USU Exchange Researcher Major Daniel Thompson Secures U.K.’s Prestigious Wiseman Medal
Major Daniel Thompson, a British Army surgeon and exchange researcher in the Engineering and Sciences Exchange Program (ESEP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, has earned the United Kingdom’s top defense medical research honor for advancing AI-driven battlefield wound care. The award represents a second consecutive Wiseman Medal for a USU ESEP participant, following the 2024 recognition of fellow exchange researcher Simon Tallowin.
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New multi-modal AI models are being developed to help frontline medics and surgeons determine the exact moment a traumatic wound is ready for closure. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins) |
February 19, 2026 by Hadiyah Brendel
Major Daniel Thompson’s path to the prestigious United Kingdom Defence Medical Services Wiseman Medal began at a 2021 medical conference in London. While attending a presentation by former USU ESEP researcher U.K. Major Simon Tallowin, Thompson recognized a shared vision for the future of military medicine. Further discussion following the conference reinforced the connection and inspired him to pursue his research goals abroad. “And then as they say, the rest is history,” he said.
Thompson, a British Army vascular surgery resident, says his naturally inquisitive nature supported his interest in the research-laden aspect of his training. He knew he wanted to choose a military program over civilian alternatives, seeking a mission-first environment where every data point serves the warfighter. The data-orientated environment of the Uniformed Services University's (USU) Surgical Critical Care Initiative (SC2i) stood out in his search. Thompson felt their work in the realm of machine learning to produce clinician decision support tools aligned with his interest of using data to improve predictability of surgical outcomes.
He began pursuing a project with SC2i and, after several years navigating the approval process, joined USU in February 2024.
The Wiseman Medal: A Rare and Symbolic Honor
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Major Daniel Thompson, a British Army surgeon and USU exchange researcher, was awarded the Wiseman Medal for his research in AI-driven wound care. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
The medal itself carries profound historical weight. "The medal is a reminder of why we do this. It’s forged from a repurposed artillery shell from Afghanistan. There’s a limited amount of that original material left, and it’s a privilege to be part of that specific legacy," Thompson explains.
Teaching the Digital Eye
Thompson’s research builds directly upon the innovative foundation of WoundDX. As a flagship SC2i project, WoundDX pioneered the use of molecular data, specifically inflammatory biomarkers found in wound effluent, to gauge healing.
Thompson evolves this concept by adding the "eyes" of artificial intelligence. By training deep-learning models on thousands of photographs taken during debridement, Thompson created what he calls a "digital experienced colleague." This tool aims to pair the molecular insights of WoundDX with the sophisticated pattern recognition of computer vision, identifying subtle visual cues of healing that the human eye might miss.
"The goal isn't to replace the surgeon. It’s to provide a 'digital experienced colleague'—a tool that can fast-track decades of surgical experience and deliver it to the bedside via a smartphone or tablet," he explains.
Bioinformatics: Mapping the Molecular World
Crucial to this evolution is the bioinformatics component, which allows the model to ‘read’ the biological roadmap of a wound. By analyzing traumatic wounds at the cellular and molecular levels, Thompson’s model aims to detect hidden signals—such as specific gene expression patterns—that indicate if a wound's healing trajectory is about to diverge. While two wounds may appear identical on the surface, this integration allows the AI to differentiate between a wound on a path toward success and one destined for complication, providing surgeons a vital window for early intervention.
Thompson says “by mapping the molecular divergence, we can catch signals that a wound is heading in the wrong direction long before a human can see, smell, or feel it."
The Art and Craft of Future-Proofing
Thompson views the development of these algorithms as an "art and craft." To ensure the technology remains effective in chaotic, resource-constrained environments, he is "future-proofing" the model. He is developing multi-modal models that synthesize three distinct streams of information:
- The Visual Layer (Computer Vision): Analyzing pixel-level patterns and red, green, and blue color-values in wound imagery to detect tissue health.
- The Biological Layer (Bioinformatics): Integrating molecular signals to catch divergence beneath the surface.
- The Contextual Layer (Patient Metadata): Weighing individual factors like age, injury mechanism (blast vs. gunshot), and real-time vital signs.
The model will combine the patient’s past history with their current molecular health to tell the surgeon exactly how ready the wound is for closure.
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Thompson’s research aims to assist surgeons by providing a "digital experienced colleague" to improve the predictability of surgical outcomes in the field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins) |
The Soldier-Scientist’s Mission
Securing the second consecutive Wiseman Medal for USU ESEP participants underscores a standard of excellence within the SC2i.
"Winning back to back for USU is a testament to the mentorship and the 'can-do' attitude of this department,” Thompson reflects. His ultimate goal remains the delivery of 21st-century care to the frontline, ensuring that even a junior medic in a remote environment has access to a "digital sentry" capable of predicting the exact moment a wound is ready to close.
"In a peer-to-peer conflict, we can’t always rely on immediate evacuation. We need to push senior-level decision-making to the frontline. That is where these multi-modal models become a necessity, not a luxury," Thompson concludes.
