Sponsor or institution
Clinical trials and research at Iowa City VA Medical Center
As of November 12, 2026, Find a Trial lists 59 NIH-funded research projects at this institution. Every study is explained in plain English. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov and NIH RePORTER, updated November 12, 2026.
- 59NIH research projects
NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 59)
Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.
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Biomarkers that predict how Parkinson’s will progress
This NIH grant aims to find markers, like brain imaging and blood tests, that could tell doctors early on which people with Parkinson’s are likely to see faster or slower disease progression.
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Immune system and inflammation in blast-related brain injury progression
This project looks at how the body's immune response after blast-related brain injury may drive ongoing brain and eye damage, with potential therapies that are already approved for other uses.
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New, practical metrics to improve how hospitals prescribe antibiotics
Aims to develop and test new metrics that better measure how well hospitals use antibiotics, with the goal of improving patient safety and reducing resistance.
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Improving antimicrobial use at discharge by building on hospital stewardship
This grant explores how to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions after hospital discharge to help prevent infections and side effects.
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Perioperative pain self-management to prevent long-term pain and opioid use
This project tests whether a short cognitive-behavioral perioperative pain self-management program helps surgical patients avoid chronic post-surgical pain and prolonged opioid use.
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Center for Preventing and Treating Visual Loss in Veterans
A center-backed effort to detect early signs of eye and brain disorders that can cause blindness, using AI and advanced eye imaging to guide new treatments for Veterans and the general public.
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Understanding how the immune system affects brain and eye damage after blast injuries.
This study is looking at how blast-related brain injuries affect the immune system and may lead to problems like nerve damage and vision issues, with the goal of finding new ways to help people recover using existing medications.
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Suicide risk profiles for U.S. Veterans with bipolar disorder
Using health records, genetic data, and machine learning to find patterns linked to suicide attempts among Veterans with bipolar disorder.
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How brain signals link obesity to high blood pressure
Looking at how brain signals in people with obesity cause high blood pressure to help find better ways to lower it.
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How fat tissue and the body's clock use gut nerves to control weight
This project looks at how signals between fat, the body's internal clock, and gut nerves affect weight and metabolism for people with obesity.
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Pharmacist-guided, patient-led blood pressure care for people with kidney disease
This program helps people with chronic kidney disease work with a clinical pharmacist to manage and adjust their blood pressure medicines at home using a pre-set plan.
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How immune system genes and gut bacteria interact in multiple sclerosis
This work looks at whether differences in certain immune-system genes change gut bacteria and affect symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis.
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How acid-sensing brain proteins change opioid-driven brain connections
Researchers are looking at how tiny changes in brain chemistry and acid-sensing proteins affect opioid-driven changes in the brain to help people with opioid addiction or chronic pain.
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Junctophilin-2's role in brown fat and body weight
Looks at whether changing levels of a protein called junctophilin-2 in brown fat can help people with obesity and adult-onset (type 2) diabetes burn more energy.
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Helping hospitalized Veterans learn to use MyHealtheVet and VA Video Connect
This project teaches hospitalized Veterans hands-on digital skills so they can use MyHealtheVet and VA Video Connect for follow-up care after leaving the hospital.
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Replacing damaged eye drainage cells to treat glaucoma
This project is developing a cell-based treatment to replace lost drainage cells and help people with primary open-angle glaucoma keep eye pressure lower and protect vision.
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Helping veterans access mental health care after deployment
This study is all about helping veterans who have just come back from deployment get better access to mental health care by using an easy online tool that checks for common issues and offers personalized support and resources to encourage them to seek help.
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Improving Hospital Antibiotic Use
This project aims to create better ways for hospitals to measure and improve how they prescribe antibiotics, helping to fight antibiotic resistance.
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Improving Antibiotic Prescriptions for Patients Leaving the Hospital
This project aims to help hospitals ensure patients receive the most appropriate antibiotics when they go home, reducing risks like C. difficile infections and antibiotic resistance.
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Using regulatory CD8 T cells to calm autoimmune attacks in MS
This work explores whether a special type of immune cell (regulatory CD8 T cells) can be used to reduce the immune attack that damages nerves in people with multiple sclerosis.
