WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   Research is a foundation of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and essential to that research are human subjects. They help answer questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments, such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietary choices, dietary supplements, and medical devices, and known interventions that warrant further study and comparison.

Also essential in human research is protecting individuals who participate in studies, which is the purpose for Walter Reed’s Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), recently re-accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).

“The Walter Reed HRPP is the system of interdependent elements that implement policies and practices to protect human research subjects,” stated Diane Beaner, human protection director, and program manager for HRPP at Walter Reed. “Protecting individuals who participate in research is essential to the ethical conduct and support of research at Walter Reed.

“Our mission and goals are to ensure the rights and welfare of human research participants; promote excellence in the conduct of research; and advance scientific knowledge and quality research,” Beaner added.

In addition to Beaner, the HRPP team includes the Institutional Review Board (IRB) operations director and the lead protocol analyst.

“Our program accomplished initial accreditation in 2020 for three years. Thereafter, the re-accreditation period is five years,” Beaner said.

“The rewards in working in our program include the working relationships we have with our research community. The dedication of a full-time IRB chair and the committed staff who continue to advocate human protection in research are also rewards working with our team,” she shared.

“Our goal is to continue to have an effective HRPP whose activities achieve the desired outcome to protect research participants,” Beaner stated. “Now that our practices and policies met the AAHRPP Element and Standard, we plan to focus our energy on identifying and correcting gaps, if there are any, for continued improvement. In order to maintain accreditation, our organization will be required to complete a report and file it with AAHRPP annually until the next application for re-accreditation is due.”