Speakers

Prior to his retirement in 2012 after 32 years of active service, Lieutenant General (Ret) Eric B. Schoomaker, MD, PhD served as the 42nd U.S. Army Surgeon General and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command.

He is currently an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Military & Emergency Medicine at the nation’s only federal health university, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in Bethesda, MD. He serves as a Senior Physician Consultant for the Department of Veterans Affairs in the implementation of VA's Whole Health. His principal interests are two-fold: Complementary and Integrative Health & Medicine (CIH/M) in the shift from a disease management-focused healthcare system to one more centered on the improvement and sustainment of health & well-being; and leadership education. He advocates for the incorporation of CIH/M education and training—emphasizing mindfulness—into the education of health & healthcare professionals. Dr. Schoomaker also promotes the central importance of leadership education and training for health professionals. These interests are reflected in his volunteer work in assisting his local healthcare system in advancing high-quality community- and hospital-based care and in work on healthcare futures.

He committed his career to meeting the health needs of Soldiers, Veterans, and their families through initiatives that Army Medicine implemented throughout its facilities in the U.S., Europe, and the Pacific, focusing on Soldier medical readiness, enhancing battlefield care, establishing a comprehensive behavioral health system of care, fostering a culture of trust, advancing comprehensive pain management, and promoting health by preventing combat wounds, injury, and illness.

Dr. Schoomaker is an internal medicine physician with a PhD in Human Genetics. He held many assignments, including command of two Army regional medical commands, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, the Army’s Medical Research & Materiel Command in Fort Detrick, MD, an Army academic medical center, a community hospital, and a deployable medical brigade.

Dr. Schoomaker is the recipient of numerous military awards, including those from France and Germany, the 2012 Dr. Nathan Davis Award from the American Medical Association for outstanding government service, an Honorary Doctor of Science from Wake Forest University, a Doctor of Letters in Medicine from the Baylor College of Medicine, and the Philipp M. Lippe, MD Award from the American Academy of Pain Medicine for outstanding contributions to the social and political aspect of pain medicine.

He is married to Audrey, a former Army Nurse Corps Officer and a therapeutic yoga and mindfulness instructor and a wellness coach. They are grateful parents of a son who is an aspiring jazz musician/producer and two married daughters—an elementary school counselor and a medical student.

COL (Ret) Melissa (Missy) Givens, MD, MPH earned her BS at the United States Military Academy, her MD at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and her MPH at the University of Texas. She is board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Clinical Toxicology, and Sports Medicine.

Dr. Givens has over 25 years of experience serving in the Army and held various academic and operational assignments. She also completed several combat tours and deployments with conventional and Special Operations Forces. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Consortium for Health and Military Performance at the Uniformed Services University.

She is a proud mother of three daughters and one dog and has a passion for weightlifting and the outdoors.

Dr. Francis G. O’Connor is currently the Medical Director, Consortium for Health and Military Performance, and a Professor in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). A retired Colonel from the United States Army Medical Corps, he began his career as a graduate from the United States Military Academy in 1981. Dr. O’Connor earned his degree in Medicine from the State University of New York, Syracuse in 1985, and obtained a Master of Public Health from USU in 2005. He completed a residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY, in 1988 and a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Nirschl Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, Arlington, VA in 1992. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, and certified in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.

Dr. O’Connor has been a leader in sports medicine education and research for the military for over 25 years. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and numerous book chapters, technical reports, and health promotion resources for the military. In addition, Dr. O’Connor is the editor of ten texts on sports medicine, including the Textbook of Running Medicine, Sports Medicine for the Primary Care Physician 4th Edition, and ACSM’s Sports Medicine: A Comprehensive Review.

He has served on the board of several leading organizations in sports medicine, including the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Athletic Association. Dr. O'Connor is also a past president of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM). He is a Fellow of the ACSM and AMSSM. Dr. O’Connor is the recipient of several awards for excellence in sports medicine research and education, including the Korey Stringer Institute Lifesaving Research Award, presented by the NFL and Gatorade in 2012, an ACSM Citation Award in 2016, and the AMSSM Founder’s Award in 2017.

