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To support a culture shift around the topic of suicide prevention, a new podcast was launched Jan. 25 by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS). Through a series of interviews and stories, the podcast, “Brain Hijack,” intends to encourage support-seeking behaviors and connectedness through expert interviews, debunking myths, and normalizing topics in mental health.

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To ensure that surgeons worldwide, particularly military surgeons, keep their skills sharp and maintain their clinical readiness, the Uniformed Services University (USU), in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the Military Health System Strategic Partnership American College of Surgeons (MHSSPACS), and the University of California, Davis, has developed a new resource – the Military Clinical Readiness Curriculum, or “mCurriculum.”

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In recognition of their outstanding research that has brought visibility to issues impacting the Armed Forces and their families, several behavioral health professionals from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) were the recipients of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University (MFRI)’s 2022 Barbara Thompson Excellence in Research on Military and Veteran Families Award. The award is based on their scientific publication, "The role of posttraumatic stress symptoms and negative affect in predicting substantiated intimate partner violence incidents among military personnel,” published in the journal Military Behavioral Health in August 2021.

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During a ceremony steeped in tradition and academic pageantry, Dr. Jonathan Woodson was inaugurated as the seventh president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) on Nov. 30.

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Uniformed Services University (USU) alumnus Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Frank Rubio, a NASA astronaut, will answer a series of thought-provoking questions from students and military personnel live from the International Space Station as part of a NASA Downlink on Nov. 21.

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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally and a top cause of cancer deaths in the Military Health System. However, the ability to determine which of these patients have aggressive tumors and which will respond better to certain treatments – could soon be available through the collective analysis of proteins and genomes, according to a new study published Nov. 15 in Cell Reports Medicine, led by researchers at the Uniformed Services University (USU).

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How can we have open-minded talks about guns and safety? A new podcast, launched this week by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), hopes to address this question. Through a series of interviews and stories, the podcast, “Let’s Talk About Your Guns,” will offer practical and non-judgmental ways to talk about safe storage of firearms in tough situations.

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If in fact there is or has been life on Mars, it would likely still be there today, billions of years later, according to a new study published Oct. 25 in Astrobiology led by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) bid fair winds and following seas to its facility dog, Navy Cmdr. Shetland, after 21 (dog) years of service to students, faculty and staff. Cmdr. Shetland retired from active duty on Aug. 16 in a traditional Navy ceremony, where he was recognized for his ‘pawsitive’ influence on the university’s community.

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Medical and nursing students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) can now add U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps (IHSC) to the list of sites where they conduct clinical rotations, thanks to an agreement between the university and IHSC.

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Clinicians who responded in the immediate aftermath of mass shootings in Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs and El Paso, Texas, Orlando and Parkland, Florida, and Dayton, Ohio, were brought together by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health to review lessons learned and to develop medical system response recommendations for future events. Their findings, including eight recommendations, were published on July 18, “Mass Shootings in America: Consensus Recommendations for Healthcare Response,” as an “article in press” in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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An array of new, simple “shelf-available” SARS-CoV-2 treatment options could soon be available in the fight against COVID thanks to a new study, “Engineered ACE2-Fc counters murine lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection through direct neutralization and Fc-effector activities,” published July 13 in Science Advances.

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CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is uncommon in service members, and is more strongly linked to civilian traumatic brain injuries, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 9 by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The study, “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in the Brains of Military Personnel,” was led by Dr. David Priemer, assistant professor of Pathology at USU and neuropathologist for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, and Dr. Dan Perl, professor of Pathology and director of the Department of Defense/USU Brain Tissue Repository at USU.

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Dr. Jonathan Woodson, a vascular surgeon and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA)), will lead the nation’s only federal health sciences university – the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) – as its new President. Woodson was selected by the Secretary of Defense following a nationwide academic search. The announcement was made June 2, 2022, by Ms. Seileen Mullen, the acting ASD(HA).

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The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) will bestow an honorary degree upon U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Rear Adm. Susan Orsega, a USU graduate and the senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and the Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. The degree symbolizes the university’s respect for Orsega’s continued service, and will be presented during the university’s commencement ceremony on May 21, Armed Forces Day.

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The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Honorable Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr., will address more than 340 uniformed professionals and their guests on May 21, Armed Forces Day, as they receive their medical, graduate nursing and dental, biomedical science, public health, and clinical psychology degrees from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Hebert School of Medicine will host its annual White Coat ceremony today. During this time-honored momentous occasion, 177 members of the School of Medicine’s Class of 2025 will receive a white coat, symbolizing their transition from classroom learning to patient care.

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On May 4th, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences will host the Department of Defense Cancer Moonshot Roundtable, “A Conversation on Cancer Health Equity and Military-relevant Environmental Exposures,” as part of a day-long series of agency events sponsored by the White House Cancer Moonshot initiative.

