Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research

What Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research does

Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research (LCVR) is a private nonprofit research organization founded in September 1995 and headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. Its mission is to advance discovery and innovation through research initiatives dedicated to improving the health and well-being of veterans in the South Carolina and Georgia coastal Lowcountry region. The organization operates as an administrative and contracting vehicle for veteran-focused research, with all investigators and clinical work anchored at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

LCVR's research program is organized into three tracks: basic medical research (cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, nephrology, and alcohol-related disorders), clinical research (mental health, PTSD, Alzheimer's, hypertension, and aging), and clinical trials (prostate, lung, and liver cancers). The center currently manages 65 active studies. It supports investigators with standardized operational infrastructure, including confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) and study start-up agreement (SSUA) workflows, site selection and feasibility assessment processes, institutional fact sheets, a travel reimbursement system, and a purchase request system. Multi-IRB coverage is provided through VA Central IRB, Advarra, WCG, and the Medical University of South Carolina, with contract review handled by STAR.

The organization is funded through federally and locally administered research grants, sponsor-funded clinical trials, and individual donations (collected via GiveLively). It is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Brittany Baber, supported by a small administrative team covering program support, finance, grants and contracts, and accounts payable/receivable. LCVR is not a commercial entity: there is no public pricing, no productized software offering, no M&A activity, and no parent company, and its growth is constrained to the research pipeline it can administer within the Ralph H. Johnson VA ecosystem.

Name

Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research

Legal name

Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research

Website

https://lcvresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research is a Charleston, SC-based nonprofit founded in 1995 that administers veteran-focused medical, health services, and clinical trial research at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, currently managing 65 active studies in the SC/GA Lowcountry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL), Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology (Dementia/Memory Disorders) (HLAKAIAH)

Keywords

• Veterans health research
• Clinical trial services
• Medical research programs
• Health services research
• Biomedical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Federally funded research through collaborations with the Department of Veterans Affairs, federal and local agencies. The organization has been operating since September 1995 supporting research and development.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through GiveLively platform to support its mission of advancing veteran health research.
3. Clinical Trials: Conducts clinical trials across multiple disease areas (prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer) which generate research funding through sponsors.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LCVR operates three core research programs — Basic Research, Clinical Research, and Clinical Trials — focused on improving healthcare delivery for veterans in the South Carolina and Georgia coastal region. The organization currently manages 65 active research studies covering cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, nephrology, mental health, Alzheimer's, PTSD, hypertension, aging, and prostate, lung, and liver cancers. All research is conducted in collaboration with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System and supported by federal grants, clinical trial sponsors, and donations.

Product overview

Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research operates as a multi-disciplinary research organization offering three primary research programs: Basic Research (covering cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes mellitus, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, nephrology, and alcohol-related disorders), Clinical Research (mental health, Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, hypertension, and aging), and Clinical Trials (prostate, lung, and liver cancers). The organization supports investigators through administrative resources including CDA and SSUA processes, site selection and feasibility assessments, procurement and travel reimbursement systems, and institutional fact sheets. The center currently manages 65 active research studies and collaborates with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic Research Program Fundamental medical research studies focusing on cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes mellitus, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, nephrology, and alcohol-related disorders, conducted for veteran patient populations.
• Clinical Research Program Clinical investigation programs studying mental health, Alzheimer's disease, PTSD, hypertension, and aging-related conditions affecting Lowcountry veterans.
• Clinical Trials Program Clinical trials for prostate cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer targeting veteran patient populations in the South Carolina and Georgia coastal region, conducted in collaboration with sponsors.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 1995Primary partner facility since September 1995. LCVR supports research and development at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System through collaborations encompassing medical research, health services research, and clinical trials. The organization's investigators are VA staff physicians and scientists.
• Federal and Local Government AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with federal and local agencies as part of LCVR's mission to advance veteran health research. The organization has operated since September 1995 through such partnerships.
• Private CorporationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate collaborators mentioned as part of LCVR's funding and research support ecosystem alongside federal and local agencies.
• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the approved IRBs for LCVR studies, alongside VA Central IRB, Advarra, and WCG. MUSC serves as an IRB option for study protocols.
• VA Central IRBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral IRB approved for LCVR research protocols, enabling streamlined institutional review across VA research studies.
• AdvarraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved IRB service for LCVR research, providing independent institutional review board services.
• WCG (WCG IRB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved IRB service for LCVR research, providing independent institutional review board services alongside Advarra.
• STAR (Scientific and Technical Research Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTAR approves Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) and Study Start-Up Agreements (SSUAs) for LCVR research. The STAR Attorney in the Office of General Counsel reviews and negotiates contracts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Rho: Contract research organization (CRO) providing clinical trial operations, biostatistics, and regulatory services to sponsors. Comparable to LCVR in clinical trial execution capabilities, though Rho serves a broader, non-veteran-specific customer base.
• Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: Large nonprofit that supports military and veteran medical research across multiple DoD and VA sites. Operates at significantly greater scale than LCVR but shares the mission of advancing military and veteran health research through federal and industry partnerships.
• Duke Clinical Research Institute: Academic clinical research organization within Duke University conducting large-scale multi-site clinical trials across cardiovascular, oncology, and other therapeutic areas. Represents a much larger, academic model of clinical research operations that LCVR competes against for sponsored trials.

Emerging players

• National Jewish Health: Nonprofit academic medical institution focused on respiratory, cardiac, and immune-related disease research. Comparable to LCVR as a nonprofit, disease-focused research organization, though it operates a broader clinical care and research enterprise.

Direct peers

• Veterans Medical Research Foundation (VMRF): San Diego-based nonprofit that administers and supports clinical and biomedical research at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Closely mirrors LCVR's model of providing grants, contracts, and research administration for VA investigators.
• Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research (PAVIR): Nonprofit research organization affiliated with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, supporting investigator-initiated and sponsored clinical research. Directly comparable to LCVR in mission, VA partnership model, and multi-therapeutic clinical trial portfolio.
• Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE): Nonprofit research institute affiliated with the San Francisco VA Health Care System, conducting clinical trials and biomedical research in oncology, mental health, and chronic disease. Direct structural parallel to LCVR's VA-affiliated nonprofit research model.

Regional players

• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Research Administration: Charleston-based academic research enterprise that conducts clinical trials and biomedical research in the same geographic market as LCVR. Serves as a local collaborator (MUSC IRB) and competitor for regional clinical trial sponsors and investigator talent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lcvresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/LCVResearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research