Newswise — In order to harmonize research practices and strengthen communication between agencies Dr. David Tribble, Associate Director, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Preventive Medicine & Biometrics Department, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), led an effort to establish the Infectious Disease (ID) Institutional Review Board (IRB) along with: Dr. Richard Levine (USU); Caroline Miner [FHP&R/TMA/OASD(HA)]; COL Julie Zadinsky, USA, ASA, ALT; CAPT Eileen Villasante, USN, BUMED; and Lt Col Joseph Narrigan, USAF, AF/SGRC, who provided critical review and support.
Dr. Charles L. Rice, President of USU, collaborated with Ellen Embrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Surgeons General of the Army, Navy and Air Force in signing a Memorandum of Understanding which establishes the ID IRB.
This memorandum will greatly facilitate high priority military research through the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP) which was established at USU through an interagency agreement with the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The IDCRP currently involves seven medical commands representing all the Army, Navy and Air Force service components, and USU.
Until the implementation of the ID IRB, collaborative research could require as many as seven reviews by the Military Treatment Facilities, one review at USU, and four headquarters level reviews. With the MOU, this process has been reduced to a single scientific review by the IDCRP Programmatic and Scientific Review Board, a single ethical review by the newly created ID IRB, and a single headquarters administrative review by the newly created Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness/Triservice headquarters panel.
Located on the grounds of Bethesda's National Naval Medical Center and across from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md, USU is the nation's federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. Students are active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service, who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, national disasters, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health emergencies.
RSS