Wing Chief Scientist

The Chief Scientist provides senior leadership and develops high-level collaborations between Air Force, Department of Defense, local, national and international government, academia and industry, research, development, test, evaluation and acquisition organizations. The Chief Scientist oversees and manages a dynamic portfolio to meet organizational needs, while leveraging partnerships to develop tailored investments that advance state of the art solutions for world class precision medical care with an emphasis on mission aligned research in En Route Care, Trauma, Resuscitation and Stabilization; Diagnostics, Therapeutics and 'Omics; Modeling Simulation Training; Clinical Rehabilitative Medicine; and Clinical Investigations.  The Wing Chief Scientist is the Institutional Official charged with the responsibility for the protection of human research subjects participating in research, see, 59 Medical Wing (MDW) Human Research Protection Program.

Wing Chief Scientist's Office, Science and Technology

Provides scientific, technical, biostatistical, research and regulatory compliance, and program management guidance and support for clinical investigations, studies and translational research conducted by investigators and their collaborators to address unique scientific needs of the 59th Medical Wing, Air Force, Joint community, Department of Defense and the Nation. This specialized expertise enables researchers to exploit new knowledge while developing, evaluating, and integrating applications of innovative technologies to provide the very best patient-centered care in the pre-hospital, in- and -out-patient environment, maintaining and restoring warfighter and beneficiary health, and building warrior medics to address present and future mission challenges.  The ST office supports clinical researchers at 70 sites worldwide.

Mission: Conduct clinical studies and translational research and apply knowledge gained to enhance performance, protect the force, advance medical care and capabilities across the global health system, and train future medical leaders.

Vision: Grow Medical Leaders, Drive Innovations in Patient Care and Readiness

Trauma & Clinical Care Research Program

Plans, manages, and executes program objectives aimed at identifying disparities in military pre-hospital and hospital capabilities, developing translational models to simulate traumatic hemorrhage, and improving pre-hospital hemorrhage control and resuscitation, trauma critical care, and clinical and rehabilitative care. Pursues mission critical, translational, medical research and development focused on En Route Care, Expeditionary Medicine and Operational Medicine and drives translation of knowledge products to enhancements in Warfighter care. For more information, call 210-292-2097.

Program areas

• En Route Care Research Center
• Extracorporeal  Life Support
• Vascular Injury and Forward Damage Control Surgery
• Restorative and Reconstruction Research
• Trauma, Hemostasis & Resuscitation Research
• Immune Modulation Research

Clinical Investigations & Research Support

The CRD is the largest biomedical research facility in the Air Force, providing centralized administrative, scientific, and regulatory oversight and guidance to Wing personnel in the development and performance of institutional and national operational and clinical research. Available support includes protocol development, research design, bio-statistical consultation, laboratory analysis, and veterinary care. The CRD supports operational training requirements for Graduate Health and Science Education programs and Wing healthcare providers. Previous and ongoing research is integral to international readiness and disaster training. For more information, call 210-292-7068.

Diagnostics & Therapeutics Program 

Oversees all operational medicine and force health protection research including: Force Health Protection Technologies Development and Assessment;  Health Surveillance, Infection, Injury & Immunity; Personalized Medicine; Population Health; Airmen and Family Health & Resilience; Chronic Pain & Substance Abuse; and Regenerative Medicine / Restorative Medicine & Reconstruction,  the Tri-Service orthopedic outcome-based research program, the disease/non-battle musculoskeletal injury surveillance program for active-duty service members. Directs research support staff and leads the Virtual Medical Center initiative at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. For more information, call 210-292-2097.

Center for Advanced Molecular Detection

The CAMD supports basic, clinical, and applied biomedical research for the U.S. military. The Center continuously monitors upper respiratory tract viral and bacterial pathogens among base population. In addition the CAMD evaluates new detection, analytical methods, and equipment to improve mission effectiveness, as well as their reliability for transition to the field. The CAMD carries out collaborative studies with other military researchers to identify genetic variations that correlate with human disease. The Center collaboratively conducts adult stem cell research, with the focus on such cells’ utility in treating human disease. For more information, call 210-292-0500.

Nursing Research

The Nursing Research Division at the 59th Medical Wing is one of three Air Force nursing research cells dedicated to the conduct of research and the promotion of nursing inquiry. Their mission is to conduct and promote research and translate evidence to optimize nursing practice, patient outcomes, population health, and education and training across the Military Health System.  Three doctoral prepared, active duty nurse scientists operate the research cell.  For more information, call 210-292-5931. Clinical research studies are conducted within the following foci:

Key Research Areas

• Maternal identity formation
• Maternal anxiety and stress and its impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes
• Family functioning and deployment on pregnancy and birth outcomes
• Paternal adaptation
• Patient Centered Medical Home
• Population health
• Psychological health and resilience
• Nursing and Clinical Informatics

  Services Offered

• 59th MDW (WHASC) Institutional Review Board member/deputy chair
• Research and Evidence Based Practice support
• Grant, protocol, presentation, and manuscript support
• Continuing Nurse Education offerings
• Staff nurses and PhD/DNP student mentoring

Air Force Post Graduate Dental School & Clinic

The mission of the Air Force Post Graduate Dental School (AFPDS) and Clinic is to perfect the patient experience through premier education, research, and technology, with a vision of building the future of dentistry...always patient focused.  Dedicated on Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland on June 20, 2012, the 56,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility supports six graduate residency programs and the Maxillofacial Prosthestics Fellowship program.  It is a branch campus of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and affiliated with the University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio, serving the research and residency needs of Air Force, Army, Navy and Canadian dental residents pursuing a MS in Oral Biology degree.  The AFPDS is home the one the Air Force's largest dental laboratories, providing over $1 million in services from 5,000 square feet of laboratory space with 69 dental treatment rooms with the most technologically advanced equipment.  It is also home to the only stereolithography laboratory in the Air Force Medical Service, using digital modeling to process and fabricate prosthetics and surgical guides from digital images.  

Dental Research

The mission of Air Force Dental Evaluation and Consultation Service (DECS) is to provide solutions to operational problems of the Air Force Dental Service and other federal dental agencies. DECS performs laboratory testing, clinical user evaluations of dental equipment and materials and provides guidance for policymakers on biomaterials, dental equipment, infection control, facility design, patient safety and occupational health and safety issues. DECS provides support for research conducted in Air Force residency programs as well as collaborates with sister services, educational institutions, and dental manufacturers. Education courses are provided to military members through the common access card, or CAC, enabled website and SWANK Health. Research and evaluation results are published in peer reviewed journals and on a dedicated website. For contact information, visit http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/decs/

Contact Information

2200 Bergquist Drive, Bldg. 4550

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas 78233-9908

210-292-2097

Current Newsletter & Brochure (CAC required for access)

Research Highlights Flyer (May 19, 2017)