Lieutenant Colonel Otha Myles, Deputy Chief of Epidemiology and Threat Assessment for Walter Reed’s U.S. Military HIV Research Program, is on a global mission to prevent and develop a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Myles, who credits the U.S. Army for providing the education and opportunity to become a world-class physician, is one of the world’s leading researchers on HIV and has been involved in projects in the U.S., Kenya, Thailand and Europe. He has worked on projects to build laboratories in remote communities, has trained local village doctors and healers to treat HIV infected patients and has facilitated public education and prevention programs.
Not only is Dr. Myles working to combat the threat of HIV around the world, he also is concerned about the growing number of HIV cases among the African American population in the U.S.
“It’s been more than 25 years since the first HIV case was reported in America; and the numbers are going up again, especially among African-American women and teenagers”, said Dr. Myles. “I think people have become complacent and don’t think of HIV as a threat anymore. Continuous education is the key.”
While earning a physician’s assistant degree at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Myles served as a Reserve Soldier and was also enrolled in the university’s ROTC program. Joining the Army was an easy choice for Myles. Of his 15 siblings, eight have careers in the U.S. Army.
“The Army has provided me numerous opportunities to expand my clinical and research skills,” says Dr. Myles. “I wouldn’t be in my position today, if I had chosen to pursue a traditional career path in medicine.”
Dr. Myles’ interest in HIV research and treatment began when he worked with the AIDS Minority Infrastructure Program in Washington, D.C., following graduation from Howard. He earned his master's degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he is currently a top-ranking officer in the school’s alumni association.
Dr. Myles is also committed to encouraging more African-American students to attend medical school. To achieve this, he mentors students through the strenuous process of studying and testing for medical careers. Two students he mentored recently received full medical scholarships.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Tuesday, December 4th 2007 at 5:41PM
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