Colonel Kevin A. Bigelman, a 1993 graduate of the United States Military Academy, was commissioned in the Field Artillery.

His military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Master Fitness Trainer Course, Joint Firepower Control Course, Light Fire Support Officer Course, Jumpmaster Course, Ranger School, Air Assault School, Mountain Warfare School, and the US Army Command and General Staff College. His civilian education includes a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Georgia and a MS in Applied Sport Science from Indiana University.

Colonel Bigelman has served in a variety of Army assignments in the U.S. and overseas. Since August 2019, he has served as the Director for the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System at the US Army Training and Doctrine Command Center for Initial Military Training, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA.

CAPT Matthew C. Frey, a native of Carlsbad, CA, graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He is a graduate of the Marine Corps War College in residence, earning a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies and JPME II.

He served as the Ordnance Officer on board the USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan. Following completion of nuclear power training, he served as the Reactor Mechanical and Reactor Controls Division Officer onboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He deployed to the Arabian Gulf on both ships.

Ashore, CAPT Frey served on the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe / Commander, SIXTH Fleet (CNE-C6F) in Naples, Italy as a protocol officer, flag aide, and a strategy & policy officer. Following his shore assignment, he transitioned to the Navy Reserve.

As a Reservist, he was mobilized to U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and served as the lead in-theater representative for the U.S. Lift and Sustain Program, supporting the deployment of over 10,000 partner-nations’ troops to Afghanistan. He also served on two CENTCOM contingency planning teams while in Afghanistan.

In other reserve assignments, CAPT Frey was the Officer-In-Charge of Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO Detachment 405 in Ebensburg, PA. He served as a staff officer in the CNE-C6F Maritime Partnership Program Detachment 513 and the Naval District Washington Regional Operations Center. In addition, he is an Afloat Culture Workshop facilitator delivering a much-needed perspective of a command’s culture to the ship’s CO.

In leadership positions, CAPT Frey brought readiness and lethality to the Force. As Executive Officer for NATO Allied Command Transformation Detachment Washington, he led the team of U.S. Navy personnel filling the maritime gap in Exercise TRIDENT JAGUAR, qualifying three NATO Rapid Deployment Corps for deployment. As a Commanding Officer, NR Cargo Afloat Rig Team II and NR LCS Surface Division Great Lakes, he led Sailors providing direct maintenance and operations support to ships on the waterfront.

In 2020, CAPT Frey was the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management/Comptroller) supporting the Assistant Secretary’s priorities of audit, budget execution, and consolidating systems.

CAPT Frey currently serves as the CO of NR ONR/NRL S&T 105, providing a team of uniformed technical experts to numerous ONR projects. Concurrently, he is on ADOS orders as OPNAV N17’s Culture of Excellence Branch Head coordinating this CNO initiative across Echelon 1 and 2 commands.

His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various campaign and unit awards.

Lt Col Tracy L. Snyder, MS, RD is the Chief of Performance Optimization, Air Force Medical Readiness Agency and the Nutrition Consultant to the Department of the Air Force Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General in Falls Church, VA. As Chief of Performance Optimization, Lt Col Snyder is responsible for development of Air Force Health Promotion policy and strategy to facilitate integration of human performance initiatives and optimize readiness. In addition, she provides strategic guidance and oversight of Air Force nutrition and dietetics programs delivered by 205 personnel across 76 medical treatment facilities.

Lt Col Snyder entered the Air Force in 2002 after completion of a master’s degree and Dietetic Internship through Oklahoma State University. As a Registered Dietitian, her background includes assignments in both Clinical Dietetics and Health Promotion. In 2007, she deployed to the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2009, she deployed to Central and South America with the U.S. Navy’s “Continuing Promise” humanitarian mission.

Prior to assuming her current position, Lt Col Snyder served as Commander of the 14th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, 14th Flying Wing, Columbus AFB, Mississippi.

