People

Theodore A. Christopher, MD

Board Executive Committee Member

Philadelphia Health Management Corporation

Theodore A. Christopher, MD, served as the Green Family Foundation and John and Patricia Walsh Professor and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University from 2002-2024. He is a Past President of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM), the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Medical and Philadelphia County Medical Societies, and has been a Pennsylvania Delegate to the American Medical Association for 22 years. He currently serves on the board executive committee of the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, the city’s premier non-profit public health organization serving Philadelphia’s vulnerable populations, and was a member of the Governor’s State Opioid Crisis and Physician COVID-19 Task Forces, Co-Chairing the Jefferson Health System’s Enterprise Opioid Task Force for 16 years. He also served as Chairman of the University Hospitals’ Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee for more than 20 years. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Christopher attained his medical degree at the Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai in New York before completing residencies in Internal Medicine at Brown University’s Rhode Island Hospital, and in EM at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Christopher has been active in EM clinical practice, administration, education, and research at Jefferson for 42 years. Under his leadership, Jefferson’s Department of Emergency Medicine has treated millions of patients and has helped establish Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as one of Philadelphia’s premier safety net hospitals. Dr. Christopher has written or co-authored more than 100 peer reviewed articles, published more than 160 abstracts, and lectured nationally and internationally on the social determinants of health, cardiac ischemic injury research, hospital patient access and flow, leadership, and the future of EM and health care. Under his academic leadership, Jefferson’s Department of Emergency Medicine was nationally ranked in specialty-specific NIH funding.

Indiana University Department of Emergency Medicine

Indiana University

The Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine representing Julie Welch, MD, professor of emergency medicine and vice chair of faculty affairs and development; Kyra Reed, MD, assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine and assistant program director; Heather Kelker, MD, assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine; and Paul Musey, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine, Eskenazi Health Foundation Scholar in Emergency Medicine, and interim chair. The department's interests include mental health, cardiovascular care, health equity, and wellness. With research focused on chest pain associated with anxiety and depression.

Michelle P. Lin, MD, MPH, MS

Stanford University

Michelle P. Lin, MD, MPH, MS, is an associate professor at Stanford University.

She earned her medical degree from Northwestern University, completed residency at Bellevue Hospital and New York University in 2013, and completed fellowship training in health policy research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in 2015. Dr. Lin's work focuses on health policy, access to care, quality of care, health equity, and workforce diversity.

Dr. Lin's research examines the structural factors that drive patients to seek emergency care and develops solutions to improve outcomes, using mixed methods and Medicare and Medicaid data. That information is then used to study acute care delivery innovation, patient-centered quality measures, and post-emergency department discharge care for high-risk patients. She also studies value-based care, hospitalization during emergency department visits, and physician workforce retention.

Her leadership roles include chairing the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Quality Measure Development Committee, serving on the board of trustees of the Emergency Medicine Foundation and the board of governors of the Emergency Medicine Data Institute, and contributing to the Academic Emergency Medicine Journal editorial board. Her recent honors include the 2025 ACEP Policy Pioneer Award and the 2021 SAEM Early Career Investigator Award.

Onyinyechi F. Eke, MD, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital

Onyinyechi F. Eke, MD, MPH, is assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of global ultrasound in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mass General Brigham. She earned her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, completed residency at Cook County Hospital, and completed the Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship in 2020.

Dr. Eke's work focuses on ultrasound and global health. Her current research centers on tele-ultrasound implementation in resource-limited emergency departments and includes leadership in education, faculty development, and global emergency care.

She has served on the Harvard Medical School admissions anti-racism task force, the clinical competency committee for the Harvard Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship, and a Massachusetts General Hospital working group focused on sickle cell disease in the emergency department.

Her support includes a Shore Award from the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine and a Clinician-Teacher Development Award. Her recent honors include the 2023 Global Health Service Award from Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Global Health and the 2025 Leslie Milne Community Service Award from the hospital's Department of Emergency Medicine.

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH

University of Colorado

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, is professor of emergency medicine and associate dean of centers and institutes at the University of Colorado. She earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins and completed residency in the Beth Israel Deaconess Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency. 

Dr. Betz is a practicing physician-scientist whose work spans emergency medicine, public health, and injury prevention. Her research has focused on person-centered injury prevention, including care for suicidal patients in the emergency department and decision-making about driving among older adults.

