Commander

 

Captain Eric R. Welsh is a native of Orem, Utah.  He graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering in 1993.  After the first year of college, he served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bilbao, Spain, where he gained fluency in Spanish.  He graduated with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1997 and 1999, respectively in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

After working as a National Research Council Post-doctoral Fellow at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., he was commissioned in 2000 as a lieutenant in the Biochemistry/Toxicology Community of the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Navy.  He continued at that station as a research scientist and co-principal investigator of a research team.  In December 2002, he was transferred to the Chemistry Department at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, where he taught courses in chemistry and materials science.  He was nominated for three teaching awards and was honored as the best military instructor of the year 2004-2005 at the U.S. Naval Academy.

In June 2006, he was transferred to the Navy Drug Screening Laboratory in Great Lakes, IL, where he served two distinguished tours: one as the Executive Officer and one as the Commanding Officer.  He had the distinction of being the deciding official on the first ever military construction project for a new, custom-designed drug testing laboratory facility at Great Lakes.

In July 2012, he reported as the Director for Laboratory Services and Navy Drug Testing Program Manager at Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, Portsmouth, VA, and managed four subordinate commands of 250 personnel and an annual budget in excess of $32M. He served as the Specialty Leader of the Biochemistry/Toxicology Community and was only one of two Naval Officers certified as an inspector for the National Laboratory Certification Program by the Department of Health and Human Services.  He oversaw the closure of Navy Drug Screening Laboratory, San Diego.

In August 2017, he reported to the Pentagon as the Director, Office of Drug Demand Reduction to manage the DoD’s Drug Demand Reduction Program.  This included stewardship of three DoD Instructions to establish joint drug demand reduction policy; an annual budget of over $120M; six drug testing laboratories; drug testing of all active, reserve, and guard component personnel; and drug testing of DoD civilians working in drug testing designated positions.  He routinely provided briefs, reports, and strategic policy goals to senior leaders in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Military Departments, and Congressional staffers.

In July 2021, he assumed charge of the Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit FIVE in San Diego, CA comprised of 88 staff in public health disciplines supporting optimal Force readiness in the Pacific Region.  He assured manning, training, and deploying of Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Units for world-wide operational missions.

In July 2023, he assumed command of Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, CA comprised of almost 350 staff conducting leading edge research to enable and maximize Total Force health and readiness.

In August 2025, Welsh assumed command of Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, MD comprised of 1,400 personnel at 8 Navy Medicine research and development commands in CONUS and OCONUS locations.

His personal military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3).  He has authored 15 publications in peer-reviewed journals, multiple abstracts for presentations, and 3 patents.