Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute
Defense Nuclear Agency (DASA successor, now DTRA) (1971-1993), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (1993-present) | |
Website | AFRRI |
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The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is an American triservice research laboratory in
History
Department of Defense (DoD) interest in the health effects of exposure to radiological agents (radiobiology), born in the wake of the Manhattan Project, motivated a 1958 Bureau of Medicine and Surgery proposal that a bionuclear research facility be established to study such issues. On June 8, 1960, Public Law 86-500 authorized the construction of such a facility, including a laboratory and vivarium under the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA, now the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)); on December 2, 1960, DASA and the surgeons general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force approved a charter for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFFRI). The institute was formally established on May 12, 1961, by DoD Directive 5154.16 as a joint agency of the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the command and administrative control of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).[1][3]
Research at AFRRI began in January 1962, although the laboratory became fully operational only in September 1963. AFFRI included a
In July 1964, AFRRI was moved to DASA, and the Chief of DASA became
In 1971, DASA ceased to exist and AFRRI passed to its successor, the Defense Nuclear Agency (later
The Defense Nuclear Agency transferred control of AFRRI to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in 1993. The end of the Cold War saw AFRRI's funding and personnel levels diminish and its termination proposed. However, the lack of alternative research institutions led to military leaders' decision to keep AFRRI operational. American interest in nuclear preparedness resurged in the late-1990s as India and Pakistan developed and tested nuclear weapons and suspicions grew that Iraq and North Korea sought to do the same. As private companies lacked the incentive to develop radioprotectants (drugs protecting against radiation damage) and countermeasures for the military, funding for AFRRI was increased in 2000.[1]
Post-
As of the 2010s and 2020s, AFRRI is DOD's only medical research and development initiative dedicated to nuclear and radiological defense. It serves the military by performing medical research and development, education, and advisory and consultative functions to increase understanding of the effects and risks of ionizing radiation.[1]
Mission
AFRRI is charged with executing DoD's Medical Radiological Defense Research Program. Its civilian and active duty military personnel conduct exploratory and developmental research to identify and develop medical countermeasures against ionizing radiation. Core areas of study include prevention, assessment, and treatment of radiological injuries. The program seeks to develop prophylactic (disease preventing) and therapeutic drugs, such as Ex-Rad, that prevent and treat radiation injuries and to develop rapid high-precision analytical methods that assess radiation exposure doses from clinical samples and thus aid in the triage and medical management of radiological casualties. New drug candidates and biological dose assessment technologies are developed up to and through preclinical testing and evaluation.
Primary research areas of the Institute include biodosimetry, combined injury (radiation with other medical insults), internal contamination and metal toxicity, medical countermeasure development, animal welfare, assessment of radiation injury, and radiation facilities.[1][4]
Research Mission
AFRRI's research focuses on its goals to:
- Develop methods of rapidly assessing radiation exposure to assure appropriate medical treatment
- Pursue new drugs that will prevent the life-threatening and health-degrading effects of ionizing radiation and move those drugs from discovery through the Food and Drug Administration approval process
- Investigate the effects of radiation injury combined with other challenges such as trauma, disease, and chemical exposures
- Contribute to the knowledge base that is useful in understanding, for example, the astronauts[4]
Responsibilities
AFRRI is charged with the following:
- Operating research facilities for and disseminate results from the study of radiobiology and ionizing radiation bioeffects and the development of medical countermeasures against ionizing radiation
- Providing analysis, study, and consultation on the impact of the biological effects of ionizing radiation on the organizational efficiency of the U.S. military services and their members
- Conducting cooperative research with military medical departments in those aspects of military and operational and medical support considerations related to nuclear weapons effects and the radiobiological hazards of space operations
- Conducting advanced training in the field of radiobiology and the biological effects of nuclear and radiobiological weapons to meet the internal requirements of AFRRI, the military services, and other DoD components and organizations
- Participating in cooperative research and other enterprises, consistent with the AFRRI mission and applicable authorities, with other federal agencies involved in homeland security and emergency medical preparedness
- Informing and appraising department, government, academic, corporate, and other nongovernmental organizations of its (AFRRI's) activities
- Performing other such functions as may be assigned by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA))[1]
- Overseeing DoD's Medical Radiological Defense Research Program[5]
Organization
AFRRI is a joint entity of the three
Director
The director of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute is appointed by the surgeons general of the
Subordinate to the director are a deputy director, secretary, scientific advisor, radiation safety officer, director for administration, senior enlisted advisor, and chief of staff (overseeing a chief of finance and deputy chief of staff).[1]
Scientific Director
AFRRI's scientific director exercises scientific leadership and the administration and supervision of the institute's research-oriented departments and the overall scientific and technical planning of the research program. He or she also serves as the scientific liaison to outside entities. There is also a scientific advisor who counsels the director and acts as a liaison with outside agencies but is not a part of the chain of command. Generally, scientific directors are civilian
Board of Governors
AFRRI's Board of Governors, which once meet at least once every year, comprises the following members:
- Chairman: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (PDASD(HA))
- Executive Secretary: Director of AFRRI
- The Surgeons General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force
- The Deputy Chiefs of Staff for Operations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force
- The Joint Staff Surgeon
- The president of USUHS
- A representative of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs (see Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs)
- Any additional representatives of DoD Components or other federal agencies chosen by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs|ASD(HA)[6]
Departments
As of 2014, AFRRI comprised the following departments, each headed by a department head or manager:
- Radiation Sciences
- Scientific Research
- Military Medical Operations
- Veterinary Sciences
- Facilities Management
- Good Laboratory Practice/Test Facility
- Administration Support
Research components
AFFRI subdivides its laboratory research program into four area-specific laboratories and one center[4] discussed in length in this page's Laboratories, center, and equipment section.
