SILVER SPRING, Md. (May 27, 2015) -- Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel B. Allyn visited the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, or WRAIR, in Silver Spring, Maryland, May 20.
Allyn was escorted by Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, surgeon general and commander Army Medical Command, and Col. Steven Braverman, commander of WRAIR.
Although Allyn was briefed on the overall missions of WRAIR, the visit highlighted WRAIR's recent roll to combat Ebola; long-term research on vaccines to fight malaria and acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); infectious diseases being studied at the Clinical Trial Center; and military psychiatry and neuroscience.
WRAIR began conducting clinical trials on an Ebola vaccine in October 2014. There are at least five strains of Ebola, and researchers at WRAIR are working to develop a vaccine that is effective for at least two of the strains simultaneously.
"The Ebola crisis shined a spotlight on a group of quiet professionals here at WRAIR," Allyn said. "They were prepared when their services were needed." That preparation has paid off; the contributions of WRAIR helped Liberia to be recently declared Ebola free.
The Military Malaria Research Program at WRAIR leads international malaria drug and vaccine development efforts by providing knowledge, expertise, training, and products. The most important goal is health protection of military personnel during future deployment to areas where malaria is endemic.
Soldiers or Marines weakened by malaria are placed at great risk in combat or are unavailable to fight at all. During the recent deployment to Liberia, malaria was considered a much greater threat to Soldiers than Ebola itself. Research at WRAIR also aims at a reduction of morbidity and mortality caused by malaria worldwide.
The U.S. Military HIV Research Program, or MHRP, based at WRAIR, conducts research to develop an effective HIV vaccine. The work at WRAIR ties prevention, diagnostics, treatment and monitoring together as part of an international effort to protect American and Allied military personnel. Reducing the worldwide impact of HIV infection is also a goal.
Other infectious disease under study in the Clinical Trials Center include dengue, hantavirus, anthrax, plague and many other of the world's most feared diseases.
Neuropsychiatry investigators at WRAIR have sought to understand, prevent and treat the complex and sometimes poorly understood threats to the behavioral health of Soldiers for the past 60 years. The neuropsychiatry and neuroscience program examines critical topics such as effect of lack of sleep during continuous military operations; head injury from blast exposure; and psychological functioning, so Soldiers can remain ready and resilient.
The need is clear for continuing to conduct research that promotes behavioral health resilience. Post-traumatic stress disorder and helping Soldiers recover has become a keen focus of the overall health of Soldiers and is important in operational readiness.
Building trust was one of Allyn's main points as he spoke to WRAIR staff. "Trust requires that we do not send any Soldier on a mission unprepared," said Allyn, "We succeeded in our mission to West Africa because of the trust your work enables."
Horoho added to the theme of trust. "Our Soldiers and Marines can go with confidence," she said. "That is the power you bring to Army Medicine."
WRAIR is a subordinate command to the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, or MRMC. MRMC and its subordinate commands have 4,700 well-trained personnel ready to deploy in support of missions such as combating the Ebola virus.
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