• Develop and test improved means for predicting,
detecting, preventing, and treating infectious disease threats to U.S. military
personnel and the host nation
• Conduct surveillance, training, research, and
response activities related to emerging infectious disease threats. • Partner in executing the President’s Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
• Support the AFRICOM Commander’s Health Related
Theater Security Cooperation activities through engagement of nations in the
region in executing our mission.
The mission of USAMRD-K is to develop and test
improved means for predicting, detecting, preventing and treating infectious
disease threats to military and civilians in East Africa.
What we do
Main Offices in Kenya
USAMRD-K Headquarters is located in Nairobi, Kenya on the campus of the Kenya
Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
The USAMRD-K Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases is based in
Nairobi with numerous satellite collection sites located throughout Kenya,
Tanzania, Uganda and Cameroon executing the Department of Defense Global
Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DoD GEIS). The USAMRD-K Department of Military to Military Activities and President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program is based in Nairobi. The focus
of this program encompasses HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, surveillance for
influenza and other diseases that impact force protection and health readiness
in the Kenyan military and research on medical issues of mutual interest.
The USAMRD-K Kericho Field Station is based in Kericho, Kenya. This
program is primarily funded through the Military HIV Research Program and PEPFAR
with the focus of developing drugs and vaccines for HIV prevention and
treatment.
The USAMRD-K Kisumu Field Station is based in Kisumu, Kenya located in Nyanza
Province along Lake Victoria. There are five clinic and research departments to
include Clinical Trials, Basic Science, Malaria Diagnostics Center (MDC),
Entomology/Vector Biology Unit, and Malaria
Drug Resistance (MDR) Laboratory. The focus of this program is to develop drugs
and vaccines for malaria and other tropical diseases.
Primary operational sites in KeFnya for USAMRD-K include Nairobi, Kericho Field
Station and Kisumu Field Station.
USAMRD-K is located in Nairobi, Kenya on the campus of the Kenya Medical Research Institute
(KEMRI) and is one of five U.S. DoD overseas research laboratories.
The unit was provisionally established in 1969 at the invitation of the Kenya
Government and was permanently established in 1973. USAMRD-K Headquarters
coordinates operations with the U.S. Embassy, Senior Defense Official/Defense
Attaché which includes the Kenya U.S. Liaison Office (KUSLO)/Defense Attaché
Office (DAO), U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), U.S. Army Africa (USARAF), the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), and numerous Kenyan Ministries.
USAMRD-K collaborators include the
Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Kenya
Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, the Kenya Ministry of Medical
Services, the Kenya Ministry of Defense, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research,
U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute
for Infectious Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences,
Navy Medical Research Unit Number 3, Air Force Institute for Operational Health,
DoD Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System, National
Institutes of Health, World Health Organization,
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Makerere University (Uganda),
University of Buea (Cameroon), University of California – San Diego, University
of Washington, Uniformed Services University IDCRP, Case Western Reserve
University, Boston University, Louisiana State University, University of
Massachusetts, PATH, Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Gates Foundation, Glaxo
SmithKline, Aeras, Sanofi, and Pfize
Directors Message
Welcome to the U.S. Army Medical
Research Directorate-Kenya! It is pleasure to be part of this team of
professional men and women who have made and continue to make great scientific
contributions. In an interconnected world, timely medical product development
and health surveillance plays a critical role not only for the health protection
of our military personnel but also for the global population.
Research area
Our research areas fall into four categories
1
Immunological correlates of immunity:
• Determination of antibody levels to merozoite surface
protein -1 (MSP-1) in children immunized with MSP-1 malaria vaccine candidate
antigen. • Flow-cytometry measurements of circumsporozoite protein
(CSP) specific cell mediated immunity • Evaluation of secreted malaria antigens (HRP2 and pLDH)
for quantification of malaria parasite biomass. • Evaluation of a novel miniaturized multiple pathogen
diagnostics platform
2
Molecular identification of natural traits that confer protection to malaria:
• Detection of hemoglobin variants by HPLC • Detection of alpha thalassaemia by multiplex PCR • Detection of G6PD deficiency by PCR and
restriction length polymorphism
3
Molecular genotyping of malaria parasite:
• Determination of antigenic diversity within the
immunological determinant site of CS protein in populations collected in cohorts
receiving CSP malaria candidate vaccine • Determination of MSP1 and MSP2 allelic variants in
populations collected in cohorts receiving CSP and MSP-1 malaria candidate
vaccine • Determination of MSP-119 allelic variants in Plasmodium
falciparum collected in cohorts receiving MSP-1 malaria candidate vaccine
4
Basic science research:
• Studies on how malaria affects expression levels of
complement regulatory proteins on red blood cells • Studies to determine whether bacteremia that is
invariably seen in children with malaria is caused by hypocomplementemia due to
sustained complement activation • Evaluating whether P. falciparum uses quorum sensing to
auto-regulate parasite density • Identification and functional characterization of
genetic polymorphisms, including the Swain-Langley and McCoy blood groups, of
the human complement receptor 1 (CR1) gene that may influence the susceptibility
to severe malaria in Kenya
This is an acronym denoting United States Army Medical Research Directorate
Unit vs Directorate.
USAMRD-K carries out medical research by developing and testing improved means of predicting, detecting, prevention and treating disease-threats important to the US Army.
USAMRD-K also conducts surveillance, training and response activities related to emerging infectious disease-threats.
USAMRD-K has it Kenyan Headquarters situated within KEMRI HQs off Mbagathi Road
in Nairobi, the capital City of Kenya. It has two major field sites namely
Kisumu and Kericho field stations. Kisumu Field station is located in Kondele
area along Kisumu – Kakamega Road, with its Centre for Clinical Research
situated in Kombewa off Bondo - Usenge Road, opposite the Kombewa Sub-County
Hospital. Kericho Field Station is in USHMA plaza along Temple Road, Kericho
town
The Muriithi-Wellde Clinical Research Center (CRC)ical Research Center (CRC)inical Research Center (CRC))
Established in 2003, is located in Kombewa approximateEstablished in 2003, is located in Kombewa approximately 40km from kisumu
Kericho Field Station
Based in Kericho, Kenya. This program is primarily funded through the Military
HIV Research Program and PEPFAR with the focus of developing drugs and vaccines
for HIV prevention and treatment
