Seven faculty members in the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine have achieved academic promotions and one faculty member has been approved for appointment to a tenured position.
The actions recognize sustained achievement across emergency medicine, including clinical care, education, research, leadership and service. Together, they reflect the department’s growing academic depth and its contributions to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, UW Health and the broader field of emergency medicine.
Academic promotions
All promotions were effective June 28, 2026.
Ciara Barclay-Buchanan, MD, CPE, Professor (CHS)
Dr. Barclay-Buchanan is an emergency physician and health system leader whose work spans clinical operations, medical education and patient care leadership. Since joining UW, she has taken on major leadership roles across emergency medicine and UW Health, including serving as the current chief medical officer of University Hospital. Her promotion recognizes her sustained impact on clinical care delivery, institutional leadership and systems that support patients, clinicians and learners.
Brittney Bernardoni, MD, Associate Professor (CHS)
Dr. Bernardoni is an emergency physician and intensivist whose work bridges emergency care, anesthesiology critical care and critical care transport. Since joining UW, she has advanced quality, education and team-based care across the emergency department, UW Health Med Flight and inpatient settings. Her promotion recognizes her clinical excellence, leadership in high-acuity care and contributions to critical care education.
Bill Burns, MD, Clinical Associate Professor
Dr. Burns is an emergency physician, hospice and palliative medicine physician, and medical educator whose work focuses on emergency medicine education, electrocardiography and serious illness care. He has helped shape resident education at UW as an assistant residency program director and nationally as EKG course director for Foundations of Emergency Medicine. His promotion recognizes his contributions to clinical teaching, palliative care integration in emergency medicine and learner development.
Joshua Gauger, MD, MBA, Clinical Associate Professor
Dr. Gauger is an emergency physician and clinical operations leader whose work focuses on emergency department operations, trauma care, stroke care, quality and safety. He serves as medical director for the BerbeeWalsh Emergency Department at University Hospital and medical director for trauma at East Madison Hospital. His promotion recognizes his impact on operational excellence, patient safety and clinical leadership in high-acuity emergency care.
Michelle Hughes, MD, Associate Professor (CHS)
Dr. Hughes is an emergency physician and simulation educator whose work focuses on preparing clinicians to manage critical illness, communicate effectively and lead in high-pressure environments. Since joining UW, she has helped expand and lead the department’s medical simulation program, including simulation-based education for residents and other clinical learners. Her promotion recognizes her impact on educational innovation, learner development and simulation-based training in emergency medicine.
Hani Kuttab, MD, Associate Professor (CHS)
Dr. Kuttab is an emergency physician and ultrasound educator whose work focuses on point-of-care ultrasound, bedside teaching and emergency department leadership. Since joining UW after completing fellowship training in advanced emergency medicine ultrasound, he has advanced clinical ultrasound education, led clinical initiatives aimed at improving care for vulnerable patients and held site-based leadership at East Madison Hospital. Dr. Kuttab’s promotion recognizes his contributions to clinical practice and safety, ultrasound education and the development of learners in emergency medicine.
Michael Lohmeier, MD, Professor (CHS)
Dr. Lohmeier is an emergency physician and EMS physician whose work focuses on prehospital care, EMS medical direction and emergency medicine education. Since joining UW, he has helped strengthen the department’s regional EMS partnerships, serving as lead medical director for ground EMS and medical director for multiple area EMS agencies and the UW Health Emergency Education Center. His promotion recognizes his broad impact on prehospital systems, physician education and collaboration between emergency physicians and first responders.
Tenured appointment
Daniel Buckland, MD, PhD, Associate Professor (Tenure)
Dr. Buckland is an emergency physician, engineer and researcher whose work focuses on space medicine, automation and medical technology for resource-limited environments. He brings nationally recognized expertise in human spaceflight, artificial intelligence and acute care innovation to UW–Madison, including advancing collaboration with the College of Engineering. His appointment to a tenured position recognizes the scholarly depth and translational promise of his work at the intersection of emergency medicine, health care engineering and high-stakes systems.
Buckland’s appointment was effective June 1, 2026.