Mr. Brian McGuire serves as Director of the Human Performance Office at Training & Education Command, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, located in Quantico, VA. His responsibilities include advising the Commanding General on all matters pertaining to the service-level coordination of human performance and resiliency policies and programs in order to enable the achievement of the TECOM mission to train and educate the Force. He began this position in May 2020.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. McGuire served as a TECOM civilian since 2008 in the following positions: Physical Readiness Programs Analyst, Force Fitness Program Manager and Deputy Director, Force Fitness Division. In these roles he was lead for development of the Combat Fitness Test, MOS Specific Physical Standards (MSPS), and program manager for the Sports Medicine and Injury Prevention program. Additionally, he led the development or revision of eight Marine Corps Orders related to physical readiness. He has implemented the use of human performance technology and governing policies in entry-level training. Since 2009, he has served as a Vice-Chair of the Marine Corps Institutional Review Board. In 2017, he was awarded the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award for his role in development of MSPS.

Mr. McGuire works part-time in the National Football League. Since 2008, he has been the Lead Athletic Trainer at the NFL Scouting Combine. Additionally, he has worked in support of the NFL’s Player Health and Safety Program as an Athletic Trainer Injury Spotter since 2017.

He began his Marine Corps service in 1983 as an enlisted reservist. He was commissioned in 1985 and served on active duty until 1990 in Far East and CONUS air defense units. In 1987–1988, he deployed to the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Earnest Will. He transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve in 1990 and until 1999 served in reserve air defense/air control units. From 1993–1997, he was the Battery Commander for 4^th Low Altitude Air Defense, Battery B in Atlanta, GA. In 1993, he was a Bronze Medalist during the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers Military Pentathlon.

Mr. McGuire has also worked in civilian human performance settings. From 1993–1997, he worked at the Emory Clinic Department of Orthopedics in Atlanta, GA. He was the Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine at Emory University from 1997–2001. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, he was the Chief Athletic Trainer for Rowing and Canoe/Kayak (Sprint).

In 1999, Mr. McGuire joined TECOM as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). He was mobilized in December 2001. During his mobilization, he served as Joint Operations Center Officer OIC for Multi-National Corps Iraq from September 2005–September 2006. Following demobilization in 2008, he served at the Pentagon as the Office of the Secretary of Defense Crisis Management Team OIC 2009–2013 and as a planner in the J-5 Africa Directorate from 2013–2016. He retired in 2016 after 33 years of combined active and reserve service.

Mr. McGuire holds a BS in Physical Education from Salisbury University and an MS in Exercise Science from Georgia State University. He has earned certifications from the National Athletic Trainers Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and American College of Sports Medicine.

JP Ahluwalia, MD, MPH, is the Chief of Occupational Medicine at US Coast Guard HQ in Washington, DC. He is responsible for a broad portfolio of workplace health, safety, and wellness programs for a 50,000+ workforce population. During the pandemic, he has been involved in agency COVID-19 mitigation plans and vaccination efforts. Previously, he was a Medical Officer at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics (CBER) where he assessed the post-licensure safety of vaccines, blood products, and gene therapies. He is also a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Dr. Ahluwalia spent 8 years in the Army, including a tour with the 82nd Airborne Division in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Preventative Medicine, and board-certified in Public Health and General Preventative Medicine. He received his BA and MD from Ohio State and his MPH from Johns Hopkins.

COL Robert Montz, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, is an Army occupational therapist currently serving as the Director of the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF), U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB. He received his BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Health Science from the University of Florida, and a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, earning a Master of Strategic Studies.

COL Montz has been at the forefront of military human performance since 2005, leading human performance efforts at the 75^th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger-Athlete-Warrior Program and the 10^th Mountain Infantry Division’s Mountain-Athlete-Warrior Program, and serving as the Director of the Physical Performance Service Line at the Office of the Surgeon General/U.S. Army Medical Command.

CAPT Kimberly Elenberg, DNP, RN is aligned to the Deputy OSD Executive, Enterprise Analytics Support Directorate as the Lead strategist for DoD Enterprise Health Analytics and Warrior Performance Lines of Effort. She has launched incident response and health and human performance data analysis lines of efforts to align DoD goals, prioritize growth, and improve efficiency. CAPT Elenberg is an advisor on the Defense Secretary’s COVID-19 strategy. She is a key contributor to the DOD’s AI and Data Acceleration initiative and is rapidly advancing data- and AI-dependent concepts and joint all-domain command and control, generating foundational data capabilities through a series of implementation experiments and exercises. This effort directly supports the National Security Strategy and National Prevention Strategy by provisioning optimized decision support tools leveraged to reform policy, financial resources, and business practices that impact Service Members' nutritional, physical, environmental, medical and dental, social, behavioral, psychological, and spiritual fitness.

