Military Surgical Science Symposium 2026

May

to 20 May

Military Surgical Science Symposium 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 09:00 Wed, 20 May 2026 17:00
Royal College of Surgeons of England (map)
Google Calendar ICS

Speakers Programme Abstracts Gala Dinner Tickets

Join us at Military Surgical Science Symposium 2026 - Hosted in partnership with the Conflict Wound Research Network (CWRN), this event promises to bring together leading surgeons, military clinicians, scientists, and industry partners from across the UK and overseas. We are proud to welcome you to the inspiring surroundings of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

The conference will once again provide a platform for military and civilian surgical communities to exchange expertise on the challenges of trauma care, innovation in surgery, and the translation of battlefield medicine into civilian practice.

Confirmed speakers & panellists

Contributors

MS³ 2026 brings together senior leaders from military medicine, academic surgery, government science, and clinical innovation.

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Mr Tim Mitchell

President, Royal College of Surgeons of England

Tim Mitchell is a Consultant ENT Surgeon at University Hospital Southampton. He has been a MRCS examiner since 2004 and was Chair of the Court of Examiners at RCS England from 2014–2017. Elected to Council in 2017, he served as Vice President from 2020–2023 and was elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2023. He has been a strong advocate for equity and inclusion and led the implementation of RCS England's response to the Kennedy report.

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Colonel Professor Nigel Tai CBE

UK Defence Professor of Military Surgery

Colonel Nigel Tai CBE is the UK Defence Professor of Military Surgery. He undertook a research fellowship in novel vascular conduits at University College London, gaining a Master of Surgery degree in 2001 before spending a year as a Trauma Fellow in Johannesburg General Hospital, South Africa. Appointed to the Royal London Hospital as Consultant in Trauma and Vascular Surgery in 2005, he has undertaken numerous deployments overseas and has served in leadership roles including Director of Trauma at the Royal London Hospital and Founding Head of jHubMed — the Defence Medical Services' Innovation Accelerator. He is a Clinical Professor of Trauma Surgery and Innovation at Queen Mary University London, where he currently leads a team of trauma academics and computer scientists developing decision support tools for military and civilian trauma clinicians.

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Major General Philip Carter KHP OStJ

Surgeon General, HM Armed Forces

Major General Philip Carter KHP OStJ is the Surgeon General of HM Armed Forces. A graduate of the University of Dundee, he commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps and trained as a General Practitioner, serving three tours as a Regimental Medical Officer before commanding the close support medical squadron in Iraq in 2007. He was appointed the first Commanding Officer of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine Clinical Unit in 2008, supporting wounded personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded 5 Armoured Medical Regiment in Sierra Leone during the West Africa Ebola Outbreak, for which the regiment received the Firmin Sword of Peace, and subsequently served as the first British Director Medical Support with the US-led Special Operations Joint Task Force during Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. As Surgeon General, he provides operational medical advice to the Military Strategic Headquarters and oversees the Defence Medical Services' clinical research programme and medical interoperability with NATO and allied nations.

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Professor Karim Brohi

Professor of Trauma Sciences, Queen Mary University London

Karim Brohi is Professor of Trauma Sciences at Queen Mary University of London and Consultant Trauma and Vascular Surgeon at The Royal London Hospital. He is Director of the Centre for Trauma Sciences at QMUL and a Non-Executive Director of the London Ambulance Service. His research focuses on the response to injury, haemorrhage, coagulopathy, and precision trauma care.

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Professor Lucy Chappell

Chief Scientific Advisor, Dept of Health and Social Care & CEO, National Institute for Health and Care Research

Professor Lucy Chappell is Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the UK's largest funder of health and care research. She has overall responsibility for DHSC research and development and provides science advice to ministers across the range of health topics. Prof Chappell is also Professor of Obstetrics at King's College London, working mainly in clinical trials in pregnancy, and a practising Consultant Obstetrician at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

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Colonel Jennifer Gurney

Chief, Joint Trauma System

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Dr John Holcomb

Professor of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr John Holcomb received his MD from the University of Arkansas in 1985 and served in the US Army for over two decades, including as Commander of the US Army Institute of Surgical Research and Trauma Consultant for the Army Surgeon General. He helped establish the Joint Trauma System and has had multiple combat deployments. A three-time recipient of the Army's Greatest Invention award, he has published over 800 peer-reviewed articles. Over the last 5 years he has helped lead the implementation of prehospital blood programmes in the US and has volunteered in Ukraine 5 times.

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Professor Aneel Bhangu

Professor of Surgery, University of Birmingham

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Surgeon Commodore Jason Smith

Medical Director, Defence Medical Services

Surgeon Commodore Jason Smith CBE KHP is the Medical Director to the UK Surgeon General and Head of Research and Clinical Innovation for the Defence Medical Services. A consultant in emergency medicine at University Hospitals Plymouth, he is the Emeritus Defence Professor of Emergency Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Military Health. He is the Chief Investigator of SWiFT, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of whole blood in frontline trauma recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2025.