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How COVID-19 Evades the Immune System
This research looks at how the virus that causes COVID‑19 interacts with human T cells to explain why some people get severe illness or weak immune memory.
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Blocking TAZ and YAP signals in bone and soft tissue sarcoma
Looking at whether blocking the signals that turn on the proteins TAZ and YAP could lead to new treatments for people with bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
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Improving sepsis outcomes for veterans using a learning healthcare system
This study is looking at how to improve the treatment of sepsis in veterans by using a special remote monitoring system to understand what helps some patients do better than others, with the hope of finding ways to provide more personalized care and improve survival rates.
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Protecting tiny blood vessels from radiation by supporting mitochondria
Researchers are looking for ways to protect small blood vessels and brain function in people who get radiation therapy by helping cells' mitochondria work better.
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How the protein RIPK2 makes radiation damage worse
This project looks at whether blocking a protein called RIPK2 can reduce the harmful effects of radiation for people exposed during medical treatment, work, or military service.
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Understanding how Staphylococcus aureus affects immune responses in the skin
This study is looking at how a common skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus affects the immune system, especially in people who have recovered from MRSA infections, to find ways to help the body fight off future infections and possibly develop a vaccine.
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Understanding how the brain regulates blood pressure and metabolism
This study is looking at how the brain helps control things like blood pressure and energy use in the body, especially for people dealing with obesity and high blood pressure, to find new ways to help treat these conditions.
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Understanding how obesity causes high blood pressure
This study is looking at how being overweight can affect blood pressure by exploring how the brain controls certain nerves that influence it, and it aims to find new ways to help people with high blood pressure who are also dealing with obesity.
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Knee-extensor training to improve leg blood flow and exercise ability in Veterans with HFpEF
This will try a knee-extensor exercise program to help Veterans with HFpEF improve leg blood flow and exercise endurance.
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Finding Glaucoma Vision Loss Early with Computer Learning
This project uses advanced computer learning to help doctors find vision changes in glaucoma patients sooner, especially for veterans.
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Investigating blood flow changes in the retina for patients with dry macular degeneration
This study is looking at how reduced blood flow in the eye affects people with dry macular degeneration, and it aims to find out who might be at risk of worsening vision so that we can explore ways to help improve blood flow and protect their sight.
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How alcohol affects pain sensitivity through serotonin
This study is looking at how drinking alcohol over a long time might make pain feel worse, especially for veterans, by exploring how a brain chemical called serotonin is involved.
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Understanding how brain circuits respond to fear and panic
This study looks at how certain brain areas in mice react to fear and panic, especially when they feel like they can't breathe, to help us understand why some people with anxiety disorders, like PTSD, have strong defensive reactions, which could lead to better treatments for them.
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Investigating how TREM-1 affects allergic airway inflammation in military personnel
This study is looking at how a specific immune protein called TREM-1 affects breathing problems, like asthma, in U.S. military personnel who have been exposed to allergens during their deployments, with the hope of finding better ways to prevent and treat these conditions.
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Investigating how prediabetes affects blood clotting in veterans
This study is looking at how prediabetes might raise the chances of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes, especially in veterans, and aims to find ways to help reduce these risks.
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Using IL-1 to enhance treatment for advanced head and neck cancer
This study is looking at whether adding a special immune booster called interleukin-1 to regular treatments can help people with advanced head and neck cancer feel better and fight the disease more effectively.
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Understanding kidney injury caused by medications in veterans
This study is looking at how certain medications can harm the kidneys in veterans, and it aims to find out which patients are most at risk so we can help prevent kidney problems before they happen.
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Understanding and Treating Vision Loss
This effort at the Iowa City VA helps find and treat eye and nervous system problems that cause vision loss in Veterans and the general population.
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Understanding the causes of suicidal behavior in US Veterans
This study is looking at what factors might lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in US Veterans with bipolar disorder, using data to find patterns that could help improve prevention efforts.
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Improving digital skills for hospitalized veterans to access telemedicine
This study is helping hospitalized veterans learn how to use online tools like MyHealtheVet and VA Video Connect, so they can easily access healthcare services from home after they leave the hospital.
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