USU - Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

08/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/27/2024 23:53

MHSRS 2024: Day One Recap in Photos

The first day of the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) in Kissimmee, Florida, featured a wide range of presentations from the Uniformed Services University (USU).

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Dr. Eric Elster, Dean of USU's School of Medicine, was part of a panel entitled "Research
and Training in Military Medicine in the Age of AI," giving the USU perspective on how
AI technology can be used as a tool to streamline educational processes, accelerating change
and bringing a greater human element back to medicine.

August 27, 2024 by USU External Affairs

The first day of the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) in Kissimmee, Florida, featured a wide range of presentations from the Uniformed Services University (USU). Key topics included AI's role in military medical education, new tools for critical care decision-making, and the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury. Researchers also addressed hypertension detection, psychiatric outcomes in deployers, and the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac health. The symposium underscored USU's dedication to advancing military healthcare through innovative research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Dr. Tracey Koehlmoos (pictured second from left), professor & director of Center for Health
Services Research at USU, presented findings on how changes in eating disorders within
the general population could possibly affect female service members entitled, "Association
Between Body Composition Standards and Disordered Eating among Active-duty Service
Women, FY 2018-2019." She also discussed the decision for the overhaul with the Department of
Defense of body composition standards as part of a panel entitled "Women's Health and Readiness:
Health Focused Updates."

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Dr. Geoffrey Ling, Retired Army Col. and associate professor at USU's School of Medicine,
spoke dynamically about the crucial importance of real-time data to differentiate the needs of
combat-casualty patients. Ling stressed "the best care available in the whole-wide world
should be available for combat casualties." Additionally, Ling says, the path to filling gaps within
patient care starts with understanding that "to get practical solutions and answers, you have to
science your way out" and look at objective measures to treat patients. He tasked the
"remarkably intelligent researchers" in attendance to solve the critical problems.

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USU's Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) had a booth in the
exhibition area of the MHSRS conference, with plenty of information on nutrition, mental
health, and exercise to encourage wellness.

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Air Force Lt. Col. Cubby Gardner, assistant professor at USU's Graduate School of Nursing,
also part of the "Big Data" breakout session, discussed adverse physical and mental health
outcomes in deployers with primary psychiatric evaluation from CENTCOM, finding that
significant differences in the distribution of outcomes by cohort were noted in active duty
vs. reserve status and marital status proportions among cohorts.

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Air Force Maj. Kathryn Capple, a Ph.D candidate in the Graduate School of Nursing at USU,
discussed the potential of using alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 essential fatty aid, to treat
anxiety disorders and PTSD symptoms in female service members following mTBI entitled
"The Effect of Alpha-Linolenic Acid on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-like Symptoms in Female
Mice Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury."

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Dr. Louis French, associate professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at USU and
NICoE Deputy Director, discussed the finalization of a report to congress spanning a 15-year
study on the long-term effects of TBI. The report examines the quality of life as a meaningful
way to talk about outcomes in individuals with TBI, and highlighted the need to further examine
how family members of those individuals are affected.

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Lydia Hellwig, a certified genetic counselor and assistant professor of pediatrics at USU
presented the results of her cross-sectional study on how genetics affect the body's response
to certain medications entitled "Pharmacogenetics in the MHS: Comparing PGx Genotyping and
Next Generation Sequencing." Hellwig presented her research as part of the Young
Investigators Competition.

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Army 2nd Lt. Joseph Rhee, a student at USU's School of Medicine, presented findings on early
detection of hypertension through blood pressure as part of the breakout session "Big Data and
Machine Learning for Full Spectrum Military Health Readiness, Performance and Care."

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Dr. Mark Haigney, Director of Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at USU, delivered
results from a study which found an association between TBI and atrial fibrillation and atrial
flutter in two unexpected groups, young people and females. The research was entitled
"Traumatic Brain Injury is Associated with the Subsequent Risk of Atrial Fibrillation or Atrial
Flutter."

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Dr. Paul Pasquina, Department Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at USU, illustrated
the advances in rehabilitation and surgical care and described established pathways of care so the
moment a patient enters the ICU with a blast or cranial injury, the system generates a range of
care appointments so the individual doesn't receive insufficient care or are lost within the
treatment system.

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Dr. Stephanie Richard (left), a lead epidemiologist at the Infectious Disease Clinical Research
Program (IDCRP) at USU and Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Inc., presented findings on the
relationship between menstrual cycle changes for women following COVID vaccinations entitled,
"Does SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Vaccination Impact Menstrual Health? Results From a
Longitudinal Cohort Study Among Military Health System Beneficiaries."

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Anthony Marrama, a student in the Masters of Public Health program (MPH) at USU presented
a study entitled "Incidence Rate Trends of Cardiac Outcomes in U.S. Active Duty Service
Members Relative to the COVID-19 Pandemic." The study found a correlation between increased
rates of cardiac outcomes in year two of the pandemic and found a direct association between
COVID-19 infection and several incident cardiac outcomes (arrhythmic, inflammatory, thrombotic,
stroke, heart failure and cardiomyopathies).

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Navy Ensign Claire Sturek, a student within USU's School of Medicine, presented the result of a
study which polled student awareness at the Graduate School of Nursing and School of Medicine
at USU entitled "A Focus on Fertility Preservation and Family Planning in Military
Healthcare: Examining Knowledge, Perceptions, and Expectations about Oocyte
Cryopreservation Among Military Healthcare Students." She called for the increased
education of healthcare professionals about family planning and infertility treatments available
for service members.

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Army 2nd Lt. Ha Eun Kim, a student in the USU School of Medicine,
was the lead-off speaker for the "Big Data and Machine Learning for
Full Spectrum Military Health Readiness, Performance and Care," panel
at MHSRS. Kim presented data on her study, "Developing Machine
Learning to Accurately Predict Post-Rib Fracture Pulmonary and
Renal Complications."