Photo By Danae Johnson | Col. Mara Kreishman-Deitrick, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research deputy commander...... read more read more
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People – the cornerstone of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command – make its mission a reality for Warfighters. Yet the command’s impact has national and global impacts that are far reaching.
For Dr. Vamsi Vasireddy, the Uganda Country Director for the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, his efforts to promote and strengthen global health security, diplomacy and medical research are just one aspect of his stellar performance that led to him being named the 2023 MRDC Employee of the Year.
Vasireddy’s leadership during the Ugandan Sudan Ebola virus, or SUDV, outbreak in 2023, inspired his personal mission to foster a rapport between the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda and the Uganda Minister of Health. His diligent efforts provided actionable information about SUDV to DOD offices that were without a presence in the country. So, it was no question for Col. Shannon Lacy, director WRAIR-Africa that Vasireddy was deserving of MRDC’s top award.
“Dr. Vasireddy’s superior duty performance in a remote and exceptionally challenging environment during 2023 exemplifies his superb competence and commitment to advancing the worldwide mission of MRDC and WRAIR,” says Lacy.
Swift medical countermeasures during the five-month outbreak of SUDV were critical for treating ill patients and saving lives. At the request of the Ambassador, Vasireddy led an international and interagency response to arrange SUDV vaccine trials and deliver the investigational monoclonal antibody MBP134 to patients in record time. He continued to lead research priorities for SUDV and provide support beyond the end of the outbreak, helping to build capacity toward future SUDV vaccine trials and clinical research.
While coordinating the SUDV response, Vasireddy also led the execution of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief on behalf of WRAIR in Uganda, an effort he continues to lead today. Thanks to Vasireddy’s oversight of PEPFAR, Uganda saw the expansion of its HIV prevention services for adolescent girls and young women in the country’s most endemic areas. As a result of Vasireddy’s ongoing leadership, WRAIR’s PEPFAR budget increased by 34% in calendar year 2023 with the program now operating in key areas of interest to the U.S. Army Africa Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Office of Security Cooperation.
“Dr. Vasireddy’s ability to balance the baseline demands of leading a complex PEPFAR program, with the exceptionally increased strains of navigating an outbreak all while managing relations between the U.S. and the government of Uganda epitomizes performance excellence,” says Lacy.
Vasireddy is a prime example of why MRDC’s global presence matters. As communities benefit from the resources and expert knowledge within the command, Vasireddy continues to seize opportunities that leverage MRDC and WRAIR’s research testing and evaluation capabilities. This sets the groundwork for future collaborations that will help prevent and respond to future outbreaks, even confronting Ugandan specific challenges and barriers to the delivery of healthcare and treatment for HIV.
“It is exceptionally rewarding that our efforts to protect and promote health across the globe are critical to the health of our nation’s most important asset – the Warfighter,” says Vasireddy. “The various health diplomacy and medical research efforts at MRDC and WRAIR ensure that our Warfighters and nation are strong and resilient in the face of health crises.”
Beyond his global health efforts, Vasireddy is also busy doing what Lacy calls “building the bench.” From the moment he took on his role in 2021, Vasireddy committed himself to the growth of the WRAIR-Africa Uganda, which has since grown by more than 50% under his leadership.
“The most rewarding part is the team and leadership support,” says Vasireddy. “I am motivated knowing that we at MRDC and WRAIR are working towards protecting the health of our nation and the world, and the work we do has a positive impact everywhere in the world.”
Despite the high esteem that he has earned from his peers in scientific, civic organizations and diplomatic communities; Vasireddy says that winning MRDC’s 2023 Employee of the Year is an honor that reminds him of resilient and hard working his WRAIR teammates are.
“I am thrilled and honored to be named employee of the year,” says Vasireddy. “This award is a testament to teamwork, support from WRAIR senior leaders and the spirit of resilience during tough times. It is a win for the entire WRAIR family, and I am grateful.”
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2024 11:54 |
| Story ID: | 470245 |
| Location: | MD, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Global Health Leadership Earns Vasireddy MRDC’s Top Award: 2023 Employee of the Year, by Danae Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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