PANDEMIC RESPONSE
where she’s assigned. In the early days, she wasn’t sure if she should work according to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Devel- opment Command – Atlantic protocols for teleworking or those of the university where she was assigned. She didn’t know if she’d be allowed to move into that perfect apartment. She didn’t even know if she’d be recalled to the U.S. and have to completely give up the opportunity to work abroad for the year.
THE BACKSTORY When the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center was tasked to identify potential candidates for an exchange program with the Czech Repub- lic, the request included three different position descriptions relating to immu- nology, microbiology, proteomics, gene editing and bioinformatics, one of which seemed tailor-fit to her skills. “I was very excited about the prospect of reinvigorat- ing old skills, learning new procedures and techniques and getting back to full-time laboratory work,” said MacAllister.
Her research focus during the exchange is laying the groundwork for the future development of a vaccine against the highly lethal bacterium Francisella tula- rensis for both the warfighter and civilian populations, in the event it is weaponized and deployed.
Not only did it seem the work would suit her, but she was excited to live in Europe again and for the opportunity to travel. Having grown up in Lampertheim, Germany, and having a German mother, MacAllister is fluent in the language and had made plans for her octogenarian parents to visit from Illinois.
DR. MACALLISTER
Dr. Irene MacAllister is a research chemist at the Construction Engi- neering Research Laboratory within the U.S. Army's Engineer Research
in
THE IMPACT Despite the restrictions and uncertainty, MacAllister was eventually able to move into the apartment and begin her research in Hradec Králové. She lives just across the street from a forest, which, she said, “was a godsend during the initial phase of the state of emergency, during which I teleworked and admit I was getting a bit of cabin fever.” Her Czech supervisor ensured she was included in group picnics and other outdoor activities to stave off any feelings of isolation.
In late April, MacAllister was finally able to start working in the lab instead of teleworking from her 400-square- foot apartment. Since then,
she has and Development
Center (ERDC) located in Cham- paign, Illinois. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Univer- sity of Illinois and a B.S.
biochemistry from Beloit College. She has completed three levels of the Army Management Staff College Education System, is a graduate of the ERDC Leadership Development Program Levels 1 and 2 and is an alumnus of the Emerging Leaders Group program.
noticed more similarities with her Czech colleagues than differences. “Most govern- ment researchers—U.S. and Czech—tend to grumble, at least a little bit, about administrative activities which we see as distractions from actually doing the fun stuff,” said MacAllister. She also noted a shared dedication to the research mission.
Dr. Klára Kubelková, a captain in the Czech Army, was part of the team that selected MacAllister for the exchange, made arrangements for her arrival, and
“Cooperation through military
exchanges improves allied readiness and solidifies our strong military- to-military
relationship.”
works alongside her regularly. “Dr. MacAl- lister provides valuable advice in solving the scientific questions in selected proj- ects and provides her personal opinions on the studied issues,” Kubelková said. “It is also a great benefit for the staff of the department, who have the opportu- nity to communicate with the researcher in English.”
While the Czech facility has hosted exchange scientists before, those programs were from other European countries and for a much shorter time than this one, according to Professor Jiri Stulík, who was responsible for preparing MacAllister’s scientific program at the university. “Previ- ously, we had collaboration with people from Fort Detrick [Maryland] funded by [the Defense Treat Reduction Agency], so we are used to work[ing] with scien- tists from [the] USA,” Stulík said. “I think this program is very useful, as any other program concerning the exchange of scien- tists from abroad. Definitely both sides gain new experiences and there is a good chance for further scientific collaboration.”
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