Outreach and support education components
AFFRI's Military Medical Operations (MMO) Team, staffed by
Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course
The MEIR Course is a
MEIR Courses are three-days in length and conducted at major
Medical Radiobiology Advisory Team (MRAT)
MRAT provides health physics, medical, and radiobiological advice to military and civilian command and control operations worldwide in response to nuclear and radiological incidents requiring coordinated federal responses.[9]
MRATs are deployable team responsible for providing expert advice to incident commanders and staff during radiological incident. Each MRAT is a two-person team, usually consisting of one health physicist and one physician, both specializing in the health effects of radiation, biodosimetry, and treatment of radiation casualties.[10] Through what the AFRRI terms "reachback," deployed MRAT responders can call on the knowledge and skills of radiobiologists, biodosimetrists, and other research professionals at AFRRI and other Department of Defense response teams.[9]
Other
AFRRI has a Radiation Biodosimetry Division.
Facilities and infrastructure
Headquarters
Construction at AFRRI's main headquarters/facility in Bethesda, Maryland began in November 1960, preceding the organization's official charter and establishment dates. It was occupied by January 1962 and fully operational by November 1963. Facilities include a Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) nuclear reactor, laboratory space, an animal facility. a high-dose cobalt-60 facility, a 54-megaelectron volt linear accelerator (LINAC), and a low-level cobalt-60 irradiation facility.[1][3]
AFRRI's Bethesda TRIGA reactor is still operational and has a power level of 1,100
TRIGA NRC violation
An April 2019 followup investigation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees nuclear facilities such as those operated by AFRRI, found a Severity Level IV violation. This involved the operation of the reactor, at low power, using a new control console, without completing all necessary safety evaluations for the replaced equipment.[13]
Laboratories, center, and equipment
AFRRI is a fully equipped research facility capable of state of the art
- Cellular/Molecular Laboratory: Used for the manipulation and analysis of , wash stations and water baths.
- Cytogenetic Laboratory: Used for cytogenetic biodosimetry analyses. Equipped with TECAN Evo 200 (robotic platform), HANABHI Harvester PII & PIII (chromosome harvesters), HANABI Spreader, Auto Stainer & Auto Image capture digital microscope, and LIMS.
- Microbiology Laboratory: Used for the manipulation of bacterial cultureequipment, and flammable cabinets.
- Instrumentation Laboratories: Equipped with an recombinant proteins).
- Biomedical Instrumentation Center: Core facility staffed with trained personnel to assist with flow cytometry, imaging and electron microscopes.[4]
Awards, recognition, and accomplishments
In 2004, AFRRI was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award for "exceptionally meritorious achievements" between September 11, 2001, and February 17, 2004, in response to acts of terrorism and nuclear/radiological threats worldwide.[14][15]
In August 2009, the American Nuclear Society designated AFRRI a nuclear historic landmark as the U.S.'s primary source of medical nuclear and radiological research, preparedness, and training.[14]
AFRRI has contributed significantly to the development of
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (2014). Research on Health Effects of Low-Level Ionizing Radiation Exposure: Opportunities for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (2014) (Report). National Academies Press. pp. 75–99. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "DIRECTOR COL MOHAMMAD NAEEM, MC, USA". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Thomas S. Tenforde (May 12, 2011). Tribute to AFRRI on Its 50th Anniversary and Perspectives on the History and Future of Radiation Biology and Health Protection (PDF) (Report). National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. pp. 5–14. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Research". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b "Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI)". globalbiodefense.com. Global Biodefense. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b David S. C. Chu (March 29, 2006). Department of Defense Instruction 5105.33 (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Defense. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Education". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b "MEIR COURSE". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ a b "MEDICAL RADIOBIOLOGY ADVISORY TEAM (MRAT)". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Incident Responder". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Policies". afrri.usuhs.edu. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute". nrc.gov. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ Nuclear Regulatory Commission (May 10, 2019). "AFRRI - NRC FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000170/2019202 AND NOTICE OF VIOLATION". Letter to Capt. Dr. John Gilstad, AFRRI Director. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ S2CID 234484490.
- ^ DoD (January 30, 2018). Table 1. Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Approved DoD Activities (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Defense. p. 10. Retrieved August 7, 2021.