LTC Kirkwood Advances Medical AI Collaboration through Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program
A 2013 USU Postgraduate Dental College alum, LTC Brian Kirkwood heads to Germany to build expeditionary medical AI for combat casualty care.
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| LTC Brian Kirkwood, a comprehensive dentist and translational AI scientist at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, demonstrates an AI-enabled nerve block assist device to a member of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) during the 2026 Medical Warfighter Forum at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Kirkwood helped develop the technology as part of a U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command effort to create AI tools that enable medics to deliver safer, more precise nerve block anesthesia in austere environments. (Photo credit: U.S. Army) |
September 29, 2026 originally by Anne Dimmette-Bell, DHA R&D-MRDC Public Affairs Office
Editor's note: USU News is republishing this story, originally reported by Anne Dimmette-Bell of the DHA R&D-MRDC Public Affairs Office, with full credit to the original publisher. LTC Brian Kirkwood is a 2013 graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Postgraduate Dental College. His path from military dentist to translational AI scientist reflects USU's role in educating the clinician-scientists who carry military medicine into new fields and into collaborations with allied forces.
When a German delegation visited the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research in August 2023 and asked the command to send a researcher to Germany, LTC Brian Kirkwood raised his hand. Nearly three years later, the comprehensive dentist and translational scientist is preparing to do something he believes no Army dentist has done before: deploy as a translational AI scientist through one of the War Department's longest-running international research exchanges.
Kirkwood was selected for an international fellowship through the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program. By the end of fiscal year 2026, he will travel to the University of the Bundeswehr Munich to help design expeditionary applications of AI technology and devices for combat casualty care.
Why it matters
The immersive program is designed to broaden participants' perspectives, align efforts with allied nations, and reduce duplicative research. It has long been dominated by engineers, and participation by clinicians is less common. Kirkwood believes his assignment is the first built entirely around the development of medical AI technology, and likely the first to include a dentist.
The fellowship advances a priority of USAISR commander, COL Shaun Brown, and the U.S. Army Dental Corps Chief, COL Paul Colthirst's Dental Corps Strategic Plan, to connect with operational forces and build collaborations across the joint and allied force. It also reflects a broader command focus on harnessing AI to keep forces resilient and adaptable in any scenario.
"Whether we develop AI for dentistry, emergency medicine, or expeditionary medical applications, the concepts are relatively the same," says Kirkwood. "The goal is to connect with end-users to find opportunities to develop technology then optimize the process to deliver products to advance military medicine."
From dental research to medical AI
That cross-disciplinary outlook grew out of an unconventional path. A 2013 graduate of the Uniformed Services University's Postgraduate Dental College, Kirkwood joined USAISR in 2018 as a dental research officer, building on a research background that predated dental school, including a master's degree in molecular biology. As the command restructured and dental research drew down, he moved into trauma and emergency medicine research, became a principal investigator and completed a doctorate in translational science in May. Along the way, he found a new focus: AI.
His move into AI began in 2020, sparked by a hallway conversation with Dr. Jose Salinas, chief of the Expeditionary Medical Systems department. Kirkwood asked how a dentist's skill set combined with cutting edge technology could augment emergency medical teams during mass casualty scenarios on the battlefield. That question drew him into the then-emerging field of AI-enabled medical devices — well before generative AI had entered the public consciousness.
Translational science is about moving a discovery from idea to a functional clinical use product as efficiently as possible — work that, for Kirkwood, hinges on partnership.
"Industry, academia — we all work at different paces, we have different focuses, and we all bring different capabilities to the table," says Kirkwood. " Leveraging collaborations wherever possible can get novel technologies to the end-user faster."
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| From left, LTC Brian Kirkwood, USAISR/MRDC Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program officer; BG Jens Diehm, German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and director, NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine; MAJ Lisa Oberhuber-Kurth, German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and ESEP officer at USAISR; and 1SG Normen Fuchs, German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and executive assistant to the director, NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine, at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence during the 2026 Medical Warfighter Forum, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO–FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas. (photo credit: Staff Sgt. Matthew McCloskey, USAISR PAO) |
A two-way street
Since 2018, Kirkwood has personally worked alongside four ESEP officers at USAISR — two from Israel and two from Germany — experienced in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and orthopedic surgery in expeditionary environments. The experience showed him how clinician-scientists from around the world approach military medicine from different perspectives.
"There is an underlying basis that is similar, but the approach is not always the same," says Kirkwood. "Approaches to health care delivery in different countries have subtle differences; through international collaborations there is an opportunity to learn from each other."
Although the number of international fellows studying at USAISR has been fairly steady, Kirkwood's assignment with the University of Bundeswehr renews the exchange — fitting, he notes, given that the program's earliest U.S. partnership was with West Germany.
The interest runs in both directions. At a recent Warfighter forum in San Antonio, Kirkwood engaged with senior German officers regarding areas of interests related to the development of AI for combat casualty care as part of the ESEP assignment at the University of Bundeswehr.
"The officers expressed interest in leveraging my experience as a DHA R&D clinician-scientist that develops AI and conducts combat casualty care research to jointly develop novel technology," Kirkwood says.
In Germany, Kirkwood will work with university professor and doctor of natural sciences Annette Schmidt, LTC (Res.), Professor of Sports Biology at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, whose research focuses on the biological foundations of functional fitness in Soldiers. Schmidt is a member of the NATO Research Task Group for Non-Battle Injuries, sits on the board of directors of the university's Smart Digital Health Research Center, and founded its Competence Center for Functional Fitness.
"Her work to develop virtual reality and AI-enhanced products for the German military aligns with the Expeditionary Medical Systems department at USAISR," says Kirkwood. "It is a great opportunity to build something together that is both innovative and practical for casualty care."
Looking ahead
Kirkwood hopes the fellowship will accelerate the development of AI-enabled tools that are usable in the hands of medics and clinicians in real-world conditions. He wants to utilize his experience to help champion the responsible use and integration of AI across military medicine. As a U.S. Army Dental Corps Officer, his goal is to serve as an AI subject matter expert for military dentistry.
The two-year assignment will be full immersion for his family as well. Kirkwood, who served with Dental Health Activity Bavaria from 2014 to 2017, will live off post with his family.
"It is surreal. To participate in the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program, as an Army dentist, functioning as a translational AI scientist working with the German armed forces — I never would have imagined my Army career would lead down this path when I graduated dental school," says Kirkwood.