Paul Scanlan National Suicide Prevention Conference 2026

Paul Scanlan

Paul Scanlan is a former Australian Special Forces officer who led operations at every field rank from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel. Since leaving service, he has focused on the long-term effects of Blast OverPressure (BOP) and Blast-induced Traumatic Brain Injury (BiTBI), working across countries and disciplines to help shape more coherent, evidence-informed approaches to military brain health. Through Vigil Australia—a self-funded, no-fee-for-service social impact organisation—he has contributed to national inquiries, partnered with international clinical and research programs, and helped connect efforts across the U.S., NATO, and Five Eyes partners. Often the only Australian in the room, he brings operational insight and lived experience to global conversations about readiness, risk, and reform for warfighters, veterans, and their families. While Vigil’s primary focus remains blast exposure, it maintains strategic awareness of related contributors to service-related brain trauma and suicide—such as parachuting, close-combat training, and waterborne vibration or impact—as well as emerging diagnostic and treatment options, including non-standard and novel approaches. That systems view has helped shift the conversation from injury alone to brain health, and from reactive care to a proactive understanding of the brain as the human weapon system, central to performance, protection, and long-term wellbeing. He served quietly. These days, not so much.