or to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you are a veteran in the VA Million Veteran Program, researchers will combine your medical records, questionnaire responses, and genetic information to define different patterns of post-TBI symptoms and related health conditions. They will use those data to look for genetic differences and clinical features that link to worse recovery, including mental health and cognitive problems. The team will build models to predict which veterans are at higher risk of long-term problems after TBI, using information from people of diverse ancestries. Findings will be compared across groups to improve understanding of risk and recovery after military-related brain injuries.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify veterans at higher risk for chronic symptoms after TBI and guide more personalized monitoring and care.
How similar studies have gone: Large-scale genetic studies of TBI are relatively new but initial genome-wide work has suggested genetic links, so this builds on early, promising but still preliminary findings.
Where this research is happening
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VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Merritt, Victoria C. — VA San Diego Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Merritt, Victoria C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.