USARIEM Brings the Science to the 2024 Military Health System Research Symposium

The annual Military Health System Research Symposium brought researchers from across the globe to Kissimmee, Florida, to showcase their cutting-edge science.

The international event, known as the Department of Defense’s premier scientific conference, allowed subject matter experts to share key insights and solutions to help the Service Member adapt to ongoing and future threats. The four-day event hosted about 4,000 DOD, international partners and industry-related organizations to exchange knowledge to prepare for the Army of 2040.

This year, 20 U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine researchers, Soldiers and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellows presented their advanced research during 12 poster and four oral presentations.

“It’s inspiring to be at a conference like MHSRS, because not only are we showcasing our own work, but we are learning from others with the opportunity to collaborate and do more important work for the Warfighter,” Lt. Col. Bridget Owens said, research dietitian in the Military Nutrition Division at USARIEM.

Owens presented on sex differences in body image, eating behaviors and diet quality between male and female Soldiers. In the study, she found that emotional eating was higher in female Soldiers, which can help scientists answer deeper questions like “What is causing the emotional eating?” and “How can we intervene?”

Within the other rows of posters that stretched throughout the exhibit hall, more USARIEM research sparked animated discussions, such as Research Physiologist Danielle Arcidiacono’s work in the Military Performance Division. Their study found lean mass to be more important in determining bone strength of a Warfighter than fat mass.

“Lean mass is just as important, if not more significant than fat mass, even though the Army likes to put more emphasis on fat mass,” Arcidiacono said. “I love that this work is being shared with others to broaden awareness.”

As Arcidiacono raised awareness about the microarchitecture of bones in Army trainees, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Research Fellow, Andrea Taylor, presented her work in the MPD on hardiness and grit in Army Trainees entering basic combat training.

“There’s a deficit in literature of how to build a hardier and grittier Soldier because of how it is not well understood,” Taylor said. “I’ve created a preliminary model for us to see how to build the most optimized Soldier. This type of work has been a long time coming.”

First time presenters, Staff Sgt. Phillip Corona, Staff Sgt. Irma Blanco and Staff Sgt. Rigoberto Munoz, were honored to present some of their team’s work.

“This has been an amazing opportunity for me to present our work on Soldier hydration but also to engage with the scientific community and see what other folks are doing across the nation,” Munoz said. “I understand what life is like as a Soldier and I also get to see the life of a researcher.”

From the poster sessions to oral presentations, USARIEM researchers could be found networking with current and future partners, and just as importantly, inspiring the next generation of researchers and presenters.

Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Martinez, Medical Laboratory Specialist at USARIEM, took these opportunities to learn more for when she conducts her own research.

“It has been so inspiring for me to listen and educate myself on all these life-changing research projects at this conference,” Martinez said. “I have never presented before and by seeing the conference in action, I will know how to contribute to the next MHSRS.”

MHSRS brings together a blend of new and veteran scientists who work to serve a united goal of helping the Warfighter through cutting-edge science.

USARIEM is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command under the Army Futures Command. USARIEM is internationally recognized as the DOD’s premier laboratory for Warfighter health and performance research and focuses on environmental medicine, physiology, physical and cognitive performance, and nutrition research. Located at the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts, USARIEM’s mission is to research and deliver solutions to enhance Warfighter health, performance and lethality in all environments.