About USARIEM

USARIEM is an internationally recognized center of excellence for Warfighter performance science and its useful applications. The institute functions as a world-class laboratory for environmental medicine, physiology, performance and nutrition research. It features integrated cellular, tissue, & human research programs.

Our History

Recognizing the importance of environmental and operational contingencies for the health, performance and effectiveness of troops in training or combat, USARIEM was activated on July 1, 1961 in Natick, Massachusetts as a research laboratory under the U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command (now called the U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command).

The Institute was created from a composite of elements associated with a number of outstanding federal and academic laboratories, including the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Armored Medical Research Laboratory at Fort Knox, Kentucky, the Climatic Research Laboratory in Lawrence, Massachusetts and the Quartermaster’s Environmental Protection Research Division and Earth Sciences Division at Natick.

Key Products

Performance Optimization Doctrine: USARIEM produces training policy and guidelines that provide recommendations to enhance Warfighter capabilities and reduce health risks.

Preventive Medicine & Planning Doctrine: USARIEM produces preventive medicine guidelines to minimize Warfighter injuries and lost duty time and medical costs.

Materiel Development Support: USARIEM recommends product improvements for clothing, equipment, nutrition and pharmaceuticals by providing design specifications to improve individual Warfighter equipment and rations.

Monitoring Strategies & Predictive Algorithms: USARIEM has developed strategies for personal status monitoring and a variety of algorithms to prevent and detect Warfighter performance decrements.

Health Hazard Assessment: USARIEM coordinates with the Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (CHPPM) for thermal and hypoxic conditions.

Location & Facilities

USARIEM is co-located at the Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. A short distance from Boston, the institute offers researchers its own unique facilities and is in close proximity to many of the finest universities. Learn More.