In order to build strong relationships between researchers and the local community, we offer regular educational and professional development events on topics related to COVID-19, vaccines, and clinical research.
Our events aim to empower people in the local community with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to make informed decisions about COVID-19 research. Events can be held at:
- Hospitals
- Community clinics
- Faith organizations
- Senior living facilities
- Colleges and high schools
- Nonprofit organizations
- Community centers and clubs
Educational or professional development events can be hosted on-site or online and generally last 30-60 minutes, depending on needs and scheduling. To request an event, contact community@eidresearch.org.
Past Community Events
Get Your Zzzs: Healthy Sleep Tips and Fatigue Management Strategies
Time: 5/4/2022 – 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
We all need sleep, but how important is it and how much do we really need? What about naps? Join Dr. Sara Alger, a sleep research scientist, to learn about the consequences of sleep deprivation and strategies to overcome fatigue. She will also highlight some of the trials conducted at the Sleep Research Center at WRAIR and discuss how that data has helped better understand sleep. There will be a Q&A at the end of the session, so come ready to listen and engage in a presentation about the one thing we all do - sleep!
Emerging Infectious Diseases: What Are They, and How Do We Prepare for Them?
Time: 5/5/2022 – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, MD, PhD, Director of the WRAIR Emerging Infectious Disease Branch, will offer insight into how scientists track, study, and prepare responses (vaccines, treatments) to new pathogens, and highlight how the scientific community responded to recent emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and COVID. This is an open community dialogue so come prepared to engage and ask questions!
Understanding the Science of Sleep: Sleep and Behavioral Health
Time: 5/19/2022 – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
Dr. Tracy Jill Doty, PhD, WRAIR Sleep Research Center Chief of Operations, will offer insight into the importance of sleep for health, underline the implications of sleep research studies (clinical and non-clinical) for community awareness/public health practices, and share why WRAIR is working to improve scientific understanding of sleep as it affects the military.
Ask the Expert: Conversation about COVID-19 Vaccines and Clinical Research
Time: 12/8/2021 – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
Principal Investigator of WRAIR’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch Brittany Ober-Shepherd, MD, will be presenting this virtual educational session for George Washington University faculty, staff, and students, as well as WRAIR personnel. This session will focus on explaining how COVID-19 vaccines work to protect against the disease, addressing myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines, and stressing the importance of clinical trials in vaccine research.
Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Research
Time: 10/29/2021 – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
Principal Investigator with WRAIR’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch Sandhya Vasan, MD, presented on the importance of including diverse populations in clinical research, barriers to clinical trial participation for historically underrepresented groups, and the role community members can play in advocating for diversity and inclusion in clinical research to enhance community health. This presentation was targeted to healthcare professionals and research personnel, and offers continuing education credits for social workers.
Ask the Expert: Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines and Clinical Research
Time: 09/24/2021 - 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
This educational in-service event focused on addressing myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines, with hopes to increase vaccine uptake and decrease vaccine hesitancy. Audience members included Prince George's Community College faculty, staff, and students, as well as WRAIR personnel. Brittany Ober-Shepherd, MD, a research physician with WRAIR’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, discussed how COVID-19 vaccines work to protect against the disease, addressed common myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines, and stressed the importance of clinical trials in vaccine research.
WRAIR/EIDB CAB Open House Tour
Time: 05/07/2021 09:00 AM – 11:00AM ET
Location: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
As part of our community outreach, WRAIR planned a special Open House event for CAB members and selected representatives of community-based organizations to visit WRAIR Forest Glen and learn about our COVID-19 vaccine effort firsthand. These representatives had expressed an interest in learning about how WRAIR has created a new vaccine, manufactured it, and entered into clinical trials, as well as understanding how this vaccine fits into the landscape of current vaccine deployment both in the US and abroad.
Our WRAIR Commander, Colonel Clinton Murray personally welcomed the visitors to the facility, followed by Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, the founding Director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, WRAIR who gave a presentation on WRAIR SpFN COVID Vaccine. A guided tour was then initiated to Clinical Trials Center, Pilot Bioproduction Facility (PBF)-- the WRAIR facility that manufactures vaccine products and the laboratories where the COVID vaccine was designed by WRAIR's own scientists.
Looking Forward: Building Better Practices for a New Reality
Time: 04/08/2021 04:00 PM -05:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual Event
WRAIR Community Engagement partnered with Leadership Montgomery to provide a Health and Values-Based Leadership webinar. In this webinar, the panelists touched on various topics, including the critical role of ongoing COVID-19 vaccine research in preparedness for future outbreaks; the importance of good communication between scientists, community organizations and the public about the science around COVID-19, COVID vaccines and prevention. The webinar shed light on the inequities facing our community and the need for values-based leadership. It also gave insight to the importance of community feedback and community engagement—particularly from the most vulnerable populations—when addressing clinical research.
Featured panelists included Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, Director, Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, WRAIR; Dr. Sherrie Wallington, Assistant Professor and Health Disparities Researcher at George Washington University and Beza Gebrehana, WRAIR/EIDB Community Engagement Lead Coordinator.