Military toxicologists meet in MS

DAYTON, Ohio – Navy medical researchers participated in a bi-annual Tri-Service Toxicology Consortium (TSTC) meeting at the Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss., on Jan. 30 to coordinate research efforts and offer recommendations to improve each other's studies. Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton (NAMRU-D) participated in the meeting. The TSTC connects scientists from Air Force, Army and Navy research facilities, and works to coordinate and optimize recent toxicology knowledge, approaches, and data toward the common goal of protecting human health and the environment for the Defense Department. Dr. Frank Golich, principle investigator for a research team joining expertise from NAMRU-D’s two science directorates, EHEL and Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, is testing whether low level exposure to nitrous oxide may influence, even subtly, pilot cognition or performance. The AF and Navy both have had aircraft stand-downs related to psychological episodes (PEs) related to pilot oxygen-deprivation. (Source: NAMRL-Dayton 03/12/18) T-45C student pilots from NAS Meridian, Miss., and NAS Pensacola, Fla. were among the squadrons experiencing unexplained PEs. NAMRL-Dayton originally was a stand-up research lab based at NAS Pensacola, but was moved to Ohio under a Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision.