Congressman Mike Lawler Unveils $10 Million Department of Defense Award to CDM

The three-year initiative, led by NYMC in partnership with the Uniformed Services University (USU), the DOD's medical school, will address a growing challenge faced by both military and civilian responders: providing critical medical care when injured patients cannot be quickly transported to a hospital or higher level of care.

The program arrives at a pivotal moment for emergency preparedness. While modern military operations and civilian emergency response systems have often relied on rapid evacuation to definitive care, future conflicts, mass casualty incidents, natural disasters, and other emergencies may require patients to receive extended treatment in remote, resource-limited, or dangerous environments before transport is possible.

“This award represents a critical investment in the future of civilian and battlefield medicine,” said David Markenson, M.D., M.B.A., Dr.P.H. '25, third from left, director of the NYMC Center for Disaster Medicine. “By combining New York Medical College's expertise in disaster medicine and emergency care with the Uniformed Services University's unparalleled military medical knowledge, we will develop the protocols, tools, and training that will enable combat medics and first responders to save lives when transport of victims to definitive care is prolonged, no matter how remote or austere the environment.”

During the event, Lawler emphasized the significance of supporting institutions that strengthen both national preparedness and community resilience.

“Institutions like this are doing much more than educating the next generation of doctors and health professionals. They are preparing our communities and our country to respond when disaster strikes. That’s why I was proud to help secure a $10 million Department of War investment announced earlier this year as another tremendous example of what can happen when we invest at the federal level in the expertise and innovation that exists right here in the Hudson Valley,” said Lawler.

Working alongside USU, NYMC will lead efforts to develop evidence-based treatment protocols and equipment recommendations for combat operations, disasters, and incidents involving mass violence. Researchers will also create new approaches to prolonged casualty care, drawing on lessons learned from both military and civilian emergency response experiences.

A major component of the initiative will focus on the use of artificial intelligence to support medical decision-making in high-pressure environments and the development of immersive virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) training platforms for military personnel and civilian first responders.

The program's educational technology will support training in a wide range of scenarios, including combat and civilian emergency care in austere settings, treatment in hostile environments, mass casualty incidents, hemorrhage control, and rural emergency response. Through a metaverse-based training model incorporating VR and AR technologies, participants will engage in realistic simulations designed to strengthen teamwork, preparedness, and clinical decision-making.

The program will unfold in three phases over three years: an Evaluation Phase assessing existing military and civilian research and lessons learned; a Development Phase producing new care models, treatment algorithms, and VR/AR educational tools; and a Pilot and Distribution Phase testing and broadly distributing the final models to military and civilian partners nationwide.