We mourn the passing of Dr. Edmund C. Tramont, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.). Dr. Tramont was a valued member of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) community and served as director of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) from 2001 to 2006. He helped lay the groundwork for U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)/U.S. Army collaborations in infectious disease prevention and vaccine development. Dr. Tramont was an associate director for special projects at NIAID's Clinical Research Division in recent years. In this role, he advised researchers worldwide, focusing on emerging diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and COVID-19.
Prior to joining NIAID, Dr. Tramont spent 23 years in the U.S. Army. Emerging as a leader in military infectious diseases, he established research programs at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Bethesda, Md. Through these organizations, he helped develop vaccines for several diseases that impact the armed forces and society. He also authored the Army's first policies on managing HIV and AIDS. After more than two decades of service, Dr. Tramont retired from the Army in 1991 and was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
“Dr. Tramont was passionate about the prevention of HIV globally. An early pioneer in HIV research, prevention, and care, his pragmatic views were highly influential in military medical leadership, reducing stigma and discrimination and increasing care options for those soldiers and sailors who acquired HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. From the point of view of leadership in the HPTN, we could not have had a more passionate advocate for our work. We honor his legacy and will miss him sorely,” said Dr. Sten H. Vermund, HPTN Principal Investigator (2006-2012), professor of public health at Yale School of Public Health, and professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.
Dr. Tramont will be remembered for his scientific expertise, clinical insight, and compassion.
Our deepest condolences go to his family and colleagues.