Monday, June 29, 2009

RAC Committee Begins, Chairman Binns Recognized

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(Boston, Mass. - June 29, 2009) The Congressionally chartered federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (RAC) series of two-day meetings kicked off with an overview of the presentations to come from Dr. Roberta White, Scientific Director of the RAC, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health, and a neuropsychologist with expertise in environmental and occupational epidemiology.

Dr. White summarized the presentations, which are focused on treatments for ill Gulf War veterans, who, according to the federal VA, number between 175,000 and 210,000 of the 697,000 who served in the 1991 Gulf War.

Dr. White recognized RAC chair Jim Binns for his work on behalf of ill Gulf War veterans, which met with resounding applause from the members of the committee, and veterans and members of the public in the audience.

Binns, who is a former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, former chairman of Parallel Design and past president of ADR Ultrasound (two medical imaging manufacturing companies that he led from startup to merger), a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, and a Vietnam veteran, has served as the RAC's chair since its formation in 2002 at the direction of an act of Congress.

Binns has worked both publicly and behind the scenes to help direct the federal government's attention to treatments for Gulf War veterans' illnesses, including involving top scientists, researchers, federal government officials, Gulf War veterans, and Members of Congress and their staffs in the efforts.

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