CAPT Elenberg also advises the Department on a comprehensive strategy for optimizing the well-being and resilience of Service Members and their families and the entire DoD community. Prior, Elenberg worked for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Defense Health Agency as the Director of Population Health and Medical Management. She was responsible for guiding population health and disease management at 36 military treatment facilities that serve 9.7 million beneficiaries around the world. CAPT Elenberg also served as Director for Biosurveillance and Emergency response at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she orchestrated the design and development of nationwide electronic food safety and security systems in addition to assisting with the design of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Biosurveillance Information System. For her leadership during deployments in 2007 and 2009, CAPT Elenberg received the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal. In 2009, she was selected as the USPHS Responder of the Year. In 2014, she received the Military Health System Senior Nurse Leadership Award. In 2020, she was the recipient of the G2Xchange Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award. And in 2021, she was awarded the Secretary’s Defense Meritorious Service Medal for establishing an enterprise-wide common operating picture for DoD senior leaders to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic.

CAPT Elenberg earned a BS in Nursing at Temple University, Philadelphia, a master’s degree in Informatics from the University of Maryland, and graduated summa cum laude with a doctorate in Nursing Practice from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH, is a board-certified family physician who has worked as a clinician, educator, researcher, and administrative leader in the field of complementary and integrative medicine for the past 25 years. In May 2016, he was named National Director of the Integrative Health Coordinating Center (IHCC) in the Veterans Health Administration Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCC&CT) as well as Director of Education and Research for Whole Health.

In May 2020, Dr. Kligler was named Executive Director of OPCC&CT. He is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and was Vice Chair and Research Director of the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Department of Integrative Medicine. He is also a core faculty member of the Leadership Program in Integrative Healthcare at Duke University.

Dr. Cynthia Gantt was appointed as Deputy Director, Veterans Health Administration Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation in October 2019. She oversees daily operations, communications, outreach, strategic planning, and field implementation strategies in support of the VA's transformation to a Whole Health System of care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest.

Dr. Gantt served 29 years as a Navy Nurse Corps officer. Her diverse career culminated in two command tours at the naval hospital at Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA. In 2018, she served as the Commanding Officer at the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan. She was the Chief of Staff at Navy Medicine East, which included oversight of 20 military treatment facilities and worldwide public health activities. She received the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Gantt's military decorations include two Legions of Merit, a Defense Meritorious Service, four Meritorious Service, NATO Resolute Support, and Afghanistan Campaign Medals.

Mr. Carlo “Christian” DiMercurio, originally from Colorado Springs, CO, lives and works virtually from Louisville, KY. An experienced healthcare administrator with a Master of Business Administration, Mr. DiMercurio serves as the FIT Lead for Region 3 (Southeastern USA, VISN 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9). Mr. DiMercurio leads a team of dedicated FIT Consultants charged with the cultural transformation of Veterans' healthcare with a comprehensive. holistic, personalized, proactive, patient-driven “Whole Health System.” In addition, Mr. DiMercurio co-leads the OPCC&CT, Veteran Outreach & Integration for Connections & Expansion (VOICE). Under his leadership, VOICE is charged with advancement and support of national, regional, and local collaborations to integrate and expand understanding of the Whole Health philosophy of care within DoD, VSOs, and other community organizations, specifically in care of Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, and their family members.

Mr. DiMercurio honorably served 23 years in the United States Navy as a Navy Mustang and Aviation Warfare Specialist with dedicated service as an Aerospace Medical Technician Hospital Corpsman and Medical Service Corps Officer with service tours to include USS Nimitz, Naval Hospital Naples, Italy, Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Aviation operational squadrons (3) with multiple deployments around the world, and combat service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Multi-National Security Command, Baghdad, Iraq. He is a decorated Veteran, being awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

He has five beautiful daughters, is active in his community mentoring and coaching youth, and is an active member of the Knights of Columbus.

