Laboratory Information:
Center for Environmental Health Research
MCMR-UBZ
568 Doughten Drive
Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5010
Phone: 301-619-7685
Website: http://usacehr.amedd.army.mil/
Agency/Department: Dept. of Defense - Army
Region: Mid-Atlantic
FLC Laboratory Representative:
Dr. Thomas Gargan
Phone: 301-619-2338
Fax: 301-619-7606
Email: thomas.gargan@amedd.army.mil
Background/History of the Laboratory:
The U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research is located at Fort Detrick,
Md., USA. Once a biological
warfare testing laboratory, our completely renovated building includes state-of-the-art aquaculture
facilities and
laboratories specifically designed for aquatic toxicology and molecular biology. Our staff is an interdisciplinary
team of scientists and technicians who are dedicated to improving risk assessment methods and to
developing biomonitoring technologies for military environmental health hazards. We consult and collaborate
with other U.S. Military and government organizations, as well as partner with industry and academia,
to
enhance our research base and share resources. The USACEHR is an outgrowth of a robust and
comprehensive toxicology program that existed as part of the US Army Biomedical Research and Development
Laboratory (USABRDL) under the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC).
Although USABRDL was closed under the 1991 Base Re-alignment and Closure Act, a small contingent
remained onsite to support research on the use of sentinel species and bioassays for detecting environmental
pollutants. Supported by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of installation remediation,
this
effort established key elements and innovative concepts for medical and environmental surveillance.
This effort
was renamed the United States Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR) and was
organizationally placed under the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM).
Currently, the USACEHR is under the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense
(USAMRICD). This organizational relationship is beneficial to both organizations, because the missions
are
closely related.
In response to changing requirements and the availability of new biotechnologies, the USACEHR is now
focusing upon two research areas: Environmental Sentinel Biomonitoring Systems and Biomarker Discovery
and Toxicogenomics.
Mission of the Laboratory:
The mission of the USACEHR is to plan,
direct, and conduct research, development, testing and
validation for occupational and environmental health surveillance (OEHS) and environmental health
technology in support of Force Health Protection.
Technology Areas of Expertise:
- Environmental Sentinel Biomonitor (ESB) Systems
- Drinking water delivery
- Toxicity identification
- Cell- and tissue-based sensors
- Biological systems integration
- Biomarker Discovery and Toxicogenomics
- Biomarker identification
- Toxicology risk assessment
- Occupational health
- Epidemiology
- Site management
- Bioinformatics
- Clincal chemistry testing
