People

Jacob Lebin, MD

University of Colorado

"Designing Decision Support to Enhance Emergency Care for Alcohol Use Disorder"

Jacob Lebin, MD, is faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Lebin completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Washington and a medical toxicology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. His clinical practice includes care in the University of Colorado Hospital emergency department and consultation with the Rocky Mountain Poison Center.

His research focuses on best practices for managing alcohol withdrawal and the use of clinical decision support to improve emergency department treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorder

Kei Wong, MD, EdM

Rutgers New Jersey Medical school

"From Simulation to Confidence: Advanced Neonatal Resuscitation and Skill Mastery for Emergency Medicine Faculty"

Kei Wong, MD, EdM, is an associate professor of emergency medicine in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Dr. Wong completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center. Additionally, she completed a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. She earned a master’s degree in education and a graduate certificate in educational technology from the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.

She serves as clinical director of pediatric emergency medicine education for the emergency medicine residency, director of the pediatric emergency medicine student elective, and a preclerkship course director for medical students.

Dr. Wong’s work focuses on advancing pediatric emergency care through medical education and simulation-based training, including pediatric airway readiness and competency-based curriculum development. She is developing a procedural simulation program using rapid cycle deliberate practice to strengthen faculty skills in neonatal resuscitation

Rebecca G. Theophanous, MD, MHSc

Duke University Health System; Durham VA Healthcare System

"Simulation-Based Ultrasound Workshop Feasibility and Impact Assessment"

Rebecca Theophanous, MD, MHSc, is an associate professor of emergency medicine at Duke University Hospital and emergency ultrasound director at the Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Dr. Theophanous is actively involved in clinical ultrasound education, teaching residents and students in the clinical setting, leading weekly ultrasound image review, presenting advanced ultrasound lectures, and facilitating resident simulation sessions. Her research focuses on point-of-care ultrasound, including three-dimensional ultrasound as an innovative bedside tool, and uses implementation science to identify facilitators and barriers to training and evaluate program impact.

Her current work includes developing a standardized simulation model for nerve block training, assessing ultrasound competency among resident and attending physicians, and exploring teleultrasound to improve patient care. She received the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Academy of Emergency Ultrasound Rising Star Junior Researcher Award in 2024. Also, she contributes to guideline and policy development through her institution’s ultrasound task force.

Joely Wilder Merriman, MD, MS

University of Rochester Medical Center

"Air Quality and ED Presentations for Exacerbation of Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease"

Joely Wilder Merriman, MD, MS, is an instructor in emergency medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Dr. Merriman earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is currently a Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) fellow.

Her academic interests include health services, environmental epidemiology, and health equity. She is actively involved in teaching, patient care, and research.

Her research examines emergency department use and disparate health outcomes through the application of geospatial methods in environmental epidemiology and health services. She serves on the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Grants Committee, as a consultant to the Sickle Cell Hospital Care Quality Improvement Task Force at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and previously served as vice chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force for the emergency medicine residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Also. she serves as a committee member for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Telehealth Section.

Davin Combs, MD

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

"A Novel Simulation Approach to Prehospital Triage for Active Threat MCI"

Davin Combs, MD, is a chief resident in emergency medicine at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Dr. Combs earned his medical degree from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where he also completed his emergency medicine residency. He is currently pursuing a fellowship in emergency medical services at the same institution.

His academic interests include emergency medical services (EMS) operations, triage, and technology development for the prehospital environment. He is actively involved in patient care, education, and research.

His research focuses on iterative triage in mass casualty events, the role of artificial intelligence in prehospital triage, and systems engineering for high-stakes prehospital skills and resource allocation. He also serves as a resident board member and didactics chair for the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Tactical and Law Enforcement Medicine Interest Group.

Angela Jarman, MD, MPH

University of California, Davis

"Sex Based Disparities in Pulmonary Embolism Advanced Interventions and Outcomes: A Multicenter Study"

Angela Jarman, MD, MPH, is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, Davis, where she serves as director of Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Jarman earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Utah. She completed a fellowship in Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Also, she earned a Master of Public Health from the Brown University School of Public Health.

Her work focuses on the roles of biological sex and sociocultural gender as determinants of disease, with an emphasis on sex and hormonal-based influences on cardiovascular health and cardiovascular emergencies. Her research focuses on sex differences in venous thromboembolic disease, specifically pulmonary embolism (PE). Also, it includes evaluation of sex differences in the diagnostic process and feasibility studies of differences in presentation and diagnosis.

Dr. Jarman is active in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). She has served as president of the Sex and Gender Interest Group and on multiple national initiatives. Additionally, she has been involved in steering committees for consensus conferences on precision medicine and anti-racism. 

