The philosophy of the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Research Service is to utilize basic, clinical, rehabilitative, translational and outcome research to continually advance medical science, and provide the latest, most advanced therapeutic environment for our veteran patients. The KCVAMC Research program is fully accredited and conducting research studies involving humans, animals, biohazard chemicals and retrospective data. In addition, KCVAMC Research Service provides oversight committee functions to facilitate research at both Eastern Kansas Health Care System (Topeka, Leavenworth) and Wichita VAMC.
For the fiscal year 2021, there were 40 active investigators (27 M.D.’s, 9 Ph.D.’s, 3 Pharm. D., and 1 RN) conducting research in areas of cardiology, endocrine, gastrointestinal, mental health, neurology, oncology, pulmonary, pharmacy, renal, substance abuse and surgery. Currently there are 7-VA Merit funded, 3-VA CSP funded, 1-NIH and 1-DOD funded investigators.
Out of 148 total active research projects, 122 used human subjects and/ or human data, 46 Investigational drugs, 1 investigational device, 1 radioisotope and 26 animals + biohazard/chemicals with a total expenditure of about $4.26 million from the VA, and non-VA sources (NIH, NCI, DOD, private foundations and, pharma industries).
ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Drs. William Suo is a VA merit funded basic scientist involved in characterizing novel therapeutic molecules for Alzheimer Disease. Dr. Shuangteng He is studying effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in stroke. Dr. Vikas Singh, Neurologist is involved in clinical studies addressing posttraumatic headache. Dr. Singh with Drs. Hemant Thakur and Thomas Demark are involved in database research on PTSD, TBI, Stroke and Epilepsy.
ADDRESSING SUBSTANCS ABUSE ISSUES
Dr. Kenneth Grasing, VA merit funded clinician scientist is involved in research to understand chemical changes in the brain caused by opioid abuse to develop medications for substance use disorder.
ADDRESSING CARDIOVACULAR ISSUES
Drs. Rajat Barua, Deepak Parashar, and George Cherian are involved in many NIH, VA-CSP and Industry sponsored clinical trials to address atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and heart failure. In addition, the group is involved in database research to address role of testosterone in cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Damandeep Walia, Rheumatologist is VA-CSP funded clinician working on gout.
ADDRESSING CANCER
Dr. Sushanta Banerjee and Dr. Snigdha Banerjee are VA Merit funded basic scientists studying Role of CCN5 and Cyr61/CCN1 respectively in Triple Negative Breast cancer and Pancreatic cancer Progression and Therapy.
Dr. Faris Farassati is a DOD funded basic scientist involved in developing oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy.
Six Oncologists including, Dr. Chao Huang, Dr. Suman Kambhampati, Dr. January E. Fields-Meehan, Dr. Linda Verkruyse, Dr. Nisreen Haideri, Dr. John Parks and Dr. Eashwer Reddy are involved in clinical trials funded by NCI, Industries and VA-CSP to provide veterans access to novel therapeutic modalities for various types of cancers.
ADDRESSING RENAL, HYPERTENSION AND DIABETIC ISSUES
Dr. Thomas Wiegmann, Dr. Santosh Sharma and Dr. Mariana Garcia-Touza are involved in clinical trials funded by VA-CSP and industries to address renal, hypertension and diabetic diseases. They are also involved in many database research projects including on COVID-19.
Dr. Mukut Sharma is NIH funded basic scientist involved in understanding the impact of fluid flow sheer stress in progression of kidney diseases. In addition, he is also involved in studying role of IL-6 family cytokine in chronic inflammatory kidney diseases.
DRUG DISCOVERY PROGRAM
Dr. Mukut Sharma is leading Dr. Sunil Upadhyay, Synthetic Organic Chemist and Dr. Pritam Thapa, Medicinal Chemist in designing, developing and synthesizing novel small molecules for treating Alzheimer Disease and Substance Use Disorders. Their effort has resulted in synthesis of more than 50 molecules with potential few patents.
ADDRESSING GASTRIC ISSUES
Dr Prateek Sharma is one of the world's leading authorities in the field of gastroesophageal reflux disease, (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus, a condition leading to the development of cancer. His research is funded from VA-CSP, Industries and other foundations to address GI– disorders. Dr. Divyanshoo Kohli is also involved in push and pull endoscopic PEG placement and real-time and shear wave elastography industry sponsored clinical trials.
ADDRESSING FATTY LIVER ISSUES
Dr. Steven Weinman is a VA Merit funded investigator is involved in understanding Role of Macrophages Adaptation in Alcoholic Liver diseases to discover novel therapeutic approach.
Dr. John Thyfault is a VA Merit funded basic scientist involved in understanding , if estrogen modifies risk for fatty liver through modulating hepatic mitochondrial function and bile acid metabolism to prevent and treat harmful fatty liver disease in female veterans, a condition that increases type 2 diabetes, cancer and liver failure.
ADDRESSING COVID-19 ISSUES
Dr. Sushanta Govindan, DOD funded pulmonologist and Dr. Sonia Castillo and DR. Kenneth Grasing are involved in COVID-19 related research. Dr. Grasing is conducting an industry funded clinical trial on COVID-19