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War Related Illness and Injury Study Center

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History

Our History

  • Section 103 of Public Law 105-368 directed VA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to develop a plan for establishing national centers for the study of war-related illnesses and post-deployment issues.
  • In 2001, after a competitive review process, the first two WRIISC centers were established; one at the Washington, DC VA and the other at the East Orange Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System. Initially these centers were titled the CSWRI (Center for the Study of War-Related Illnesses). Later, they were renamed the War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center and abbreviated "WRIISC".
  • To provide wider coverage and easier access for Veterans, an additional WRIISC was authorized and became operational at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, CA in February 2008.
  • Each WRIISC location established a Center of Excellence (CoE) that puts the Veteran at the center of clinical care and research:
    • The Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) was officially recognized by Congress in Public Law 115-929 as a VA Center of Excellence in May 2019. AHBPCE focuses on improving health outcomes for Veterans with airborne hazard exposures through specialized clinical evaluations, clinical and translational research, and education and dissemination of best practices.
    • The Women’s Operational Military Exposure Network (WOMEN) was recognized by the Secretary of the VA as a Center of Excellence in 2024.  WOMEN CoE provides care consultation and cutting-edge research for women Veterans exposed to military environmental exposures.
    • The Complex Exposure Threats Center of Excellence (CETCE) was recognized by the Secretary of the VA as a Center of Excellence in 2024.  CETCE is the only center in VA taking a proactive approach to new and emerging exposure health threats (ex. new weapons technology), keeping VHA responsive to Veterans evolving health needs.  

Our Collaborating Partners

WRIISC History
  • WRIISC works with a variety of VA, Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies, academic institutions, and research foundations to improve the health of Veterans.
  • The purpose of these partnerships is to strengthen our WRIISC programs and advance deployment health research.
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