Professor Neil Hanley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham, and Defence Medicine Symposium organising committee member said: “The extreme demands on defence medicine have always gone hand in hand with innovation that has translated into better healthcare for humanity. This symposium is the next step in a well-established partnership between academia and defence medicine practitioners and has been made possible thanks to the hard work of colleagues including Professor Lisa Hill and Emma Lardner-Walker.
“With a long heritage in health innovation and as the established health and life sciences district for the city, Birmingham is already leading the charge for health and life sciences, with a combined research awards of £1bn over five years including significant defence health research and will translate the innovation and future challenges in defence into civilian life, the NHS and our wider healthcare.”
Professor Lisa Hill from the University of Birmingham and one of the organising committee chairs for the Defence Health Symposium said: “The symposium has enabled leaders in the lab and in the field to learn from each other about the practices and future potential for some of the most important battlefield health issues. Our work here at the University of Birmingham and across academia will continue to support better healthcare for all, including service personnel.”
Health technology on the battlefield
During the conference, delegates heard from researchers from the University of Birmingham and other global institutions, as well as defence health practitioners and policy makers about how latest developments in academic research can translate into battlefield readiness.
Lieutenant Colonel Professor James Mitchell from the University of Birmingham and one of the organising committee chairs for the symposium chaired sessions across the conference to consider the role of new health technologies in deployment.
Lt Col Professor Mitchell is the lead academic on the mTBI-Predict, a prospective cohort biomarker study of military and civilian participants with mild traumatic brain injury funded by the United States Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defence.
Professor Mitchell is also a lead academic working on the BLAST TBI programme funded by the Ministry of Defence to develop the world's first fully mobile brain scanner capable of measuring the effects of blast exposure on military personnel in real time at training sites around the world.
The symposium also had sessions chaired by University of Birmingham academics, including:
- Prof William Van Schaik – looking at major challenges in healthcare for military personnel
- Prof Matt Bridge – considering how technology can be applied at the point of need
- Surg Cdr Prof Matt O’Shea – on development partnerships between academics, policy makers and personnel
Al Carns MP, former Veterans Minister and local MP for Selly Oak said: “In the civilian space, [Defence Medicine] it is really important because what we learn on the battlefield often translates to the ambulance, the paramedic, or indeed to the clinician here in Birmingham and beyond, across the UK. The University of Birmingham has brought together around 180 delegates from 11 different countries. Clinicians, scientists, medical experts, doctors, surgeons, military personnel, and people from industry - all together to talk about where we can research and develop new medicines and new capabilities together. It's a fantastic convening power.”
Alongside practitioners and academics, Birmingham-based life sciences companies also showcased new innovations for battlefield-ready health. Among the companies were:
Introducing the conference, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Birmingham, Professor Adam Tickell said: “It's a particular pleasure to welcome colleagues from across the UK, from so many NATO allies and from allied countries beyond. Their presence reflects both the importance of defence medicine and the value of international collaboration in addressing the challenges that we face together.
“The University of Birmingham is proud to play a leading role in supporting national security and resilience. As a founding member of the new Defence Universities Alliance, we're committed to bringing together academic excellence, innovation and practical expertise to help tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time. We contribute to advances that strengthen both military capability and wider resilience in our society. It is therefore entirely fitting that a conference dedicated to the future of defence medicine should be hosted here.”
The University of Birmingham has an established role in supporting defence medicine in the UK and internationally. With funding from governments and charities, academics are at the forefront of some of the biggest challenges in defence medicine and combine their role with clinical work at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine based at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. In addition, the University of Birmingham has become a founding member of the UK Defence Universities Alliance, and plays a leading role in regional projects including the Birmingham Security and Defence Network.
The Defence Health Symposium was funded with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
