
The Diagnostics and Countermeasures Branch (DCB), formerly the Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Monitoring, works to provide effective, state-of-art diagnostic countermeasures to ensure force health and readiness. Branch efforts include the development of new diagnostic assays, and identification of optimal diagnostic testing platforms, assays and algorithms using evidenced based approaches.
DCB evaluates the performance characteristics and cross-comparison of current and emerging diagnostic and surveillance methodologies for evidenced-based down-selection of the most appropriate countermeasures for disease detection, screening, confirmation and monitoring for enhanced patient management. DCB boasts standout accomplishments in their work related to leishmaniasis, HIV and COVID-19. They have evaluated 63% of HIV diagnostics in use today.
Most recently, DCB’s Rapid Response Team received the 2020 Military Health Systems Research Symposium Team Award for Outstanding Research Accomplishment for their COVID-19 detect efforts.