United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

USARIEM’s Mission Statement mandates that the Institute:

{{Quote|Provide solutions to enhance Warfighter health and performance through medical research.|}}

The Institute has four divisions, each relating to military human performance as it relates to the environment — Biophysical and Biomedical Modeling, Military Nutrition, Military Performance, and Thermal and Mountain Medicine. Research in the divisions focuses on three elements: the servicemember (acclimation; body size; gender; race; age; health; hydration; nutrition; fitness; and sleep status), the environment (temperature; wind; humidity; and altitude), and the mission (work — intensity, duration, and type; clothing and equipment; and medications).

Research on the effect of environmental pollutants on military personnel is not part of USARIEM's mission, but is within the purview of the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

USARIEM traces its institutional lineage back to 1927 and the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory. That facility fostered two institutions that ultimately merged. The first was the Climatic Research Laboratory in Lawrence, MA (1943–54), which relocated to Natick in 1954 under the new name of the Environmental Protection Research Division (EPRD) of the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Research and Engineering Command. The second was the Armored Medical Research Laboratory (AMRL) at Fort Knox, KY (1942–61) elements of which joined with the EPRD in 1961 to constitute the present USARIEM facility and organization.

USARIEM’s basic and applied research capabilities are focused upon biomedical evaluations, health hazard assessments, countermeasures development and a rapid response to a diverse range of environmental threats and problems. Products include individual soldier equipment and rations; guidelines pertaining to training policy and preventive medicine; and performance monitoring strategies and predictive algorithms.

Research divisions within USARIEM consist of Biophysics and Biomedical Modeling (which develops wearable biosensors and biomedical models to simulate effects of heat, cold, high altitude, hydration, nutritional status and clothing systems and equipment)[{{cite journal|last1=Potter |display-authors=etal |title=Mathematical prediction of core body temperature from environment, activity, and clothing: The heat strain decision aid (HSDA)|journal=Journal of Thermal Biology|date=2017|volume=64 |issue=64|pages=78–85|doi=10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.01.003 |pmid=28166950 |doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Gonzalez |display-authors=etal |title=Heat strain models applicable for protective clothing systems: comparison of core temperature response|journal=Journal of Applied Physiology|date=1997|volume=83|issue=3|pages=1017–1032|doi=10.1152/jappl.1997.83.3.1017|pmid=9292490 |s2cid=23305552 }}{{cite journal|last1=Buller |display-authors=etal |title=Real-time core body temperature estimation from heart rate for first responders wearing different levels of personal protective equipment|journal=Ergonomics|date=2015|volume=58|issue=11|pages=1830–1841|doi=10.1080/00140139.2015.1036792|pmid=25967760 |s2cid=22734718 }}], Military Performance (which researches performance enhancements [physical, cognitive, behavioral, psychomotor] in military occupational tasks),{{cite journal|last1=Seay |display-authors=etal |title=Lower extremity biomechanical changes associated with symmetrical torso loading during simulated marching|journal=Military Medicine|date=2014|volume=179|issue=1|pages=85–91|doi=10.7205/milmed-d-13-00090|pmid=24402991 |doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Proctor |display-authors=etal |title=Neurocognitive Performance and Prior Injury Among US Department of Defense Military Personnel|journal=Military Medicine|date=2015|volume=180|issue=6|pages=660–669|doi=10.7205/milmed-d-14-00298|pmid=26032381 |doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Heaton |display-authors=etal |title=Attention and visual tracking degradation during acute sleep deprivation in a military sample|journal=Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine|date=2014|volume=85|issue=5|pages=497–503|doi=10.3357/asem.3882.2014|pmid=24834562 |s2cid=25698302 }} Military Nutrition (which researches nutritional issues, including new rations, affecting service members),{{cite journal|last1=McClung |display-authors=etal |title=Prevalence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia among three populations of female military personnel in the US Army|journal=Journal of the American College of Nutrition|date=2006|volume=25|issue=1|pages=64–69|doi=10.1080/07315724.2006.10719516|pmid=16522934 |s2cid=36905133 }}{{cite journal|last1=Pasiakos |display-authors=etal |title=The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review|journal=Sports Medicine|date=2015|volume=45|issue=1|pages=111–131|doi=10.1007/s40279-014-0242-2|pmid=25169440 |s2cid=23197226 }}{{cite journal|last1=Lieberman |display-authors=etal |title=Effects of caffeine, sleep loss, and stress on cognitive performance and mood during US Navy SEAL training|journal=Psychopharmacology|date=2002|volume=164|issue=3|pages=250–261|doi=10.1007/s00213-002-1217-9|pmid=12424548 |s2cid=15325147 }} and Thermal and Mountain Medicine (which researches physical and cognitive work capabilities and medical problems associated with military operations at high terrestrial altitude or temperature extremes).{{cite journal|last1=Castellani |display-authors=etal |title=Thermoregulation during cold exposure after several days of exhaustive exercise.|journal=Journal of Applied Physiology|date=2001|volume=90|issue=3|pages=939–946|doi=10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.939|pmid=11181604 |s2cid=16071697 }}{{cite journal|last1=Cadarette |display-authors=etal |title=Intermittent microclimate cooling during exercise-heat stress in US army chemical protective clothing|journal=Ergonomics|date=2006|volume=49|issue=2|pages=209–219|doi=10.1080/00140130500436106|pmid=16484146 |s2cid=45560619 }}{{cite journal|last1=Sawka |display-authors=etal |title=Human water needs|journal=Nutrition Reviews|date=2005|volume=63|issue=suppl 1|pages=S30-9 |doi=10.1111/j.1753-4887.2005.tb00152.x|pmid=16028570 |s2cid=24583130 |doi-access=free}}

