The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) named Dr. Richard Hilderbrand as its Director of Science Programs, USADA Chief Executive Officer Terry Madden announced Monday.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Richard Hilderbrand has added his scientific expertise to our organization because doping control is based on scientific concerns. This will allow us to more rapidly move ahead in scientific education, research and policy development,” said Dr. Larry Bowers, USADA Senior Managing Director.
“The opportunity to join USADA to work to protect the health of athletes and maintain fair competition is truly unique. I am pleased to be joining this group that has had such success over the past two-plus years and I look forward to being a contributor in USADA’s future efforts to eliminate doping in sports,” Hilderbrand says.
Hilderbrand served as the Director for Administration at the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory, and was involved with the analytical programs to reduce the abuse of performance enhancing drugs by athletes.
Beginning his career with the U.S. Navy (1972) at the Naval Medical Research Unit One, University of California at Berkeley, his experiences with drug abuse reduction includes managing a Navy Drug Screening Laboratory and being a program manager for the Navy drug screening program at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D.C. He was the Science and Testing Programs Officer for the Secretary of Defense (1991-1995) where he certified Military Service drug testing laboratories and advised the Services on drug abuse reduction programs.
He received a PhD from the University of Illinois, Medical Center Campus, Chicago, and is joining USADA from Quest Diagnostics Incorporated in Dallas.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is the independent anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sport in the United States. USADA is responsible for managing the testing and adjudication process for the athletes. USADA is dedicated to preserving the well being of sport, the integrity of competition and ensuring the health of athletes through research initiatives and educational programs.