Mr. Ronald (Ron) Rutherford, originally from North Myrtle Beach, SC, joined the Veterans Health Administration Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation (OPCC&CT) in November 2011. He lives in and works from Pittsburgh, PA and serves as the Lead for Whole Health Outreach. Prior to joining the VA, he served 26 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. As an Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman, he served on multiple ships as the primary healthcare provider and healthcare consultant for occupational and environmental health programs. He has managed shore-based and overseas medical facilities, and his last assignment in the Navy was managing 11 shipboard medical departments and their staff in Pearl Harbor, HI.

Mr. Rutherford has a BSHS in Clinical Health Science (Pre-Physician Assistant Studies) and a MSHS in Healthcare Management. He has extensive experience as a military primary care provider, as well as healthcare operations and management.

LTC Howard is the Whole Health Education Program Lead for the Veterans Health Administration Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, developing and managing Whole Health clinical, coaching, and Veteran peer-education programs since the inception of Whole Health education in 2012. She is also a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and yoga instructor.

LTC Howard previously served for a decade on active duty in the U.S. Army with troops at Ft. Hood and Schofield Barracks, as the Operations Officer for the Commanding General in Iraq, and then as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army. She is currently a Reserve Lieutenant Colonel with duty at Training and Doctrine Command, working with the Holistic Health and Fitness Directorate on yoga, mindfulness, and health coaching.

LTC Howard was a Distinguished Graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and also holds a Master of Arts degree from Webster University.

Dr. Tamara M. Schult has been a Health Science/System Specialist for the Employee Whole Health program [formerly the Employee Health and Well-Being program] for the Veterans Health Administration workforce since its inception in 2009. Her role is to conduct program evaluation and data analysis, develop policy, and impact change on a systems level.

Dr. Schult’s initial public health training in Epidemiology sparked her research interests in chronic disease and primary prevention. As she continued her education in Occupational Health Services Research and Policy, interests in population and workforce health were added. Dr. Schult is committed to promoting self-care and helping all employees in VHA optimize their well-being and build resiliency.

Ms. Alison Whitehead served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic and earned her MPH from Columbia University. She joined VA Women’s Health Services in 2010 as a Presidential Management Fellow. In September 2015, she transitioned to Program Lead for the VA Integrative Health Coordinating Center (IHCC) in the Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation. In this role, Ms. Whitehead leads development of programs and policies for integrative health implementation across VA (including yoga and meditation). She is on the Board of Directors of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (ACIMH) and the immediate past Chair of the ACIMH Policy Working Group. In addition, she is a yoga instructor, personal trainer, and certified yoga therapist. In her free time, Ms. Whitehead enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, running, biking, playing soccer, and practicing yoga and meditation.

Outreach, Transition and Economic Development (OTED) is aligned within the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) and its mission is to collaborate, inform, and advocate for Veterans, transitioning Service Members, survivors, family members, and all eligible beneficiaries by highlighting pathways to VA benefits and services to facilitate sustained successful connections. In 2021, OSA was realigned from the Office of the Secretary in the General Administration budget to VBA. OSA was established by the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, P.L. 110- 389, Title II, Section 222.

As the OSA Director, Ms. Duff serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on all policies, programs, legislative issues, and other initiatives affecting surviving family members of deceased Service Members and Veterans. In Post Separation, she leads a team of experts who manage Personal Career Planning & Guidance (PCPG) services that offer personalized counseling and support to help guide career paths, ensure the most effective use of benefits, and assist eligible Veterans, transitioning Service Members, and dependents with achieving education and career goals.

Ms. Duff is a graduate of the University of Maine and Western Governor's University where she earned degrees in Political Science (BA) and Instructional Systems Design (M, Ed). A recently retired Rear Admiral, she is a certified Strategic Human Resources Professional and has completed certificate programs in Business, Planning, Strategic HR Management, Strategic Communications, and National and International Security from Naval War College, Cornell University, Harvard University, and the University of Virginia.

A self-proclaimed Army brat, Ms. Duff served for over 35 years in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. She is currently married to a retired Coast Guardsman and has three children.

