VA SHIELD: A Biorepository for Veterans and the Nation
Background: To address the COVID-19 pandemic and future threats, VA leadership assembled research and clinical teams to coordinate a unified response, which included creating the VA Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Emerging Life-Threatening Diseases (VA SHIELD).
Observations: VA SHIELD is a comprehensive specimen and data repository. It links specific types of biospecimens with data regarding genetics, exposure, and disease risk by connecting data sources and the collections of biospecimens across clinical and research environments. Researchers can test novel diagnostic platforms and therapeutics for new and existing diseases, allowing for an expedited, more robust, and informed response. The existing longitudinal disease risk-factor information, records of causal processes, and outcomes data present an unparalleled opportunity to optimize prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many acute and chronic diseases.
Conclusions: VA SHIELD will expand to become an enterprise resource for investigators and public health officials. The alignment of basic science, clinical, and translational research goals under one governance is a significant advancement. VA SHIELD has the opportunity to transform the VA research enterprise by creating an entirely new biorepository.
VA SHIELD interacts with multiple VA programs and other entities (Figure). For example, Surveillance Platform for Enteric and Respiratory Infectious Organisms at United States Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (SUPERNOVA) is a network of 5 VA medical centers supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.4 Its initial goal was to perform surveillance for acute gastroenteritis. In 2020, SUPERNOVA shifted to conduct surveillance for COVID-19 variants among veterans.5 VA SHIELD also interacts with VHA genomic surveillance and sequencing programs: the VA Sequencing Collaborations United for Research and Epidemiology (SeqCURE) and VA Sequencing for Research Clinical and Epidemiology (SeqFORCE), described by Krishnan and colleagues.6
Working Groups
To encourage research projects that use biospecimens, VA SHIELD developed content-oriented research working groups. The goal is to inspire collaborations between VA scientists and prevent redundant or overlapping projects. Currently working groups are focused on long COVID, and COVID-19 neurology, pathogen host response, epidemiology and sequencing, cancer and cancer biomarkers, antimicrobial resistance, and vector-borne diseases. Working groups meet regularly to discuss projects and report progress. Working groups also may consider samples that might benefit VA health research and identify potential veteran populations for future research. Working groups connect VA SHIELD and investigators and guide the collection and use of resources.
