Dr ​Erik K. Weitzel

MD USAF
Professor of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA

Col.(ret) Erik K. Weitzel MD, MC, USAF is a Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and serves as president and CEO of OPMED LLC, a company dedicated to translating scientific discovery to commercialized solutions. 

Retired from Active Duty as of September 2024, Col(ret) Weitzel was the previous Deputy Commander of the US Army’s Institute for Surgical Research (2017-2020), one of six research laboratories within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command of the U.S. Army Medicine Command and the Army's lead research laboratory for improving the care of combat casualties. He then became Chief of Operational Medicine 59th Medical Wing (2020-2022) where he developed the VAPOR TRAILS research and sustainment model to facilitate translation of novel research concepts to real world Critical Care Air Transport missions. 

​His final military duty was Human Protections Director for Air Force Research Laboratories (2022-2024) wherein he served as the Chief Medical Officer to oversee safety of all human performance enhancement research within the laboratory’s multi-billion-dollar research portfolio.