This pillar builds on the foundations of the work undertaken at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies (CBIS),  an already established Centre with over a decade of experience in the field of blast injuries. It is an expansion of CBIS’ remit, with the work going beyond a focus on serving military personnel and veterans, to also include research into the significant number of civilians who are injured during conflicts around the world.

The research considers those who are injured and works closely with those who treat conflict injuries to be able to improve treatment, mitigation and rehabilitation. This includes research into personal protective equipment, surgery and devices (such as medical equipment, prosthetics and orthotics).

By embedding civilian and military health professionals, scientists and engineers within the Centre, the Conflict Trauma pillar continues to deliver change through new technology, equipment and policies.

A highlight of this pillar is the work on paediatric blast injury. This builds on the Paediatric Blast Injury Partnership and the production of the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual that was released in 2019. The specific nature of blast injuries in children means that there are unique challenges for first responders and clinicians, but also for longer-term requirements such as rehabilitation. Little research has been undertaken in the field of paediatric blast injury to date, but the research in this pillar uses of data that is available, to better understand the nature of childhood injuries, how they differ from adult injuries, and the potential impact on children as they grow. The work in this pillar dovetails closely with the work in the Trauma in Low- and Middle-Income Countries pillar.