31 May 2022

29 Years of Geneva: A Q&A with Elise Huszar, MBA

In April, The Geneva Foundation celebrated its 29th anniversary of impacting lives through innovative military medical research. Leading Geneva through 26 of those years, is President and CEO Elise Huszar, MBA.

In 1996, Elise joined Geneva as its first full-time Executive Director. In 1998, she became Geneva’s first President and has served as President and CEO since 2019. During her career at Geneva, Elise has established a culture of research management excellence and built a reputation for being a leader in military medicine. During her tenure, she has remained steadfast in her dedication to the warfighter and the communities they serve.

We recently sat down for an interview with Elise to hear her perspective on what makes Geneva thrive and what the future holds. If her accomplishments at Geneva are any indication of what’s to come, Geneva has a bright and prosperous future ahead.

 

Q: What are some key contributions Geneva is making in military medicine?

A: Geneva is engaged in initiatives to solve critically important military medical challenges and ultimately save lives worldwide. Some of the extensive contributions that our researchers are making in military medicine today include:

• Developing new vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for some of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, including making substantial progress in the fight against COVID-19.
• Providing new treatment options for cancer patients.
• Helping those courageous warfighters recover from the damaging effects of multiple combat rotations.
• Leading the way in influencing musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation, prevention, and care.
• Developing solutions for extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and the ability to sustain life during ground and aeromedical manned and unmanned evacuation of the critically ill.
• Facilitating the development of next-generation biotechnologies for injured warfighters with the aim to accelerate fitness, performance, rehabilitation, recovery, and return-to-duty.

Lastly, Geneva is positioned at the forefront of the research and development of military medical applications and translations in precision medicine, biomarker discovery, drug development, bio-sensors, environmental and occupational health, and regenerative medicine.

 

Q: How does Geneva position itself for success?

A: Our achievements would not be possible without the daily dedication of world-class researchers, skilled employees, and accomplished partners. We recognize that innovation and collaboration are vital to medical advancement, and Geneva’s mission is only fulfilled through our partnerships. Geneva remains positioned to be an influencer in our role as a non-profit partner. Our continued engagement with leaders within the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Health Agency (DHA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Congress has enabled us to achieve a more significant collective impact on how we advance military medicine today. Geneva’s growing partnerships with academia, especially the Uniformed Services University (USU), and industry partners, including small businesses, have also elevated our ability to address these critical needs within the military and civilian medical populations.

 

Q: What makes Geneva thrive?

A: Since our initial call to action in 1993, Geneva has never lost sight of who we serve and how we serve. Our success is predicated on the long-standing commitment to our core values of Integrity, Superior Customer Service, Quality, Teamwork, Innovation, and Respect for All. We continue to learn as an organization comprised of innovative thought leaders. Our Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board are fully engaged in setting the direction for the organization. They guarantee that Geneva’s leadership remains intent on our purpose to ensure optimal health for service members and the communities they serve and that our impact is felt throughout the world in the delivery of better treatment options, therapies, and healthcare practices.

 

Q: What does the future hold for Geneva?

A: The impact of Geneva’s growing portfolio of research programs and collaborations has inspired me to continue to lead the organization to new heights. We have persevered through the challenges and have capitalized on our strengths in order to serve our mission. I am confident the next 29 years for Geneva includes a future that embraces innovation and inspiration, influences cutting-edge breakthroughs in research, creates cures for the incurable, and tackles those vital issues that protect and heal our warfighters and the communities they serve. We are committed to leading the way in transforming military medicine to save lives worldwide, and every day our team is dedicated to this vision.