UVA Emergency Medicine · Research

Rigorous science. Real patients. Every step of emergency care.

We study emergency care across the whole journey, from a patient’s home to the ED and back, and we measure ourselves by what changes for them.

Follow the journey Join us

The patient journey

Follow one patient through an emergency

Every emergency has a before, a during and an after. Scroll to follow one visit from home and back again, and see the research at each step.

Scroll to beginAll 10 research areas

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The patient journey

Follow one patient through an emergency

Every emergency has a before, a during and an after. Follow one visit from home and back again, and see the research at each step.

All 10 research areas

Stage 01
Home & community
Emergencies start long before the ambulance. We study the places people live and the conditions that send them to us.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
An AI-built database of news reports maps gun violence where local journalism is thin. (source)
- Built environmentsHow do architecture and urban design affect health and emergency care?Explore
- Violence preventionWhere is gun violence undercounted, and by how much?Explore
Stage 02
Pre-hospital
The first minutes decide a lot. Our EMS research works on getting the right care to the right patient faster.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
A UVA team took third place in the DARPA Triage Challenge. (source)
- EMS & prehospital careHow should EMS systems be organized and medically directed?Explore
- Injury biomechanicsWhich crash conditions produce which injuries, and in whom?Explore
Stage 03 · Emergency department
Arrival & triage
The ED is our living laboratory. It starts at the door: seconds to decide who is sickest and where every patient goes next.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
AI flags emergency patients at risk of undiagnosed dementia. (source)
- Informatics, AI & data scienceWhich patients are at risk of a condition no one has diagnosed yet?Explore
Stage 04 · Emergency department
Diagnosis
Imaging, labs and judgment under time pressure, and the data behind them.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
Imaging data show when a pelvic ultrasound adds little after a negative CT. (source)
- Point-of-care ultrasoundWhen does bedside imaging change the diagnosis?Explore
Stage 05 · Emergency department
Treatment
Poisoning and overdose care, and the first steps toward robotics at the bedside.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
3D computer vision colleagues in the School of Data Science work with us on physical AI. (source)
- Physical AI & roboticsWhich emergency department tasks could robots safely assist with?Explore
- Toxicology & addictionWhat do emergency visits reveal about the course of the opioid epidemic?Explore
Stage 06
Discharge & return home
The handoff home is where many patients fall through. We build and test tools that keep them connected.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
A digital tool connects schools, emergency departments and families around youth mental health. (source)
- Digital follow-up & mental healthWhich physiological signals warn of deterioration early?Explore
Stage 07
Global
The same questions matter everywhere. Our global health work builds and evaluates tools with international partners.
Across every stage · Informatics, AI & data science
We ask whether models of tuberculosis treatment outcomes can help target care.
- Global healthHow can emergency care be strengthened in resource-limited settings?Explore

What we measure

We measure ourselves by what changes for patients and communities, not only by what we publish.

Explore our research Join us

10 areas, one journey. Working in industry? Cavalier Catalyst

Get involved

One research program, four ways in

Whether you’re taking part, building, training or investigating, start where you fit.

Patients & community
Take part in a study
What research in the emergency department involves, how consent works, and who to ask.
Industry
Partner with us
Cavalier Catalyst connects companies with emergency physicians, engineers and data scientists to develop and test new tools in the ED.
Students & trainees
Train with us
A research fellowship in digital health and AI, plus research for medical students, undergraduates and residents.
Researchers
Run a study in the ED
Our research office helps investigators across UVA screen, enroll and follow patients in the emergency department.