Military and Veteran Resilience and Health Collaborative (MVRHC)
Research projects led by Dr. Rachel Cassalia.
These projects include the Arizona Veteran Surveys, interactive maps, and cross-cutting prevention funded by the Department of Defense. Additionally, this page highlights researchers in the College of Health Solutions who are working on service member and veteran initiatives.
The Arizona Veteran Survey was first conducted in 2017. It was the first comprehensive survey of our state’s service members, veterans, their family members, and the veteran-supportive community. The survey is conducted every other year and includes questions tailored to each group of respondents.
The biennial Arizona Veteran Survey, conducted by the Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, was first conducted statewide in 2017, with additional iterations in 2019, 2021, and 2023. Service members, veterans, family members, and community helpers were invited to take the online survey, with questions tailored to each group. A paper-based survey option was also provided. In total, over 33,000 responses have been received across the four surveys.
For supplemental survey findings on specific counties or subpopulations please contact focusonhealth@asu.edu
The following individuals are ASU College of Health Solutions faculty who are conducting research that focuses on the military, veteran, and first responder populations. In the left column is a link to each researcher’s profile page where you can learn more about them and their research. In the center column is the current research they are doing related to the populations mentioned above. In the right column are publications and news stories related to their work with the military, veteran, and first responder populations.
| Name | Research Topics | Relevant Publications / News Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Tamiko Azuma, PhD | Cognition in military veterans with and without service-related conditions, including mTBI and post-traumatic stress disorders. | Analysis of Story Recall in Military Veterans With and Without Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Preliminary Results |
| Matthew Buman, PhD | Assessing clinical effectiveness and implementation of worksite sleep health coaching in firefighters | Bewell24: Development and Process Evaluation of a Smartphone "App" to Improve Sleep, Sedentary, and Active Behaviors in U.S. Veterans with Increased Metabolic Risk |
| Dana Epstein, PhD | Behavioral interventions to improve sleep quality and treat insomnia in military veterans | Brain Boosters: Evaluating a Pilot Program for Memory Complaints in Veterans Feasibility Test of Preference-Based Insomnia Treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans |
| Angela Giles, DBH | Social Work Effectiveness for Rural Veterans Evaluation (SERVE) QUERI includes data evaluation of the program's effectiveness in improving Veteran health outcomes and interviews with front-line social workers. Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) for the Enhancing Veteran Community Reintegration Research (ENCORE) Project. VA/DOD Management of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Clinical Practice Guideline Workgroup. VA/DOD Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care Clinical Practice Guideline Workgroup. | VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (2023) VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of Major Depressive Disorder (Mdd) (2022) COVID-19: How to Support the Emotional Wellbeing of Veterans Diagnosed with Diabetes |
| Haiwei Gu, PhD | Acceleration of Circulatory and Neurological Aging due to Wildfire Exposures | Dietary Modulation of Lung Lipids Influences Inflammatory Responses To Inhaled Ozone Neuroinflammatory and Metabolomic Temporal Dynamics Following Wood Smoke Inhalation |
| Stavros Kavouras, PhD | Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program: The Impact of Self-Assessment to Improve Hydration Status in Wildland Firefighters Throughout the Year | Sparking Firefighter Safety: ASU Wildland Firefighter Hydration Study |
| Adrienne Madhavpeddi, PhD | The Veteran Community Care Collaborative ECHO Program | College of Health Solutions - Project ECHO |
| Rachel Larson, PhD |
| 2017 - 2023 Arizona Veteran Survey Comparison Report College of Health Solutions Program Doing its Part During Salute to Service The Social Determinants of Suicide Among Female Service Members and Veterans College of Health Solutions Launches Veterans Resilience Program 2023 Arizona Veteran Survey Full Report Veterans' Resilience Focus of 2-Day ASU Conference ASU Army ROTC, College of Health Solutions Partner to Provide Specialized Cadet Training Program Getting Vets the Right Services at the Right Time |
| Kathleen Pine, PhD | Collaborative Research: HCC MEDIUM: Understanding the Present and Designing the Future of Risk Prediction IT in Fire Departments | Pathway Mapping as a Tool to Address Police Use of Force in Behavioral Health Crisis |
| Floris Wardenaar, PhD | Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program: The Impact of Self-Assessment to Improve Hydration Status in Wildland Firefighters Throughout the Year Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Cancer and Cardiovascular Risks In response to Arizona Fire Chiefs Opportunity Statement #1 on Firefighter and General Public Health | U.S. Arizona Firefighters Pioneer 'Forever Chemical’ Treatment Regents Provide $4m to Study Cancer in Firefighters ASU Army ROTC, College of Health Solutions Partner to Provide Specialized Cadet Training Program |
| Name | Research Topics |
|---|---|
| Natalie Bruce | Veteran Suicide Mortality Review |
| Alondra Cruz | Cross-Cutting Prevention Through an Upstream Focus on Social Determinants of Health Within Military Settings |
| Scott Kahldon | Cross-Cutting Prevention Through an Upstream Focus on Social Determinants of Health Within Military Settings |
| Jocelyn Magana | Cross-Cutting Prevention Through an Upstream Focus on Social Determinants of Health Within Military Settings |
| Angela Siebrecht | A Community-Based and Multidisciplinary Collaboration to Prevent Veteran Suicide Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families |
| Kayla Stevenson | Cross-Cutting Prevention Through an Upstream Focus on Social Determinants of Health Within Military Settings |
| Amanda Straus, DBH | A Community-Based and Multidisciplinary Collaboration to Prevent Veteran Suicide Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Cross-Cutting Prevention Through an Upstream Focus on Social Determinants of Health Within Military Settings Veteran Suicide Mortality Review |