Dr. Joseph Geraci retired from the U.S. Army as an Infantry Lieutenant Colonel after serving for 20 years and deploying as a combat leader with elite Special Operations/Ranger, Airborne, and Infantry units to Afghanistan four different times since 9/11. While in uniform, he also served as an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy in both the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership and the Department of Military Instruction. One of his last positions in the U.S. Army was serving as an Infantry Battalion Commander in which he was directly responsible for the health, welfare, and combat readiness of his Soldiers.

Dr. Geraci received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University. He teaches military psychology to graduate students at Teachers College, and was a co-founder of the college’s Resilience Center for Veterans and Families. He serves within the VISN 2 MIRECC as a licensed psychologist and is focused on studying and developing interventions that mitigate the significant suicidal risks that our Modern Warriors (some of them being his former Soldiers) face as they attempt to reintegrate back into their civilian communities after military service. Within the MIRECC, Dr. Geraci leads two national VA programs (Veteran Cultural Competence training and the Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship program evaluation).

Since joining the National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships in 2016, Ms. Eickhoff has worked to explore partnership opportunities and health innovations that directly impact Veterans across the VA system. She has also worked with VA’s War Related Illness and Injury Study Center and the Patient-Centered Care Integrative Health and Wellness Program as both a research coordinator and in support of clinical services.

Ms. Eickhoff received her master's degree in Psychology from American University and is currently facilitating partnerships that support Veterans, military spouses, and other beneficiaries across social determinants of health such as employment, economic stability, and health literacy.

Ronald Kessler, PhD is the McNeil Family Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kessler is a psychiatric epidemiologist whose work involves carrying out mental health needs assessment surveys, advising governments around the world on unmet need for treatment of mental disorders, and collaborating in the design and evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions for these disorders. His intervention work focuses on heterogeneity of treatment effects and developing precision treatment rules.

Dr. Kessler is the most widely cited mental health researcher in the world. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He earned his PhD in sociology from New York University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin, and was on the faculty at the University of Michigan before taking his current position at Harvard Medical School in 1995.

Joseph Constans, PhD serves as the Senior Program Manager for Suicide Prevention in the Office of Research and Development, VHA. Dr. Constans has had a 28-year career in VA, starting as a staff psychologist in 1993 and most recently completing 13 years of service as the Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (New Orleans VA Medical Center).

Dr. Constans' own research program in VA first concerned the study of cognitive bias and cognitive bias remediation in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. For the past 10 years, his research has concerned suicide and homicide prevention with a particular interest in studying firearm attitudes in vulnerable populations. His research program has been supported with funding from VA Clinical Science Research and Development (CSRD), VA Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D), CDC, and DoD.

Dr. Dina Hooshyar started her medical career as an infectious diseases physician and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During this time, she served in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She then became a psychiatrist.

In March 2019, Dr. Hooshyar became the Director of VA’s National Center on Homelessness among Veterans. She is also an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Her research interests include homeless prevention and societal reintegration of the Veteran homeless population.

Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, Colonel, USA (Ret) is the Program Director and Principal Investigator for Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' (USU) Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM) under the department of Military Emergency Medicine. Dr. Buckenmaier is a Professor in Anesthesiology at USU and a Diplomate with the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Buckenmaier attended Catawba College on a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, graduating with a degree in Biology in 1986. He then attended East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., receiving a Master in Science in Biology in 1988. In 1992, he graduated from USU, completing his Anesthesia Residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In addition, he completed a one-year Fellowship in Regional Anesthesia at Duke University in 2002, resulting in the creation of the only Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship in DoD, currently based at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

In September 2003, Dr. Buckenmaier deployed with the 21st Combat Support Hospital to Balad, Iraq, and demonstrated that the use of advanced regional anesthesia can be accomplished in a forward-deployed environment. He performed the first successful continuous peripheral nerve block for pain management in a combat support hospital. In April 2009, he deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan with the British military and organized the first acute pain service in a theatre of war. Author and Co-Editor of the Acute and Perioperative Pain section in Pain Medicine, he is extensively published in pain medicine, particularly as it relates to combat wounded. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of US Medicine with a monthly column on topics of federal medicine interest.