Her current research emphasizes effective and acceptable community-based interventions related to firearm injury prevention and draws on sociology, qualitative methods, implementation science, and clinical trials. She has worked with a wide range of organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the American Bar Association, Veterans Affairs workgroups, the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office, and White House initiatives across multiple administrations.

Her current support includes Department of Defense funding for firearm suicide prevention research, an active National Institute of Nursing Research R25 award, completed National Institute on Aging R01 awards, and additional NIH, CDC, Department of Defense, and foundation-supported collaborations. Her recent recognitions include election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2023 and a 2024 Team Science Award at the Military Health System Research Symposium.

Lauren M. Westafer, DO, MPH, MS

UMass Chan-Baystate

Lauren M. Westafer, DO, MPH, MS, is an associate professor at UMass Chan-Baystate. She earned her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University, completed residency at Baystate Medical Center, and completed an emergency research fellowship at UMass Chan-Baystate in 2018.

Dr. Westafer is an emergency medicine clinician-researcher whose work focuses on implementation science, venous thromboembolism, and addiction medicine. Her research program centers on de-implementation of low-value care, with major disease-focused work in pulmonary embolism and substance use disorder.

In addition to her clinical and research roles, she serves on the Annals of Emergency Medicine editorial board, the ACEP Clinical Policy Committee, and the writing committee for the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines on acute pulmonary embolism. She is also a member of the SAEM Grants Committee.

Her current support includes NIH and institutional funding, including NHLBI support for the DELVE PE project and NIDA support for opioid use treatment initiation work. Her honors include the 2023 Baystate Women in Medicine and Science Impact Award and the 2021 SAEM FOAMed Excellence in Education Award.

Catherine A. Staton, MD, MScGH, PhD

Duke University

Catherine A. Staton, MD, MScGH, PhD, is professor of emergency and global health and vice chair for research strategy and faculty development at Duke University. She earned her medical degree from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, completed residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and completed the Emory Global Health Fellowship.

Dr. Staton is the founding director of the Global Emergency Medicine Innovation and Implementation Research Center and teaches master's-level courses through the Duke Global Health Institute while continuing bedside teaching and patient care.

Her work as an implementation scientist focuses on culturally adapted interventions in low-resource settings to improve access to quality care, including alcohol harm reduction in Tanzania, injury transitions of care, older adult trauma, communication for cancer care through ePRO implementation, and climate-related disaster response.

Her portfolio includes substantial National Institutes of Health, Fogarty, PCORI, and foundation support. Also, including a strong emphasis on capacity building through global research training partnerships. Her honors include the 2020 SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy Global Health Endeavors Department Award, the Kathleen J. Clem Distinguished Faculty Award at Duke, and the 2023 Duke School of Medicine Early Career Mentoring Award in Clinical and Population Health Science.

Leah B. Colucci, MD, MS

Yale University

Leah B. Colucci, MD, MS, is an EMS fellow at Yale University. She earned her medical degree from the University of Miami and completed residency at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Dr. Colucci's interests include emergency medical services, education, and disaster medicine. Her current work includes teaching paramedics and residents in prehospital and bedside settings and creating a formalized disaster medicine curriculum.

She serves on the board of directors for the ACGME as chair of the Council of Review Committee Residents, on the board of directors of the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians, and as chair of the AAEM Connecticut and New York chapter, while also serving as a member-at-large for AAEM/RSA.

Recent honors include the 2026 CORD Judith Tintinalli Faculty Scholarship Award, the 2025 CORD Resident Academic Achievement Award, the 2025 Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians Resident of the Year Award, and the 2024 American Academy of Emergency Medicine President's Award.

Jeffrey Kline, MD

Wayne State University

Jeffrey A. Kline, MD, is associate chair of research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

He earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1990, completed residency training at Carolinas Medical Center in 1994, and also completed research training at Carolinas Medical Center.

Research and mentoring remain central components of his current work. His scholarly focus includes pulmonary embolism and diabetes and reflects a long-standing role in emergency medicine research leadership. In addition to his academic appointment, he has served as an editor in chief, maintaining active engagement with the emergency medicine literature.

His current support includes funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His work reflects sustained commitment to research development and disease-focused inquiry within academic emergency medicine.

