Deydre Teyhen, RES ’14
It is an honor to serve the amazing team of professionals at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) as their commander during this COVID-19 pandemic. WRAIR is leading efforts to develop medical countermeasures to prevent, detect, and treat the virus that causes COVID-19. Our team spans three continents with 26 labs around the world. Additionally, WRAIR efforts are coordinated across our parent command, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, the Army and Department of Defense, as well as industry and academia to minimize duplication and ensure adequate resources. WRAIR was established to combat threats like COVID-19 and is bringing its 127 years of experience to bear to develop a vaccine, accurate diagnostics, novel therapeutics, and other solutions for the present pandemic.
Bolstering that effort, WRAIR is also organizing a range of resources to help manage stress, sleep loss, and other behavioral health concerns amidst the pandemic. I know you would be very proud of the commitment, dedication, and passion of the members of Team WRAIR as we fight to #DefeatCOVID19. Many books on leadership talk about the importance of starting with “why.” For Team WRAIR, this is their why. This is why we exist within the Army. We have helped discover, design, and develop nearly 50% of all FDA approved vaccines and 100% of all FDA approved drugs to prevent malaria. We exist to keep you safe in the 140 countries to which we deploy military service members on an annual basis. #WhyWeExist. During this time, I also ensure that this work is done with the highest priority towards the safety and health of our staff and that the other critical functions of our institution continue to be executed.
COL Deydre S. Teyhen, DPT, PhD, OCS
Resident Class of 2014
Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)
