Research

Research is integral to the Department of Emergency Medicine. Many faculty, residents, fellows and medical students participate in a wide array of research projects. Studies range from chart reviews to multi-center, therapeutic clinical trials. Some studies involve only a few patients, others enroll thousands. Clinical and basic science research is conducted across the entire spectrum of patients presenting to the emergency department, from ankle sprain to multiple trauma, from flu to pneumonia, and from headache to stroke. New therapeutic options, new diagnostic modalities, biomarkers of disease and injury, risk assessment, and patient education are commonly investigated. Resident education, physician well-being and health care practice are also targets for research projects. Research in emergency medicine often overlaps with other specialties and we enjoy strong collaborations with our hospital-based colleagues in neurology, cardiology, trauma, and surgery, as well as with outpatient services and health policy and systems specialists. Every member of the department is actively supported and encouraged in their research endeavors by their peers and mentors, and by the Research Division.

The Research Division’s central mission is to facilitate the advancement of knowledge in emergency medicine. We do this by integrating our state-of-the-art research infrastructure with the unique and demanding environment of the emergency department. Our team of Research Nurse Coordinators and Clinical Study Assistants operate in the pre-hospital setting and at all three of our affiliated hospitals to enroll patients, review medical records, run research lab tests, initiate study drugs, and process research samples. In addition to the practical conduct of research, the Research Division serves as a source of information for funding opportunities, research conferences, and other research related activities. We facilitate research proposal development and we provide training in research methodology and grantsmanship. The Research Division employs a biostatistician who is expert in research methodology in emergency medicine, and who helps design research projects as well as providing both didactic and experiential training in research methods and biostatistics.

Our commitment to excellence in research enhances our reputation as one of the premier academic Emergency Departments in the United States. The abundance of our input to national and international conferences and research forums, and the plethora of publications authored by our faculty, fellows, and residents, attest to our commitment to research and to our wealth of experience. Above all, we are passionate about our research and proud of our achievements; through our research we can improve patient care.