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Dr Abi Spear

Senior Principal Scientist, Dstl

Mr Lawrence Tallon

Chief Executive, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Miss Terouz Pasha

Surgical Innovation Fellow, RCS England

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Dr Valentina Vitiello

Head of Clinical Translation, London Institute for Healthcare Engineering

Dr Valentina Vitiello is Head of Clinical Translation and Governance at the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering, King's College London, where she leads programmes accelerating the safe adoption of innovative medical technologies into clinical practice. She holds a PhD in Medical Robotics from Imperial College London and specialises in surgical technologies, regulatory strategy, and clinical study governance. Her work focuses on overcoming barriers to implementation to convert innovation into deployable clinical capability.

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Scientific programme
Plenary sessions, panels & workshop
Full timetable to follow.
Day 1 — Tuesday 19 May
Opening address
Opening Address
Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
Plenary
Large Scale Combat Operations — the challenge for Defence Medical Services, the Armed Forces and the UK
Maj Gen Philip Carter, Surgeon General HM Armed Forces
Plenary
What does preparation for Large Scale Combat Operations mean for surgeons?
Colonel Jennifer Gurney, Chief Joint Trauma System
Panel discussion
Research during Large Scale Combat Operations — what we have, what we want and what we need
Professor Karim Brohi · Professor Aneel Bhangu · Professor Lucy Chappell
Day 2 — Wednesday 20 May
Breakfast workshop · 0815–0915
How to get published in military and conflict trauma science
Led by Surgeon Commodore Jason Smith, Medical Director Defence Medical Services
Plenary
Conflict Wound Science — the key questions we must answer before Large Scale Combat Operations
Dr Abi Spear, Senior Principal Scientist, Dstl
Panel discussion
Rapidly converting knowledge into capability — what are the blockers and how do we defeat them?
Miss Terouz Pasha · Dr Valentina Vitiello · Mr Lawrence Tallon
Plenary
Lessons from Ukraine — which research questions will matter in the next big war?
Dr John Holcomb, Professor of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Abstracts & posters

Oral & poster presentations

Abstract submissions are now closed — corresponding authors will receive notification by 31 March 2026.

Oral presentation slots

Oral sessions across 2 days

Poster viewing sessions

MS³ is delighted to partner with BMJ Group. BMJ Military Health is the official journal of the event and will be publishing the top abstracts from the symposium. The submission of full papers to the journal is also encouraged.

Evening programme

Gala Dinner

The Gala Dinner is a highlight of the MS³ programme. Held at The Army & Navy Club on Pall Mall — one of London's most distinguished private members' clubs — the evening offers a chance to continue the day's conversations in a more relaxed setting.

After-dinner speaker

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin GBE KCB

Former Chief of the Defence Staff

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin served as Chief of the Defence Staff from December 2021 to September 2025. As principal military adviser to the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary, he led the UK's military response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, rallying NATO partners to deliver military aid and overseeing a major expansion of the UK-led training programme for Ukrainian forces. MS³ is honoured to welcome him as our after-dinner speaker.

The Army & Navy Club

Tuesday 19 May 2026 · Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JN

Reception drinks 19:00 · Dinner 19:30

Reception drinks · Three-course dinner with wine · Cheese and port · Coffee and petit fours · After-dinner speaker

Dress code: Mess Dress (Army No 10 / RAF No 5 / Royal Navy No 2B) or Black Tie / evening dress, with decorations

Delegates may also purchase an additional ticket for a guest.

£100 per ticket · Purchased separately from conference registration

Practical information

For delegates travelling directly to the dinner, lockers and bathrooms are available at the Royal College of Surgeons, and a male cloakroom at the Army & Navy Club. For those looking for a drink before the reception, there are more options in the vicinity of the Royal College than around the Army & Navy Club.

Registration
Conference Tickets
Secure your place at MS³ 2026. 

Two Day Conference Registration - Full Conference Ticket

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Two Day Conference Registration - Full Conference Ticket

£250.00

Two day conference registration for practising medical and scientific professionals, industry representatives, or anyone not eligible for concession

If you are a member of the UK Military (Regular and Reserve) then you may be eligible to use Standard Learning Credits to contribute to the cost of the conference registration. Please read this guide to find out more information and how to apply.

Our refund and cancellation policy can be found here

We are pleased to offer concession tickets to Students (Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD), Early Career Researchers/Postdocs (Within 5 years of PhD), Resident Doctors (Pre-consultant level) and Allied Health Professionals.

Two Day Conference Registration - Concession Ticket

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Two Day Conference Registration - Concession Ticket

£150.00

We are pleased to offer a reduced price two day conference registration for:

Students (Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PhD)
Early Career Researchers / Postdocs (Within 5 years of PhD)
Resident Doctors (Pre-consultant level)
Allied Health Professionals

We rely on your honesty when selecting this ticket type — no proof is required at booking, but you may be required by the organisers to provide proof at Registration

Our refund and cancellation policy can be found here

Join us at The Army and Navy Club on Tuesday 19th May for our Gala Dinner. Held in one of London’s most prestigious private clubs, this event is set to provide an enjoyable evening for all. Delegates may also purchase an additional ticket for a guest.

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Gala Dinner Ticket

£100.00

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