Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion
CHERP VCAB Member Appointed to VA Central IRB
The Philadelphia CHERP Veterans Community Advisory Board (VCAB) is an independent engagement activity that seeks to improve the design of patient-relevant research, increase uptake of research into practice, build Veteran support for research, and restore trust in VA. Veterans who participate in the CHERP VCAB give non-consensus advice. This photo shows VCAB members sharing information during a VA Research Day event. Eugene Marsh is second from the right. (Photo by Harry Maxwell)
Eugene Marsh, MA, member of the CHERP Philadelphia Veterans Community Advisory Board (VCAB), has been appointed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Institutional Review Board (IRB). He began a three-year appointment in December 2019 as a primary voting member of the national IRB Panel #2 and an alternate voting member for Panel #1.
A Vietnam Veteran, Mr. Marsh was awarded the Bronze Star for valor as a combat soldier. He recently completed a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health at Rider University. To read more about Mr. Marsh’s life, accomplishments and contributions as a business owner, advocate and volunteer, go to this link on the CHERP website.
In her appointment letter to Mr. Marsh, Mary M. Klote, MD, Director of the VA Office of Research Protections, Policy and Education, acknowledged the critical role that IRB members play in the review process. “We in the Veterans Health Administration are deeply invested in ensuring that there are adequate protections in place for our Veterans research subjects and in improving their opportunities for participation in cutting-edge research studies,” Dr. Klote wrote to Mr. Marsh. “We appreciate your willingness to serve in this important capacity. We look forward to your involvement with the VA Central IRB as it expands from one panel to two to meet the challenges of the current research regulatory environment, as well as the privacy and security issues raised through the use of new technologies and research methodologies.”
The independent Philadelphia CHERP Veterans Community Advisory Board (VCAB) was formed in May 2017 to advance Veteran perspectives and engagement in Research. The CHERP VCAB is an independent engagement activity that seeks to improve the design of patient-relevant research, increase uptake of research into practice, build Veteran support for research, and restore trust in VA. To read more about the Philadelphia VCAB, follow this link.
According to their website, the purpose of the VA Central IRB is two-fold. First and foremost its purpose is to enhance the quality of human research protection in multi-site human research projects by performing appropriate ethical and scientific review while ensuring local issues are addressed. The second is to enhance the efficiency of these reviews across participating sites. To read more about the VA Institutional Review Board, follow this link.
The contents of this page and this website do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the US government.
