The clinical research program of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University is a thriving endeavor that continues to grow. A research program requires a major institutional and departmental commitment to provide researchers with the support and infrastructure required to produce high quality results. Fortunately over the past several decades such a research program has been carefully assembled here within the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest.
At the institutional level, Wake Forest School of Medicine provides outstanding research support from project inception through publication. This supportive environment has placed the institution in the top third in NIH funding and fourth in the Southeast region in revenues from its licensed intellectual property. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranks Wake Forest 18th in the nation for NIH funding for EM departments for the year 2013. Institutional highlights include an extremely supportive Office of Research, an electronic Institutional Review Board submission process, availability of bio-statistics and research design support through the design and analysis unit, a searchable database of ongoing research within the institution to facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, and a congenial productive environment.
Successful research requires collaboration and teamwork. Our clinical research program has developed an extensive collaboration network both within Wake Forest and across other medical centers in the US.
At the institutional level, Wake Forest School of Medicine provides outstanding research support from project inception through publication. This supportive environment has placed the institution in the top third in NIH funding and fourth in the Southeast region in revenues from its licensed intellectual property. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranks Wake Forest 18th in the nation for NIH funding for EM departments for the year 2013. Institutional highlights include an extremely supportive Office of Research, an electronic Institutional Review Board submission process, availability of bio-statistics and research design support through the design and analysis unit, a searchable database of ongoing research within the institution to facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, and a congenial productive environment.
Successful research requires collaboration and teamwork. Our clinical research program has developed an extensive collaboration network both within Wake Forest and across other medical centers in the US.
Research Faculty
Within the Department of Emergency Medicine, our research faculty members devote their academic time to a broad array of clinical research projects. These core researchers collaborate with other faculty, residents, and students to plan and implement high quality investigations. Projects are supported by our dedicated research nurses and study coordinators who work closely with our investigators and are instrumental in conducting the research and data collection.
Emergency Medicine Research Project Highlights
The research emphasis of our department is focused on several areas that are fundamental to the practice of emergency medicine. Current areas of focus and examples of ongoing or recently completed research are listed below.- Heart failure therapeutic trials
- Advanced imaging in suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (coronary CT, cardiac MRI)
- Risk stratification in suspected ACS
- Cardiac biomarker trials (acute heart failure, ACS)
- Epidemiology and treatment of excited delirium states
- Injury epidemiology of Taser and less lethal weapons
- Taser weapon cardiac effects
- Sepsis treatment strategies in helicopter transport patients
- Decontamination strategies for tear gas and pepper spray exposure
- Effectiveness of commercially available tourniquets
Neurologic Emergencies:
- Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment Trials
- Care of Rural Stroke Patients
- Care of the Sickle Cell Patient
- Shock in pediatric trauma
- Cardiovascular changes in pediatric head trauma
- Diagnostics in appendicitis
- Sepsis in pediatric patients
- Impact of alcohol containing "energy" drinks
- Impact of facilitated hypertension referral program