WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   The Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) recently honored retired U.S. Army Col. (Dr.) Craig Shriver, director of the Murtha Cancer Center (MCC) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, with the Distinguished Service Award for his dedication and significant contributions to military medicine.

“He has taught so many people both how to practice medicine and how to lead. His impact is hard to fathom” said Dr. Joel T. Moncur, deputy director and chief medical officer at The Joint Pathology Center.

Shriver’s career in military medicine spans over 35 years, beginning with his service in the Army Medical Corps. He started as a surgery intern and resident at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, eventually rising to chief of surgical oncology, where he became the longest-serving chief in that position. Simultaneously, Shriver served as the general surgery program director for the National Capital Consortium.

“The best job that I had in the military,” stated Shriver, “was the general surgery residency program director at Walter Reed for 16 years, which is the longest-serving surgery program director in the history of the military.”

In this role, Shriver mentored generations of military surgeons, many of whom have gone on to build their own careers within the Military Health System (MHS).

In 2011, Shriver was selected as the director of the MCC, where he has focused on advancing research related to the treatment of active-duty service members diagnosed with cancer.

“The attention to the cancer problem as it affects the readiness, and the health of the total force has really been my focus for the entirety of my career,” said Shriver. “We’ve done a lot of research into identifying some of the risk factors that service really leads to in terms of developing cancer, and ways to diagnose cancer earlier.”

“The work that he has done really covers every aspect of cancer care,” said, Dr. Yvonne Eaglehouse, senior health services researcher at the MCC. “A lot of the findings from our research are generalizable to the U.S. population. So, the development of new treatments, new screening protocols, new genetic testing that can be done, this doesn’t just impact our active-duty service members and their families... but these are developments that can then be use nationwide.”

Beyond research, Shriver also devotes time to mentoring the next generation of researchers and medical professionals. He holds the position of professor of surgery for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). “He has interactions with so many people and seems to quickly find himself in that role of mentor,” stated Moncur.

“He has come up with such great ideas both on his own and through collaborations to create whole programs that are amazing. He envisioned the Murtha Cancer Center and brought that to fruition,” said Moncur.

“The results and the impact of the studies he’s led will be felt for decades to come” Moncur said “He is somebody who chooses to continue to serve and in doing so, set an incredible example for people in the military to follow.”

The contributions that Shriver has made to the military medical field and to Walter Reed are highly regarded by his colleagues and patients alike. He has achieved significant advancements in military research and has served as an invaluable mentor to the next generation of professionals.