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In the U.S. today, there are an estimated 1.4 million homeless veterans, which makes up about eight percent of the country’s homeless population. Though it has been difficult to accurately predict homelessness before it occurs, a new collaborative study using a “personalized medicine” approach, led by the Uniformed Services University (USU), suggests self-reported lifetime depression and posttraumatic stress disorder were among the most important factors that put veterans at risk for becoming homeless.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and White House Chief Medical Advisor, will present “COVID-19: Progress and Priorities in the 3rd Year of a Historic Pandemic” when he delivers the 2022 David Packard Award Lecture at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Monday, April 11, 2022.

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To address adverse events from dietary supplements experienced by service members, a new Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction was recently signed and released. DoDI 6130.06: Use of Dietary Supplements in the DoD calls for mandatory dietary supplement education and identifies Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) as the official DoD program for all information related to dietary supplements in the military.

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In response to the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Europe, several centers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) have developed Ukrainian-translated resources for traumatic blood loss and mental health.

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Federal researchers have identified specific inherited, or “germline,” gene mutations associated with prostate cancer development specifically among African American men. This discovery could impact cancer screening and prevention and also lead to more effective, targeted treatments and better outcomes for individuals who have these mutations. These findings were published in Nature Communications on March 15, 2022.

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Researchers at the Uniformed Services University in collaboration with University of Washington, have recently uncovered new details about how Nipah and Hendra viruses infect cells and the immune responses that can block them, which could ultimately lead to the development of new tactics to prevent and treat these deadly illnesses.

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The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) will enlist the support of a second facility dog, Grover, a two-year-old black Labrador named after a decorated WWII veteran. The new addition to the university – who will promote wellness on campus and teach the benefits of pet therapy in health care – will officially be welcomed to campus with an Army enlistment ceremony on Feb. 28, when he will become “Sgt. Grover,” combat medic.

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Asymptomatic COVID infection in generally healthy unvaccinated adults is likely much less common than previously reported, according to a new study published Feb. 14 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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Some recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, like those made by Pfizer and Moderna, have experienced a wide variety of side effects, indicating their immune system is revving into gear. However, for those who have not had such reactions, this does not mean the vaccine failed to work as intended, according to a new collaborative study, “Adverse Effects and Antibody Titers in Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in a Prospective Study of Healthcare Workers,” published Jan. 14 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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A new study published Jan. 13 in Science reports that Epstein-Barr virus infection – known for causing mononucleosis or “mono,” could be a primary cause for multiple sclerosis.

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Higher levels of antioxidants – particularly manganese antioxidants – could potentially extend one’s lifespan and radiation resistance, according to a new study published on Jan. 11 in mBio by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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Dr. Norman M. Rich, professor and chair emeritus of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Department of Surgery, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many significant contributions to military medicine.

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As the intensity of fighting in current conflicts has declined over the last several years, military surgeons have been challenged to maintain their skills for treating combat casualties. In response, the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) Clinical Readiness Program was developed by the Uniformed Services University (USU) in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to measure clinical readiness and ensure quality care throughout the Military Health System (MHS). A new study, published in JAMA Surgery, used the KSA program to explore trends, and its findings could help inform changes to patient workflow to increase surgical workloads and ultimately enhance readiness.

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Dr. Joseph Lopreiato, associate dean for Simulation Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), was recently named a Fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (FSSH) in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of healthcare simulation.

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The NCAA-U.S. Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium — the largest concussion and repetitive head impact study in history — has just received a combined $42.65 million in funding to begin the next phase of its landmark research project, co-led by the Uniformed Services University’s (USU) Dr. Paul Pasquina.

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Researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and Université de Montréal, Canada have discovered a way to potentially eliminate HIV-1 infection in infected individuals by using a new type of antibody-based therapeutics, according to a new study published Sept. 29 in mBio.

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Military surgeons must maintain a broad set of surgical skills to care for combat-related injuries, but during times of peace, these skills are rarely put to use. However, according to a new JAMA Surgery study, a two-day trauma skills course can significantly improve their proficiency and ensure they are able to continue providing optimal trauma care in combat. The study, “Surgical Skills Training and Assessment of Competency,” was led by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and published Sept. 15.

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Medical, nursing, and graduate students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) can now add Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities to the list of sites where they can do their clinical rotations, thanks to a newly formed agreement between the university and the IHS.

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The risk of suicide attempt for Soldiers with suicide ideation is highest within the first 30 days after they have suicidal thoughts, according to a study published Sept. 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). The study also found that Soldiers with a prior anxiety disorder diagnosis, women, and combat medics, are at greater risk for suicide attempt.