Twenty-five high school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers toured the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), Jan. 12, to see a working research lab in action and gain insights they could take back to the classroom to inspire the next generation of scientists.

"This was a great opportunity to educate the educators, those teaching our nation's future scientists, about the research we conduct at NHRC," said Capt. Marshall Monteville, commanding officer. "We use science to protect our warfighters from infectious diseases, reduce the risk of injuries, and improve survivability. I hope everything these teachers learned today helps them get their students excited about science and career possibilities in military medical research."

The teachers were participating in the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust's "Partners in Science" program, which helps bring knowledge from the research lab into the classroom to promote hands-on science education. The teachers, whose subjects ranged from math and chemistry to biomedical sciences, came from Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Idaho, and New York.

During the tour, the teachers visited NHRC's infectious diseases labs where they learned how researchers conduct surveillance for dangerous pathogens to protect military members from illnesses. They also visited the Warfighter Performance Lab to see firsthand how NHRC is addressing the unique challenges of today's military through research that focuses on sleep and fatigue, extreme environmental conditions, improving human performance, and injury recovery and rehabilitation.

One teacher, Paul Donelson, a biology teacher from Beaverton, Oregon, said visiting NHRC gave him a new appreciation for all the different aspects of military research.

"What you do here is absolutely incredible and one thing I'll be communicating to my students is that anybody, no matter what their interest, has an opportunity to go into the sciences and support the military," said Donelson. "From microbiology through sports science and everything in between, these skills are all needed."

Researchers at NHRC include active duty and civilian professionals who are microbiologists, neuroscientists, physiologists, psychologists, doctors, and data scientists.

"Before we kicked off the tour, we talked with the teachers about the different specialties that support Navy Medicine's research and development activities and the different paths to becoming a military scientist" said Monteville. "From enlisted to officer, there are many ways to pursue a career in science through the different educational and professional growth opportunities offered by the military."

One day, Monteville told the teachers, "Maybe one of your students will be a scientist at NHRC, supporting the health and readiness of our service members."

As the DoD's premier deployment health research center, NHRC's cutting-edge research and development is used to optimize the operational health and readiness of the nation's armed forces. In proximity to more than 95,000 active duty service members, world-class universities, and industry partners, NHRC sets the standard in joint ventures, innovation, and translational research.

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