Professor Bricknell took up his appointment as Professor in Conflict, Health and Military Medicine at King’s College London in April 2019 to build a focus for research into civil-military relations in global health systems. Prior to this he served 34 years in the UK Defence Medical Services, culminating his service as the Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. He undertook operational tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans with multiple additional overseas assignments. In 2010 and 2006, he held senior Medical Adviser appointments in the NATO ISAF mission. He commanded 22 Field Hospital in 1999-2002.

He was awarded the Companion of the Order of Bath, the Order of St John and the US Bronze Star during his military service. He has trained as a general practitioner and is an accredited specialist in both Public Health and Occupational Medicine. He holds two Doctorates and 3 Masters degrees. He has published over 150 academic papers across military medical subjects. He is especially interested in how organisations learn, care pathways in military healthcare, and the political economy of health in conflict.

Research Interests

• Healthcare
• Public Health
• Conflict and Security
• International affairs and development 

Subject areas

• Political economy of military health systems in crisis environments
• Organisational and clinical learning from caring for casualties from contemporary conflict(s)
• Caring for military patients through their life course
• Building military clinical sciences research capacity and capability

Publications

Book Chapters:

Bricknell, M. (2023). Military Health Services supporting the Land Component in the 21st Century. In M. Weissmann, & N. Nilsson (Eds.), Advanced Land Warfare: Tactics and Operations (pp. 215-230). Oxford Univerity Press; Oxford. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192857422.003.0011

Research Articles:

Beardmore, C., Bricknell, M., Kelly, J., & Lough, F. (2024). Commentary—A Military Health Care Ethics Framework. Military Medicine, Article usae351. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae351

Bricknell, M. (2024). Leadership in the Mirror: History and its relevance to contemporary and future leadership. BMJ Leader. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2024-000993

Bricknell, M. (2023). A British Perspective on Military Healthcare Ethics and War – Past, Present and Future. Topics in the History of Medicine, 3, 244-261.

Bricknell, M., & Rowland, T. (2023). Delivering Effective Defence Engagement (Health), Lessons From Operation Trenton (South Sudan). BMJ Military Health, 1-4. Article military-2022-002319. https://doi.org/10.1136/military-2022-002319

Bricknell, M., Licina, D., Erickson, E., Varnau, E., Payne, L., & Ediger, M. (2023). Expanding Global Health Engagement through Multilateral Security Organization. Military Medicine, Article usad458. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usad458

Bricknell, M., & Vassallo, D. (2023). Researching Modern Military Medical History. Topics in the History of Medicine, 3, 278-295.

Teaching

• MA module – Global Health, Security in War – Department of War Studies
• MA module – Conflict and Health – MA Global Health

PURE Profile

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/martin.bricknell.html

Research centres or groups

• King’s Centre for Military Ethics
• King’s Centre for Conflict and Health Research
• King’s Centre for Military Health Research