Robert OConnell MD

Education

Infectious Diseases Fellowship: San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium
Internal Medicine: Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Northwestern University

Biography

COL Robert J. O'Connell currently serves as The Director of the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program at Uniformed Services University.

COL O'Connell earned a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences from Northwestern University, and an M.D. at The University of Pittsburgh. He completed internal medicine internship and residency, as well as infectious diseases fellowship at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center.

Following completion of internal medicine and infectious diseases training, COL O'Connell served as staff physician, chair of the Infection Control Committee, and USAF HIV Unit Director during his 9 years as an Air Force Officer. Following branch transfer and arrival at The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, COL O'Connell served as Department Chief in the Department of Diagnostics and Monitoring within The Military HIV Research Program. He served as Battalion Surgeon for one year with the1/504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Upon return to WRAIR, COL O'Connell served as Product Manager for HIV vaccines, Product Manager for Advanced Concepts Evaluation and Staging, and as Deputy Department Chief in Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis in MHRP. He served at the Armed Forces Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok, Thailand for 6 years as Department Chief of The Department of Retrovirology, and also as Institute Director for the final year. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. He served as Deputy Commander at WRAIR from 2019-2022.

COL O’Connell’s awards include The Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Army Meritorious Unit Citation (second award), Meritorious Service Medal (third award), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (second award), Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (second award), National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and The Overseas Service Ribbon, and he is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. He is the recipient of The James J. Leonard Award for Excellence in Teaching Internal Medicine presented by the Uniformed Services University.

His current research interests center on four areas: HIV/STI, Battlefield Wound Infections, Acute Respiratory Infections, and Traveler/Deployment infections.
COL O'Connell is married with four children. His interests include spending time with family, participating in Church activities, and many outdoor pursuits, especially cycling, fishing, canoeing, skiing, outdoor cooking, and coaching baseball and soccer.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

Deputy Commander and Acting Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Director, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

Chief, Department of Retrovirology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

Product Manager, HIV Vaccines, US Medical Research and Materiel Command

Deputy Chief, Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis, Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Battalion Surgeon, Anbar Province Iraq, 1/504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division

Chief, Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Monitoring, Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

USAF HIV Unit Director, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center

Chair, Infection Control Committee, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center