USARIEM maintains several unique or highly specialized facilities:

• Hypobaric Chamber Facility or HCF (altitude chambers)
• Two Class D chambers (man-rated) rarefied air atmosphere, non-oxygen enriched
• Large Study Chamber: internal volume of 2000 cu. ft. (floor area 200 sq. ft.)
• Small Study Chamber: internal volume of 1100 cu. ft. (floor area 108 sq. ft.)
• Environmentally controlled (altitude, temperature, humidity) & connected by an airlock
• Simulates altitudes of 800-225 Torr (sea level to 9000 m)
• Temperatures from -32 °C to 43 °C
• Relative humidity (Rh) between 20-80% (dew point dependent)
• 23,656 simulated altitude exposures of human volunteers over 33 years of studies{{cite journal |vauthors=DeGroot DW, Devine JA, Fulco CS |title=Incidence of adverse reactions from 23,000 exposures to simulated terrestrial altitudes up to 8900 m |journal=Aviat Space Environ Med |volume=74 |issue=9 |pages=994–7 |date=September 2003 |pmid=14503681 |url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2003/00000074/00000009/art00014 |access-date=2008-06-05}}
• 13 Environmental Chambers
• Temperatures from -10 °C to 50 °C
• 5 Biophysical Evaluation Chambers
• Temperatures from -10 °C to 50 °C
• Biomechanics Laboratory
• Water Immersion Laboratory{{cite journal |title=Water Immersion and Re-Warming Facility of the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division. |year=2003 |author=Forte, V |journal=US Army Research Inst. Of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |issue=USARIEM–TN03–04 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7607 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415215228/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7607 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=2008-09-30 }}
• Temperatures from 5 °C to 45 °C
• Human Exercise Physiology Laboratory
• Human/Animal Physiology Laboratory
• Psychology Laboratory
• Electron Microscopy Laboratory
• Animal Housing and Care Facility
• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) Accredited
• Doriot Climatic Chamber Complex
• Temperatures from -57 °C to 74 °C
• Laser and Flow Cytometry

Off site:

• United States Army Pike’s Peak Research Laboratory
• Located in Colorado at 4,300 m

• History of military nutrition in the United States

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:This article contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.

• {{official website|https://usariem.health.mil/}}

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Environmental Medicine

Category:Natick, Massachusetts

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