William Bruno, MD, MPH

University of California, San Diego

"Humanitarian Response, Land Tenure, and Community Resilience After Hurricane Irma on the Island of Barbuda: A Qualitative Foundation for Community-Based Participatory Research"

William Bruno, MD, MPH, is an emergency medicine physician at the University of California, San Diego, with a focus on global emergency medicine and public health.

Dr. Bruno earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center. Additionally, he completed a fellowship in global emergency medicine at Columbia University, where he also earned a Master of Public Health in epidemiology, and a certificate in public health and humanitarian action from the Mailman School of Public Health.

His work focuses on improving public health and human rights in humanitarian settings. He has worked internationally as both a researcher and clinician in regions including the Gaza Strip, the Thai-Burmese border, Bangladesh, and Moldova. He collaborates with organizations such as Community Partners International, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Medical Teams International, and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

Allyson Hansen, DO

University of South Florida

"Cardiac Position Using Real-time TTE to Identify Ideal Area of Max Compression"

Allyson Hansen, DO, is an assistant professor and residency ultrasound director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Hansen earned her medical degree from Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her emergency medicine residency at Hackensack University Medical Center. She completed a fellowship in advanced emergency ultrasound at the University of South Florida.

She teaches residents in clinical emergency medicine and emergency ultrasound. Also, she contributes to related research. Her academic interests include point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), digital scholarship, and medical education. 

Her research focuses on resuscitative echocardiography, including transthoracic and transesophageal approaches, regional anesthesia in the emergency department for pain, and gastric ultrasound for aspiration risk assessment. She also serves on the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Residency Ultrasound Education Subcommittee.

Yash Chavda, DO, MBA, FPD-AEMUS

NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

"Patient Experience and ED Throughput in Chest Pain With vs Without POCUS"

Yash Chavda, DO, MBA, FPD-AEMUS, is director of emergency ultrasound at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine.

Dr. Chavda earned his medical degree from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at St. Barnabas Hospital. He completed a fellowship in emergency ultrasound at Zucker Northwell at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

He manages emergency ultrasound operations, including quality assurance and improvement. Also he teaches attending physicians, residents, students, and advanced practice providers. His academic interests include emergency ultrasound, administration, and critical care.

His research focuses on patient experience in chest pain evaluation and new applications of emergency ultrasound. He also served as an ultrasound section councilor in the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM).

Kathleen Li, MD, MS

University of Washington

"Interfacility Transfer of Older Adults: Outcomes and Opportunities for Improving Patient-Centered Care"

Kathleen Li, MD, MS, is an acting assistant professor at the University of Washington.

Dr. Li earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed her emergency medicine residency at the Mount Sinai and Elmhurst Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

Her work focuses on research and quality improvement to advance emergency care and patient outcomes.

Katherine Dickerson Mayes, MD, PhD

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

"Blood-based Biomarker Assessment in Geriatric Falls with Head Impact"

Katherine Mayes, MD, PhD, is an emergency medicine physician and researcher at Virginia Tech Carilion, where she contributes to clinical care and translational neurotrauma research. Her work focuses on precision diagnostics for traumatic brain injury, integrating both biomarker science with biomechanical engineering approaches.

Dr. Mayes earned her PhD in neuroscience from the University of St Andrews in Scotland as a Bobby Jones Scholar and her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed her emergency medicine residency at the Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham program, where she served as chief resident.

Her research is conducted in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, with the goal of advancing diagnostic tools and improving outcomes in traumatic brain injury.

Christopher E. Gaw, MD, MPH, MBE

The Ohio State University College of Medicine

"Indicators and Modeling of Workload Saturation in Pediatric Emergency Departments"

Christopher Gaw, MD, MPH, MBE, is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and an attending physician in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Gaw earned his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his pediatrics residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

He is a health systems researcher whose work examines how injury risk and system stress influence performance in pediatric emergency and prehospital care. His research aims to translate epidemiologic and health services findings into safer clinical practice, policy, and prevention strategies.

Dr. Gaw is the recipient of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Foundation and Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance Clinical Operations Research Grant, through which he is conducting research to identify workload indicators and models system strain in pediatric emergency departments.

Mariam O. Fofana, MD, PhD

Emory University School of Medicine

"Spatiotemporal Modeling to Estimate the Risk of Exposure to Emerging Pathogens"

Mariam O. Fofana, MD, PhD, is an emergency physician and epidemiologist whose research focuses on infectious diseases of global health significance.

Dr. Fofana’s work emphasizes quantitative epidemiologic methods, including mathematical modeling, to better understand disease dynamics and inform public health responses. Her doctoral research examined the population-level impact of treatment for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis. More recently, she has used cohort data to evaluate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.

Her current work focuses on improving preparedness and response to travel-related and emerging pathogens in the emergency department setting across multiple scales.

