Biological and radiological terrorist attacks have emerged as serious security threats. These developments have increased the need to develop safe and effective drugs and vaccines that prevent or ameliorate the effects of pathogens and ionizing radiation, to safeguard military personnel, first responders, and civilians. Two pathogens with major threat potential are anthrax and hemorrhagic fever viruses. Research will be presented on the mechanisms by which inhaled anthrax spores and ebola virus produce highly fatal diseases. This research should provide important leads toward development of effective vaccines and therapeutics. Current trends in radiological countermeasure research focus on specific intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways. USUHS researchers are investigating the molecular mechanisms of injury caused by these agents, as well as the mechanisms of action of drug candidates. The symposium will cover representative research that uses a variety of approaches leading to approval of safe and effective countermeasures.

This session will be devoted to exploring novel technologies that are currently being employed by USUHS and AFRRI investigators. The speakers will both explain a specific cutting-edge technology that they are using and provide examples of data gathered using that approach. The objective of this minisymposium is to further familiarize attendees with recently developed technologies that may be helpful for their own research projects.

In this symposium, we will address areas of current interest in including assessing quality and outcomes, the impact of simulation, and provide an overview of when the IRB needs to be involved in educational projects. After a brief introduction and overview of the current state of research in health education, panel members will discuss a variety of perspectives and explore how health education research can take its next steps.