Bhakti Hansoti, MBChB, MPH, PhD

John Hopkins University

Bhakti Hansoti, MBChB, MPH, PhD, is an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University. She earned her medical degree from The University of Edinburgh, completed residency at the University of Chicago in 2012, and completed fellowship training in International Emergency Medicine and Public Health in 2014.

Dr. Hansoti is a clinician-scientist whose work centers on global health and implementation science. She is a clinician scientist focused on the implementation of evidence-based interventions in the fields of HIV, COVID, Mpox and Opiate Use Disorder to support vulnerable patients in the emergency department.

She serves in multiple Johns Hopkins leadership roles, including director of the international emergency medicine and public health fellowship, director of the center for global emergency care, associate director for academic programs in the center for global health, and faculty appointments in international health, infectious diseases, and addiction medicine.

Her honors include the SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy Outstanding Contribution to Global Emergency Medicine Research Award in 2019 and the SAEM GEMA Global Health Endeavors Department Award in 2023.

Wendy C. Coates, MD

University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Wendy C. Dr. Coates, MD, is emeritus professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. 

She earned her medical degree from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and completed residency at MCP-Allegheny General. Dr. Coates' work has focused on medical education and research, faculty development, program development, qualitative methods, and dance medicine. 

She has held national leadership roles throughout academic emergency medicine, including service as past president of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). She also serves as associate editor for Academic Medicine, decision editor for Academic Emergency Medicine and Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training, and on the board of South Coast Community Services, while contributing to the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. 

Her funding history includes support from Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Foundation (SAEMF), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Macy Foundation. Her honors include the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) Legacy Award, the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Lifetime Achievement Award, the CORD Distinguished Educator Award, and the Lifetime Teaching Award at Harbor-UCLA.

Jennifer Beck-Esmay, MD

Mount Sinai Morningside / Mount Sinai West

Jennifer Beck-Esmay, MD, is associate professor of emergency medicine and assistant residency program director at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West. 

She earned her medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed emergency medicine residency at New York University Langone and Bellevue Hospital. Dr. Beck-Esmay's work focuses on medical education, gender equity, teaching, leadership, and patient care. Her scholarly interests include medical education and the use of online resources, reflecting a profile grounded in both traditional and digital educational work. 

Dr. Beck-Esmay also serves in broader regional leadership through the All New York City Emergency Medicine Committee and the New York American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Education Committee. Her recent honors include the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Early Career Educator Award and the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association 25 Under 45 Award, both in 2020.

Shayne Gue, MD, MSMEd

BayCare Health System / St. Joseph's Hospital

Shayne Gue, MD, MSMEd, is program director of the emergency medicine residency program at BayCare Health System and St. Joseph's Hospital. He is also associate professor of medical education at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. 

He earned his medical degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University and completed residency at AdventHealth Orlando. Dr. Gue's academic interests include curriculum development, educational gamification, and interactive learning strategies. His current roles also include directing the medical education fellowship program, serving as an M1 and M2 curriculum assessor, and contributing as graduate medical education director for Excelis Medical Associates. 

Beyond his institution, he serves in national and regional leadership positions with Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM, )the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. 

Recent honors include the 2025 University of Central Florida College of Medicine Emergency Medicine Educational Excellence Award, the 2023 ACEP National Junior Faculty Teaching Award, and the 2023 William T. Haeck Member of the Year Award from the Florida College of Emergency Physicians.

Alexander T. Clark, MD

University of Michigan

Alexander T. Clark, MD, is an emergency medicine critical care fellow at the University of Michigan. 

He earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, completed emergency medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and pursued internal medicine critical care fellowship training at the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Clark's academic interests include critical care, airway management, and neurologic emergencies. His current research focuses on blood-based biomarkers in traumatic brain injury, diabetic ketoacidosis, and emergency airway management. In addition to fellowship training and clinical work, he contributes to academic emergency medicine through The JournalFeed and the Pragmatic Critical Care Research Group. 

Dr. Clark has grant funding from the Emergency Medicine Foundation and the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association Residency Research Grant, an National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 postdoctoral multidisciplinary training program in lung disease, and the Massey Traumatic Brain Injury Research Fellowship. His recognitions include the Neuro-EM K12 Scholar Pipeline Award and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Research Award.

Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD

Yale University

Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD, is an emergency scholar at Yale University. 

