Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Afable | U.S. Navy Lt. Erin N. Snyder, M.D. and Lt. Alex Murray, resident physicians at Naval...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO — Two resident physicians from Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) represented Navy Medicine and showcased life-saving combat casualty research at the 2026 Scientific Assembly of the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), held April 27 to May 1.
U.S. Navy Lt. Erin N. Snyder, M.D. (PGY4), and Lt. Alex Murray, M.D. (PGY2), presented vital research on battlefield trauma care to an international audience of military medics, tactical emergency medical services personnel, and defense industry partners.
Highlighting NMCSD’s impact on the assembly, Snyder’s briefing on expeditionary blood transfusions was recognized as the top research presentation of the event. As a result of this prestigious recognition, she will have the opportunity to publish her work in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine.
Snyder’s presentation, titled "Phase 3: Dimensions of a Ruler to Measure and Mark Donor Blood Bags for Reliable Filling to 450 mL," evaluated methods to ensure accurate blood collection during Walking Blood Bank operations in austere environments. Her research identified critical gaps in how blood bags are currently measured and weighed in the field, determining that a standard ruler can be used to reliably fill donor bags within a critical safety margin.
"I see my role as directly supporting the readiness and survivability of warfighters in operational environments," Snyder said. "I find this work especially meaningful because the research is highly operationally relevant and has the potential to directly save the life of a wounded warfighter."
Murray also took to the podium, presenting research focused on evaluating provider confidence in applying the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) algorithm in the maritime environment—ranging from the beach to the open ocean, and on vessels from rigid-hull inflatable boats to submarines.
"Key findings showed that Navy and Marine Corps personnel did not feel confident in applying the structure of TCCC in a maritime environment," Murray said. "The importance to the fleet is the future research that will come from this project to hopefully develop a training regimen and possible adaptations to the TCCC to preserve life out at sea in a combat scenario."
The annual SOMA assembly serves as an open forum for special operations medical personnel from the U.S. and allied nations to exchange data, review new research, and discuss evolving battlefield care strategies. Attendees included representatives from all branches of the Department of Defense, the FBI, the Secret Service, and various civilian agencies, according to Snyder and Murray.
For both physicians, the conference emphasized the distinct advantages—and critical importance—of conducting clinical research within the Military Health System (MHS).
"The advantages are that our subset population in the military are very easy to do research with," Murray explained. "There is help from other communities since they have buy-in to the end of research. Our study population reaps all the benefits to the work we are doing."
Snyder noted that research within the MHS is inextricably linked to the survival of service members on the battlefield.
"Military providers have opportunities to study trauma, operational medicine, and expeditionary care in ways that can immediately improve outcomes for warfighters and beneficiaries," Snyder said. "Presenting at conferences like this also fosters collaboration with civilian and military subject matter experts and helps translate research into real-world improvements in patient care and readiness."
Both lieutenants credit their training environment at NMCSD for preparing them to tackle these complex operational challenges. As one of the Department of War’s premier treatment facilities, NMCSD balances civilian-equivalent emergency medicine pathology with unique occupational and deployment-related injuries.
"The role of NMCSD is to keep the fleet fully medically ready for anything that were to happen, to provide peace of mind to service members deploying that we will take care of their loved ones, and to prepare the next line of healthcare workers to face any challenges that their career may bring them," Murray said.
Snyder echoed this sentiment, noting that active participation in the academic and scientific communities is a core component of that mission.
"Attending and presenting at conferences such as the SOMA Scientific Assembly directly supports Naval Medical Center San Diego’s mission by strengthening military medical readiness," Snyder said, adding that it ensures NMCSD providers maintain the knowledge necessary to care for critically injured service members "in both operational and hospital settings."
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2026 13:46 |
| Story ID: | 566883 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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