Gulf War Serum Management Committee

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Overview

As part of the Australian Gulf War Veterans’ Health Study (published in 2003), blood-serum samples were collected from consenting participants, for long-term storage and future potential research. 

In 2005, a Serum Management Committee (the Committee) was established to provide oversight of the stored samples. The Committee continues to monitor the storage samples and provide input on requests to access study data and samples. 

Samples were collected from approximately 2,800 study participants. At the time of the most recent audit (2015) there were 2,590 samples remaining in storage where the donor has consented to the long-term storage of the sample. 

The contracted storage provider is responsible for the secure storage and maintenance of samples, which are not labelled with the participant’s name for privacy reasons. 

In 2015, the Australian Gulf War Veterans’ Follow Up Healthy Study was conducted using the original study data, however no serum samples were used or collected. 

“It is important to note that any future proposed research and/or use of samples and data that was not part of the initial research requires both the agreement of the Committee and further consent from each participant.”

Recent Activity

Activity reports outlining the work that the Committee has completed over previous years are available below:

Responsibilities

The Committee reports to the Repatriation Commission and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (the Commissions) in terms of its operation and activities.

The Committee:

  • manage the long-term maintenance and storage of the serum samples and ensure that the serum storage provider meets its contractual obligations;
  • evaluate the merits of continued retention of the serum samples;
  • make recommendations on the merits of research applications seeking access to the samples or study data;
  • confirms that approval is sought from the Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Human Research Ethics Committee (DDVA HREC) prior to considering any proposal to use the samples or study data in research or to discontinue their storage; and
  • reports to the Commissions annually.

Governance

The Committee is made up of representatives of the Repatriation Commission, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), Department of Defence and the veteran community.

The providers who hold the serum samples and the de-identified study data (Monash University), and the Monash Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health provide observers to the Committee. These observers have no input into Committee recommendations.

Membership of the Committee

  • Repatriation Commissioner (Chair)
  • Gulf War Veterans Association representative (Member)
  • The Naval Association of Australia representative (Member)
  • DVA Deputy Chief Health Officer (Member)
  • DVA Assistant Secretary (or equivalent) responsible for Research (Member)
  • Department of Defence, Senior Medical Adviser (Member)
  • Monash Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health representative (Observer)
  • Contracted serum sample storage provider representative (Observer)
  • Contracted data storage provider representative (Observer)

Committee Secretariat

To contact the Gulf War Serum Management Committee Secretariat please email: research.partnerships [at] dva.gov.au (research[dot]partnerships[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)

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