(KISSIMMEE, Fla.) - Members from the commands representing Navy Medicine Research and Development (NMR&D) arrived in the Orlando area to kick-off the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) starting on August 25.
NMR&D leadership arrived a day in advance of the symposium, which takes place from August 26-29, to review research and development priorities at a commander’s conference.
MHSRS is a four-day annual event that takes place in Kissimmee, Florida. The symposium provides NMR&D personnel with multiple forums, from an exhibit hall, poster presentations, lectures and breakout sessions, that demonstrate the breadth and impact of research done by NMR&D researchers.
“The word is out on the scientific and collaborative value of MHSRS as the largest scientific gathering to date,” said Capt. Franca Jones, commander, Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC), during her remarks to attendees at the symposium’s opening ceremony. “Your attendance and participation at this meeting exemplify your commitment to medical research, development, and acquisitions in support of the missions of our nation’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Guardians.”
Research presented at the symposium will represent each NMR&D command: NMRC, Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL), Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), Naval Medical Research Units (NAMRU) Dayton, San Antonio, EURAFCENT, INDO PACIFIC and SOUTH.
“It’s great to be back at MHSRS,” said Capt. Eric Welsh, NHRC commanding officer. “This year, NHRC will lead eight breakout sessions, deliver 18 presentations, and display 52 posters: the highest total in our command’s history at this event.
NMR&D presence at the symposium includes breakout sessions, research poster presentations, and 2 booth exhibits. In a strong showing, NHRC accounts for nearly 60% of NMR&D research displays.
“The labs overseas, from both Navy and Army, are gems of the [Military Health System] enterprise,” said Dr. Lester Martinez Lopez, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
Prior to MHSRS kick-off, NMRC hosted a commander’s conference for NMR&D. Attendees included commanding officers, executive officers, senior enlisted leaders and science and technical directors.
Leaders met to evaluate top priorities for the next fiscal year, brief Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) leadership, and discuss a range of issues relevant to operations, from logistics to ensuring continued alignment of command efforts to support Navy Medicine, the Navy and the larger DoD.
“The commander’s conference provides NMR&D leaders with opportunities to discuss current and future efforts to improve coordination across the enterprise,” said Capt. Tatana Olson, NSMRL executive officer. “It also ensures alignment to Navy and fleet priorities, and enhances Navy medical research contributions to the joint force.”
“This is the first year that we are holding the meeting just ahead of MHSRS, to take advantage of our leaders being in the same place at the same time for the only scientific conference that covers the diverse mission space of all eight of our commands,” said Dr. Jill Phan, NMRC science director.
Phan also spoke on the significance of setting the commands’ priorities and having the ability to hit the ground running on meeting those priorities at MHSRS.
Rear Adm. Guido Valdes, commander, NMFP, received a brief at the conclusion of the conference. Valdes, a Medical Corps service chief, is the senior officer in attendance for Navy Medicine at MHSRS.
“It was a great opportunity to connect with all the R&D leaders,” Valdes commented. “The discussion provided a vital platform to highlight how our research is contributing to the MHSRS and advancing the Navy Medicine mission.”
MHSRS is the DoD’s premier scientific meeting that focuses specifically on the unique medical needs of service members. This annual educational symposium brings together healthcare professionals, researchers, and DoD leaders for four days of critical learning, intensive idea sharing and relationship building.
NMR&D, led by NMRC, is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, enterprise researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation, operational mission support, epidemiology and behavioral sciences.
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MHSRS Kick Off and NMR&D Commanders Conference 2024