At the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, we conduct innovative, transdisciplinary research that bridges discovery and clinical practice — leveraging data science, emerging technology, and systems-based approaches to improve patient outcomes and transform the future of emergency medicine. We are also deeply committed to developing investigators who are dedicated to generating new knowledge and advancing patient care and outcomes.

In FY26, we have been awarded $20.5 million to support our work and were competitively ranked among academic departments of emergency medicine for federally funded research.

Guided by the Wisconsin Idea and strengthened by local and global partnerships, our research bridges the lifespan — from pediatric to geriatric emergency care — with considerable attention to effective care for all populations. We also advance medical education through research and provide scientific investigators with a cadre of cutting-edge services for clinical research studies.

Research Productivity

#1

Best Hospital in Wisconsin
for 14 years in a row
*2025 U.S. News & World Report

$20.5M

Awarded research funds
(2025-26)

119

Peer-reviewed research publications
(2025-26)

Core Research Areas

Dementia and Aging Research

Investigate care models and interventions that improve geriatric emergency medicine and care transitions for older adults with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease and lucidity in dementia.

Prehospital Medicine and EMS Systems

Research strategies to optimize emergency medical services, focusing on clinician readiness, informatics, safety, systems design, and patient outcomes.

Space Medicine and Aerospace Systems Education

Advance interdisciplinary work that prepares clinicians and engineers to address human health challenges in extreme and operationally complex environments.

Clinical Informatics and Decision Support

Explore the application of informatics tools and artificial intelligence to enhance clinical decision-making and operational efficiency in emergency departments.

Health Care Engineering

Develop and evaluate technologies that bridge medicine and engineering to solve real-world clinical and systems challenges.

Health Care Access and Equity

Examine social and structural factors contributing to gaps in health care access and delivery and develop interventions to improve health outcomes for all.

Explore our research groups

Emergency Care for Infectious Diseases

Study and develop strategies and resources for improving infectious disease diagnosis and antibiotic prescribing in the emergency department.

Global Health and Low-Resource Settings

Develop scalable, context-appropriate solutions that strengthen emergency systems and expand access to high-quality care worldwide.

Medical Education and Training

Innovate educational programs and curricula to prepare the next generation of leaders in academic emergency medicine.

Recruiting & Enrolling Patients into Research Studies
ED Research Coordinator Program

Person in a green medical scrub top and purple gloves working with lab equipment on a counter lined with bottles and supplies.

Our Emergency Department Research Coordinator (EDRC) Program is a cutting-edge resource available to academic and industry researchers that places highly trained staff members in the emergency department to screen, consent, and enroll patients and visitors into research studies and complete research protocols.

The program aims to support the conduct of high-impact clinical and translational research by providing investigators with a range of research and consultative services.

Explore our study coordination services