BETHESDA, Md., June 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this
month The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of
Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) co-hosted a day of virtual COVID-19
research presentations in collaboration with the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences (USU) and the Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research (WRAIR). The presenters were a combination of HJF, USU,
WRAIR, and other Military Health System scientists who have been
combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.
HJF co-hosts a day of virtual COVID-19 medical research
presentations with DoD partners.
The presentations kicked off with an introduction and welcome
from HJF President and CEO Dr. Joseph
Caravalho. "Since 1983, HJF has supported the critical work
being done by our DoD partners to make our Nation's warfighters
more agile, resilient, and survivable. Faced with the magnitude of
challenges of this global pandemic, the talented men and women of
the military medical departments poured their energy and collective
intellectual horsepower into studying SARS-CoV-2 as part of the
Whole of the Nation approach to combatting COVID-19."
The day included more than 30 presentations on topics, including
machine learning to predict severe COVID-19 infection, vaccine
development and testing, therapeutics research, impact on pediatric
patients and future pandemic response considerations. Additionally,
two panel discussions interspersed the presentations, while a third
offered a summarizing discussion of the many topics showcased
throughout the day.
HJF presenters included:
Dr. Sandhya Vasan, Director of
the HJF Component of Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) &
Emerging Infectious Disease Branch (EIDB) at the WRAIR,
moderated the presentations.
Dr. Brian Agan, Deputy Science
Director of the USU Infectious Disease Clinical Research
Program, presented on the Epidemiology, Immunology, and
Clinical Characteristics of Emerging Infectious Diseases with
Pandemic Potential (EPICC) study, whose research aims to
identify risk factors for COVID-19 in the military population,
understand the symptoms and disease course, and investigate
clinical outcomes.
HJF's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Merlin
Robb, presented on infection rates among pediatric patients
in the United States. Dr. Robb is
a trained pediatrician and served as HJF's Program Director in
support of MHRP for 17 years.
Dr. Shelly Krebs, Chief of the B
Cell Biology Core at MHRP, presented research on novel monoclonal
antibodies (mAB). Her group is working with EIDB to identify and
characterize promising mAbs, a type of immunotherapy that may have
applications for prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Dr. Bethany Dearlove, an
evolutionary biologist with the Viral Genetics Section at MHRP,
presented on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the variants of
concern emerging as the virus continues to spread across the
globe.
"The breadth of research presented at the COVID-19 Research Day
was astounding, and we are gratified to have convened this event
with co-hosts USU and WRAIR," said Dr. Caravalho. "HJF is proud to
stand alongside all our DoD partners, encouraging collaboration and
supporting the ongoing fight against COVID-19."
About HJF
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the
Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is a global nonprofit
that administers more than $500
million in medical research funds annually. For more
information, visit hjf.org.
Although the event was co-hosted by HJF, WRAIR, and USU, the
information or content and conclusions do not necessarily represent
the official position or policy of, nor should any official
endorsement be inferred on the part of, USU, the Department of
Defense, or the U.S. Government.
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SOURCE Henry M Jackson Foundation For The Advancement Of
Military Medicine
