A ceremony was conducted to rename the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory to the Richard G. Lugar Center for Public Health Research and break ground on the new administrative building Aug. 12.

The ceremony was attended by the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Zurab Tchiaberashvili, director of the Lugar Center Anna Zhvania, NSC Secretary Giga Bokeria, other deputy Ministers and representatives from other Georgian Institutes. Senator Richard Lugar, ASD (NCB) Andy Weber, CDA Bridget Brink and Col. Ralph Erickson, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research commander, also participated in the ceremony.

The naming honors the visionary leadership of Senator Lugar.

The administrative building will house the administrative staffs for the Center for Public Health Research, Georgian National Center for Disease Control, U.S. Centers for Disease Control Global Disease Detection Program, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.