She earned her medical degree and doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine, trained in emergency medicine at Yale University, and is continuing through the Yale Emergency Scholar Program in 2026-2027. Her academic work focuses on public health, health communication, and social media.

Dr. Panthagani’s current role is a resident, with a research focus in public health and health communication. She co-led a workgroup for the SAEM Misinformation Consensus Conference, serves on the Steering Committee for The Evidence Collective, and is founder and editor of You Can Know Things. 

Her current support includes a NIDA Mentor-Facilitated Training Award in Substance Use Disorders Science Dissemination for 2025-2026. Her honors include the 2024 National Augustine D'Orta Humanism Award from the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association and the 2022 National FOAM(er) of the Year Award from the same organization. Her biography reflects a physician-scholar working at the intersection of emergency medicine, public communication, and evidence dissemination.

Allison Beaulieu, MD, MAEd

University of Utah

Allison Beaulieu, MD, MAEd, is assistant professor, residency program director, and director of graduate medical educational development at the University of Utah. 

She earned her medical degree from New York Medical College, completed residency at the University of Massachusetts, and completed fellowship training in medical education at The Ohio State University. Dr. Beaulieu is an emergency medicine educator whose scholarly interests focus on feedback, curriculum development, and graduate medical education-wide educational innovation. Her work emphasizes structured remediation, test-taking skills development, chief resident training, certificate programs, and longitudinal curricula that support coaching and learner growth. 

Dr. Bealieu served in leadership roles with the CORD Academic Assembly Planning Committee and Governance Committee and holds multiple SAEM leadership roles, including work on the Education Committee, Pulse Subcommittee, Didactic Proposal Subcommittee, and Fellowship Approval Committee. 

Her recent honors include the 2025 Early Career Educator Award in Health Sciences from the University of Utah Academy of Health Science Educators, the 2025 Residency Rockstar Award from the University of Utah Department of Emergency Medicine, and the 2024 UCEP Horizon Award.

Jonathan Warren, MD

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Jonathan Warren, MD, is an emergency medical services (EMS) and ultrasound fellow at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 

He earned his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine and completed residency at Harbor-UCLA. Dr. Warren's clinical interests are prehospital ultrasound, emergency medical services, medical education, and faculty development. 

As an ultrasound fellow and health sciences clinical instructor, he teaches residents, supports faculty development in advanced ultrasound, leads quality assurance review, and develops research projects. As an EMS fellow, he teaches at the paramedic training institute, helps develop county initiatives and policies, and led the first prehospital lung ultrasound implementation and pilot study in Los Angeles County. 

His current research examines prehospital lung ultrasound for distinguishing congestive heart failure from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, barriers to implementation, and cardiac ultrasound definitions through Delphi work. His honors include Harbor-UCLA's 2024 Academic Achievement Award and a 2025 Western Regional SAEM best EMS and prehospital care abstract award.

Angela F. Jarman, MD, MPH

University of California, Davis

Angela F. Jarman, MD, MPH, is associate professor and director of sex and gender in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). She earned her medical degree at the University of Kentucky, completed residency at the University of Utah, and pursued fellowship training at Brown University. 

Dr. Jarman's work spans research, clinical education, and clinical quality, with an academic focus on sex and gender, venous thromboembolism, and women's health. She is a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health scholar at UC Davis, where she studies sex differences in pulmonary embolism. 

Her leadership roles include serving as vice president of career development for the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), membership on SAEM's nominating and grants committees, and prior leadership of the Sex and Gender Interest Group. Her recent support includes industry, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and  AWAEM-funded work related to acute pulmonary embolism, D-dimer use, and patient experience. 

Recent honors listed in her materials include the 2023 AWAEM Early Career Research Award, the 2023 UC Davis Health Diamond Doc Award, and multiple 2024 AWAEM publication recognitions.

Deborah B. Diercks, MD, MSc, MBA

UT Southwestern

Deborah B. Dr. Diercks, MD, MSc, MBA, is professor and chair of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern. 

She earned her medical degree from Tufts University and completed residency at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Diercks' academic focus is cardiovascular disease, with a particular interest in the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

In addition to leading her department, she serves on the American Board of Emergency Medicine Board of Directors, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Program Committee, and the SAEM Faculty Development Committee. She also chaired the American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Policy Committee in 2025 and serves as a senior editor for Academic Emergency Medicine.