Executive Officer

Commander Vishwesh Mokashi, MSC, USN
Executive Officer
U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH
Callao, Peru

Vishwesh Mokashi was born in Pune, India in 1975. He graduated from the University of Mumbai with a degree in dentistry in 1997. In 2004, he earned his PhD from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, in toxicology. He continued with his post-doctorate at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, in cardiovascular disease. Mokashi was commissioned into the United States Navy, Medical Service Corps, in 2008, as a Biochemist.

From 2010-2011, Mokashi was in Duty Under Instruction at Aberdeen Proving Grounds for the Director’s Fellowship Program for CBRNE, where he worked with the U.S. Army Research and Development Command and the 20th Support Command. Through 2008-2010, Mokashi served as the Department Head of Inhalation Toxicology at Naval Health Research Center, Environmental Health Effects Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

From 2011-2015, Mokashi was the Department Head of Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Biological Defense Research Directorate (BDRD), Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), Frederick, supporting Navy Special Warfare Forces and Joint Special Operations Command. Mokashi deployed out of BDRD in September of 2014 in support of Operation United Assistance, Liberia, with the 101st Airborne Division.

Prior to coming to BUMED, Mokashi was the Executive Officer of the Navy Drug Screening Laboratory in Jacksonville, FL, where he oversaw a staff of more than 75 people, including military, civilians and contractors, as well as the testing of more than 800,000 specimens annually for drugs of abuse.
From 2018 to 2019 Mokashi was Acting Deputy Director, BUMED M94, CBRN Capabilities and Defense, where he managed the development and execution of multiple joint CBRN programs for U.S Navy and United States Marine Corps. He also served as a CBRN Subject Matter Expert for Navy Medicine Expeditionary Forces and U.S Army Expeditionary Forces.

From 2019-2023 he served at BUMED as the Deputy Director of Global Health Engagement and the senior medical plans officer for BSO-18 Global Force Management. He was directly responsible for the execution and management of over 10,000 Navy Medicine platform billets, COVID-19 global pandemic response, and GBE missions which resulted in deployment of 2 EMFs, two hospital ships and over 5,000 sailors across the world. He was also instrumental in designing and deploying multiple medical teams for Operations Allies Refuge.
CDR Mokashi assumed the role of Executive Officer of NAMRU SOUTH in March of 2026. Prior to that he served at Naval Medical Research Command, as the director of the Biological Defense Research Directorate, the Navy’s premiere laboratory that manages mitigation and assessment of biological and infection disease health effects.

Mokashi’s personal awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (4th award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2nd award) and Navy Achievement Medal.