Aerospace Physiologist Achieves Air Force Research Laboratory Fellow Status

  • Published
  • By Michela Greco
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE --  Dr. Thomas Morgan of the 711th Human Performance Wing's Human Performance Integration Directorate has been selected as a 2013 Fellow of Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). He, along with six others, will be honored by the Laboratory at an induction ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on September 26, 2013 for outstanding career accomplishments.

Dr. Morgan's research was instrumental in the development and deployment of the Combined Advanced Technology Enhanced Design G Ensemble (COMBAT EDGE). COMBAT EDGE has increased pilots' G-force tolerance and reduced the amount of physical stress pilots must exert to maintain consciousness in high-G maneuvers. It is considered by many to be one of the most significant technical advancements in anti-G suit design since World War II and is currently in use in the F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft as well as several aircraft in Sweden, France, and Finland.

In addition to his work on the COMBAT EDGE, Dr. Morgan developed a man-mounted in-flight physiological monitor early in his career. This system assimilated numerous physiological measures (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, etc.) for the continuous assessment of aircrew health status. Dr. Morgan's research was vital in the development of the requirements for on-board oxygen generators used in many aircraft today.

In the area of high-altitude protection, Dr. Morgan's research demonstrated that a pressure breathing ensemble could, in many circumstances, provide a desirable alternative to a full-body pressure suit. This "pressure breathing for altitude" system was adopted by NASA for their high-altitude tests and later adopted by the U.S. Air Force for use in the F-22.

For the past twenty years, Dr. Morgan has also served on the Aerospace Medical Association's Scientific Program Committee, which peer-reviews over 500 scientific proposals each year. His personal publication record includes nearly 30 peer-reviewed research articles, five patents, and more than 150 presentations.

In his letter supporting Dr. Morgan's nomination, Lt. Gen. Thomas Travis, U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, said, ". . . in my opinion, Tom has been at the center of every aeromedical improvement in fighter aviation for nearly 40 years. His ideas have shaped our protective standards and flight equipment in ways that have both reduced our accident rate and increased our tactical capability."

Achieving the status of AFRL Fellow is considered to be the organization's most prestigious honor and cannot be held by more than four percent of the laboratory current technical and scientific workforce.