SILVER SPRING, Md.—Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC) hosted Peter Reddy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test, and Engineering (DASN RDT&E) on April 28, for an official visit providing a firsthand perspective of NMRC’s functions, capabilities and facilities.


The visit kicked-off with a meeting between Reddy and command leadership and stakeholders. Reddy received briefs from subject matter experts and got an opportunity to answer questions from NMRC staff.


“This was his first visit to NMRC,” said Dr. Jill Phan, NMRC science director. “Being able to show him and his team our research capabilities and highlight work NMR&D does to achieve improved medical readiness and performance of Sailors, Marines and the joint force was an invaluable opportunity.


“Meeting and hearing the perspective of the Navy’s senior RDT&E leadership is critical to ensure our continued alignment with Navy and DoD priorities,” Phan added.


After the meeting, Reddy toured NMRC laboratory spaces and received briefs from NMRC research scientists on infectious disease detection and diagnostics, undersea medicine and advanced medical development capabilities.


The tour concluded with a visit to NMRC’s mobile expeditionary laboratory. Operated by Expeditionary Laboratory Operations Department (ELOD), this lab, consisting of a tent and equipment, has the ability to deploy across the globe on short notice to conduct medical surveillance, biodefense missions and public health threat response in support of the warfighter.


“ELOD serves as a mobile validation lab for U.S. forces, as well as assisting humanitarian aid in outbreaks such as COVID-19 and Ebola,” said Lt. Alexander Wade, NMRC’s ELOD division officer who presented the ELOD to Reddy. “It has the capability to render safe samples received from the collection point, identify the sample through sequencing and portable bioinformatics, as well as develop and print custom PCR assays on demand, fielding them all in under 24 hours with zero prior intelligence. This is a one of one capability not just in the United States Navy, but in any DoD entity and allied nation.”


The DASN RDT&E is the principal advisor and policy coordinator for the assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition), on all matters pertaining to Navy science, technology, advanced research and development programs, system prototype programs and management of science and engineering. He is the head of the Navy Research & Development Establishment (NR&DE), a group which NMRC, as the headquarters of Navy Medicine Research and Development (NMR&D), joined in FY24. Being part of NR&DE allows NMRC to increase collaborative research opportunities with other Navy laboratories and warfare centers, bolstering efficiencies in business practices.


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 Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health, readiness and lethality, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, operational mission support and epidemiology.