USU Scientists Present Research Findings at Military Health Symposium, Focusing on Battlefield Care and Health Risks

USU faculty presented research on pain management, military nutrition, infectious diseases, and environmental health risks at the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS).

The topics presented by USU faculty at MHSRS covered a broad spectrum, from developing a portable device

for pain management to examining the links between environmental exposures and diseases like cancer. 

(Photo credit: USU External Affairs; Graphic credit: Zachary Willis, USU)

August 11, 2025 by USU External Affairs

Uniformed Services University (USU) faculty shared a wide range of research findings on day four of the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) 2025, with presentations addressing immediate battlefield challenges and long-term health risks for military personnel. The topics covered a broad spectrum, from developing a portable device for pain management to examining the links between environmental exposures and diseases like cancer. These studies highlight USU's commitment to advancing military medical care, both in operational environments and in the overall health of the force.

Developing Field-Ready Pain Management Solutions

Dr. Juanita Anders, professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics at USU, is leading research on a new photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy to manage pain. Her presentation focused on using high-irradiance near-infrared light to rapidly block pain signals in small nerve fibers without impacting motor function. Anders' team is working to translate this research from lab models to a model that is more anatomically and physiologically similar to humans to improve its chances for clinical translation. They have developed a semi-wearable, battery-powered device that applies high-irradiance light directly to a nerve injury. Preliminary results show that a four-minute treatment at 42 watts per centimeter squared significantly reduced pain hypersensitivity for at least eight hours, highlighting the importance of both the irradiance level and treatment time for achieving a lasting analgesic effect. The reduction in hypersensitivity from a single laser treatment was shown to last for several days. These findings support the idea that direct PBM using implantable systems is feasible and effective for pain control. This research is a key step toward developing a portable, field-ready device for pain management in operational settings.

Dr. Juanita Anders' presentation focused on using high-irradiance near-infrared light to rapidly block pain

signals in small nerve fibers without impacting motor function, leading research on photobiomodulation

therapy to manage pain. (Photo credit: USU External Affairs)

Enhancing Battlefield Capabilities with Dental Expertise

Col. Joshua Vess and Lt. Col. Michael Kroll, both faculty in USU’s Postgraduate Dental College (PDC), highlighted an innovative use of dental expertise, showing how dental teams can leverage their 3D printing skills to address medical equipment shortfalls in combat zones. Inspired by NASA’s in-space manufacturing program, the presentation detailed how dentists, who have been using 3D printing for over a decade, possess skills in design and fabrication that can be applied to creating essential medical items like splints and surgical guides. The goal is to transform dental teams into a critical asset for on-demand manufacturing on the battlefield, making them invaluable partners in a contested logistics environment.

PDC faculty member Lt. Col. Brian Kirkwood’s presentation, “Differences in Clinical Judgment May Impact Dental Artificial Intelligence Model Development,” focused on how subjectivity and potential biases in clinical judgment can affect the development of dental AI models. A survey revealed that while more than 90% of dentists are interested in using AI, they are concerned about trusting models whose predictions may not align with their own clinical judgment. Kirkwood’s research also showed that factors like time constraints and mental fatigue during the data-labeling process can introduce inconsistencies, which can directly influence the model's ultimate performance. The study underscores the importance of a thoughtful planning process for AI development and the need to communicate these limitations to end-users to build trust.

This focus on battlefield support was echoed by Lt. Col. Andres Mendoza, PDC faculty member, who presented a study on dental evacuation trends. Analyzing over 34,000 travel entries, Mendoza’s research found that ground casualty evacuation was the primary method for dental patients, conserving critical medical evacuation platforms for life-threatening trauma. The study suggests that in a large-scale combat operation, dental operations should be established by the four-month mark to mitigate risks and that ground transport should be the primary method for dental evacuations.

Dr. Carrie Hoppes, senior scientist in the USU Department of Radiology, also presented a pilot study on a virtual reality (VR) system, Praxsis, to enhance return-to-duty decisions following a mild traumatic brain injury. The study, conducted with ROTC cadets, found a significant correlation between the VR system's metrics and a standard neurocognitive assessment tool, suggesting that the VR tool could augment the return-to-duty process and offer a more robust way to evaluate a service member's readiness.

Lt. Col. Andres Mendoza, a PDC faculty member, presented a study on dental evacuation trends, moderated by

Col. Kevin Gillespie. (Photo credit: USU External Affairs)

Understanding and Mitigating Health Risks

Several USU presentations focused on understanding and mitigating long-term health risks for military personnel. Dr. Jonathan Scott, associate professor in USU’s Military and Emergency Medicine department, moderated a session titled “Nutritional Strategies to Promote Service Member Health, Readiness & Performance, which included a presentation by Zina Abourjeily, MPH, from USU’s Consortium for Health and Military Performance on improving the military nutrition environment. The study at Camp Lejeune New River used "Fuel to Fight"-style interventions, which use a color-coding system to label foods by nutritional value, in a snack bar, a Micro Mart, and vending machines. The interventions successfully improved the food environment and increased the quantity and profit from healthier items sold. These findings suggest that making such interventions a standardized policy could have a wider impact on the military nutrition environment.

Dr. Naomi Aronson, director of the USU Department of Medicine Infectious Diseases division, presented on a novel Bartonella infection found in military working dogs (MWDs) deployed to Iraq. The study found that 27% of MWDs showed evidence of prior infection with a newly identified species, Bartonella mariae. Aronson highlighted that the infection can cause severe disease in dogs and that there may be a risk to human handlers, as Bartonella can be transfusion-transmissible. The findings underscore the need for active surveillance and further research into the human health implications of this pathogen.

Finally, Dr. Barbara Fuhrman, assistant professor of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics presented a study linking exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water to an increased risk of breast cancer among women in the military. The study, which identified women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2020, found that those who spent three or more years on bases with high PFAS contamination had a 34% higher risk of breast cancer. This risk was even higher for the youngest women studied. While the study has some limitations, such as not measuring PFAS levels in the women themselves, it provides compelling evidence that warrants further investigation using blood samples.

The presentations on day four of MHSRS 2025 demonstrated the breadth of research at USU, with studies addressing the immediate medical needs of warfighters in the field and the long-term health of service members and their families. From groundbreaking pain management and innovative uses of technology to crucial research on infectious diseases and environmental exposures, USU’s work is directly contributing to the readiness and well-being of the military community.

Zina Abourjeily, MPH, from USU’s Consortium for Health and Military Performance, presented research

on improving the military nutrition environment. (Photo credit: USU External Affairs)