Kaileen Jafari, MD

University of Washington

"Delayed Diagnosis of Pediatric CNS Infections: Insights from the PECARN Registry"

Kaileen Jafari, MD, is an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She is a health services researcher focused on improving the quality of pediatric emergency care.

Dr. Jafari’s work examines structural and systems-level factors that drive variation in care, with a particular emphasis on reducing diagnostic errors and improving the timely, accurate identification of serious infections in children. She serves as a site co-investigator for the Seattle–Texas–Los Angeles node of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network.

She earned her medical degree from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, completed residency at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at Columbia University, and completed fellowship training at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. She is a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellow.

Christopher Bennett, MD, MSc, MA

Stanford University

"Emergency Department Based Wastewater Surveillance of Transmissible Infectious Diseases"

Christopher Bennett, MD, MSc, MA, is a board-certified emergency physician and researcher at Stanford University. He is faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine and is affiliated with the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, and the Center for Digital Health.

Dr. Bennett’s work focuses on data-informed precision medicine to improve health care delivery, particularly for transmissible infectious diseases. As a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator, he leads a research group developing solutions to improve patient outcomes and inform health policy.

He completed training at Duke University, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Dr. Bennett has served in national leadership roles with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, including the Board of Directors and the SAEM Foundation Board of Trustees.

Elizabeth J. Yetter, MD, MHPE

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

"Motivation-Based Assessment and Curriculum Design for Low Utilizers of Ultrasound"

Elizabeth Yetter, MD, MHPE, is Ultrasound Division Director at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West. She specializes in emergency ultrasound and medical education, with a focus on advancing training and performance in clinical practice.

Dr. Yetter earned her medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and completed her emergency medicine residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She pursued additional training through an Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship and a Master of Health Professions Education from New York University and Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where she is currently completing a PhD in medical education.

Her research centers on ultrasound education, including skill retention and the factors influencing performance among residents and attending physicians. She has received multiple national awards, including the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound Rising Star Education Award, the ARMED Med Ed Pilot Grant, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Education Research Training Grant, and the American College of Emergency Physicians Junior Faculty Education Award.

Alexander St. John, MD, MS

University of Washington

"Targeting VWF Hyperadhesiveness to Improve Organ Perfusion After Trauma"

Alexander St. John, MD, MS, is a physician-scientist in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. St. John’s research focuses on improving outcomes for trauma patients by advancing understanding of maladaptive processes following severe injury. His work examines trauma-induced coagulopathy and systemic microvascular obstruction as key drivers of organ dysfunction.

His research aims to generate foundational insights that inform the development of new therapeutic strategies to expand clinical approaches for treating these conditions.

Drew Birrenkott, MD, DPhil

Mass General Brigham

"Pulmonary Embolism Pre-Test Probability and Severity Estimation Using AI"

Drew Birrenkott, MD, DPhil, is an attending emergency physician and fellow in clinical innovation and research translation in vascular emergencies in the Mass General Brigham Department of Emergency Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Upon completion of his fellowship, he will join the department as faculty in the Center for Vascular Emergencies.

Dr. Birrenkott earned his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, biochemistry, and political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering science at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and received his medical degree from Stanford University. He completed residency training at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

His research interests focus on machine learning and predictive modeling in acute care, with a particular emphasis on pulmonary embolism. Dr. Birrenkott serves as principal investigator on a project developing artificial intelligence and proteomics-based models to predict the probability and severity of pulmonary embolism in emergency department patients.

Carolyn McKenzie Andrews, MD, MPH, MAT

Maimonides Medical Center

"Artificial Intelligence in the ED: How Resident Physicians are Supplementing Their Clinical Knowledge"

McKenzie Andrews, MD, is a PGY-1 emergency medicine resident at Maimonides Medical Center. Her work reflects a commitment to medical education, health equity, and systems improvement.

Dr. Andrews earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School for Education. She completed her MD and Master of Public Health in health policy and management at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. She also served in elected roles on the Medical Council and the Brooklyn Free Clinic.

Before medical school, Dr. Andrews was a Teach For America corps member in New York City, an experience that shaped her interest in emergency care and public service. Her research background includes pediatric emergency medicine studies at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Also, a community-based research through a student-run free clinic, supported by the New York Academy of Medicine.

Her current scholarly work focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in emergency medicine residency education and its impact on trainee development and patient care.

Les Roberts, PhD

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Les Roberts, PhD, is a Professor Emeritus at Columbia University and has taken part in the field measurement of mortality in crises, including: Rwanda 1994, more than 30 health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo 1999-2002, Iraq 2004, Zimbabwe 2007, the Central African Republic 2009, 2018, and 2022, and Sierra Leone 2000 and 2014. He was an EIS Officer in the CDC's Refugee Health Activity and was later the Director of Health Policy at the International Rescue Committee.