Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center
The Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center is a collaborative statewide Center of Excellence dedicated to improving the health care outcomes of patients with acute illness and injuries, in both pre-hospital settings and within the hospital. Our research focus extends from the pre-hospital environment, including 911 and emergency medical services, through the emergency department and critical care settings.
About AEMRC
AEMRC was founded in 1990 by Harvey Meislin, MD, with the vision to dramatically improve emergency systems and the care of patients with emergent problems in the emergency department or in the field. Today, the center is a national leader in emergency medicine research and training, including the application of new resuscitation techniques and hazardous event-preparedness medical training.
The center brings together collaborative teams of multidisciplinary experts to achieve critical impact in areas affecting lives in Arizona today, including:
- improving outcomes in prehospital cardiac arrest
- prehospital traumatic brain injury
- emergency preparedness
- prehospital systems
- pediatrics
- clinical-translational medicine
- sepsis
AEMRC, together with the Department of Emergency Medicine, ranks 18th in National Institutes of Health funding among U.S. academic centers and emergency departments. still accurate?
Department of Emergency Medicine faculty and the center regularly contribute research presentations at top scientific meetings in the United States and internationally. In addition, Department of Emergency Medicine residents participate in mentored research leading to national presentations and the publications.
The center has established a statewide clinical research network that conducts numerous studies, including clinical trials investigating neurological emergencies and cardiac arrest. The center has formed research collaborations with many University of Arizona colleges and departments, as well as with other universities in Arizona, the Southwest and internationally. Additionally, AEMRC has developed innovative collaborations with major and rural hospitals in Arizona serving diverse populations.
Samuel M. Keim, MD, MSc
Kurt R. Denninghoff, MD
Daniel W. Spaite, MD
Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center Tucson
AEMRC Tucson has a very active and growing research portfolio, including collaborations that bridge multiple departments and colleges across the state and the country. Research funding is diverse: private foundation, federal government, private businesses and state government, among others.
The strong focus and commitment to research is clearly demonstrated by the ScholarQuest project that leads each and every resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine through an original research project and its presentation. The AEMRC also supports an undergraduate and graduate program, the Research Associate Program, that encourages students to learn best practices in research and to participate in ongoing research projects.
AEMRC Tucson Leadership
Kurt R. Denninghoff, MD
Dr. Denninghoff is very active in research, both his own and as a mentor to junior faculty and students. He directs a clinical research platform that has successfully set new standards of excellence for process innovation and trial enrollment. Clinical research nurses are now deployed 24 hours a day, seven days a week at both academic emergency departments in Tucson (Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South campuses), screening 100% of the more than 110,000 patients we serve annually for potential inclusion into the nation’s leading clinical trials.
The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) is the first federally funded multi-institutional network for research dedicated to the prevention and management of acute illness and injuries in children. AEMRC is home to the Southwest Research Node Center (SW-RNC), one of PECARN’s six research node centers in the U.S. The SW-RNC builds on an existing innovative clinical trials infrastructure to conduct PECARN-approved, multi-institutional research.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is one of six national institutions selected for the Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials Network (SIREN), an initiative of the NIH to advance critical emergency medicine research. SIREN provides infrastructure for large multi-site clinical trials to improve outcomes for patients with neurologic, heart, lung, blood and trauma emergencies, in all stages of emergency care, from pre-hospital emergency medical services to hospital EDs, trauma systems and emergency operative interventions. SIREN will allow rigorous comparative effectiveness studies and assessments of novel therapies.
The Excellence in Prehospital Injury Care (EPIC) Project is a comprehensive effort to evaluate and train Arizona paramedics and first responders on the national standards for prehospital best practices for victims of traumatic brain injury. To date, more than 90% of Arizona traumatic brain injury sufferers now receive care from EPIC-trained providers. EPIC is funded by grants from the NIH.
The Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Ischemic Stroke Trial (POINT) is a nationwide, NIH-sponsored clinical trial to determine the safety and effectiveness of the combination of low-dose aspirin and a medication called clopidogrel, also known by the brand name Plavix®, in reducing the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and other complications in patients who have just had a transient ischemic attack or minor ischemic stroke.
AEMRC collaborates with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in various national consumer-safety studies, including tracking every emergency visit at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson involving an injury associated with a consumer product. The center also provides training on consumer product safety on behalf of the commission.
ESETT (Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial) is a national clinical trial to find the best treatment for seizing children rushed to the emergency department. The FDA has approved three drugs — fosphenytoin, valproic acid and levetiracetam — as a second-round of treatment, but they don’t know which of these commonly used medications is best. ESETT researchers hope to narrow down which of the three drugs given in the emergency department is safest and most effective. We are one of 74 sites participating in the randomized, nationwide study.
Stroke Hyperglycemia Insulin Network Effort (SHINE) is studying the effects of controlling elevated blood sugar levels in stroke patients compared to utilizing other methods to control blood sugar. The clinical trial is running at the Tucson and South campuses of Banner – University Medical Center.
Application of Transcriptional Signatures for Diagnosis of Febrile Infants within the PECARN Network (BioSigs) is running at the Banner – University Medical Center. The study’s ultimate goal is to create a test that will rapidly determine if an infection is bacterial or non-bacterial, thereby sparing many newborns unnecessary invasive procedures such as lumbar punctures, overuse of antibiotics and hospitalizations.
MulticEnter trial of Rivaroxaban for early disCharge of pUlmonaRY embolism from the Emergency Department (MERCURY PE) is a clinical trial running at the Banner – University Medical Center. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate that low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients who are discharged from the ED to the home environment and treated with rivaroxaban as outpatients have fewer total days in the hospital for bleeding and/or VTE events through Day 30 compared to patients who are treated with initial hospitalization and standard of care.
About
RAP is a group of undergraduate and post-undergraduate students who volunteer in the emergency department of Banner – University Medical Center Tucson to screen patients for various clinical research studies. Students work in four-hour shifts and engage with the physicians, nurses and other ED staff responsible for patient care. The program provides students the opportunity to explore health care while interacting with a diverse population of patients, helping to prepare them for futures in the industry. Students can either enter the program through the RAP application or by enrolling in EMD493B.
Our Purpose
Through the program, students can improve their bedside manner and hone their ability to interact with health care professionals and patients in a critical care environment. They also become more familiar with the clinical research process and gain the ability to consent and enroll patients in clinical research studies.
How to Apply outdated
We are currently accepting all applications. A new cycle will open on August 30, 2023, so please reach out to us with any questions.
Program Eligibility
- GPA above 3.0
- High school graduate or equivalent
- Ability to complete 4 shifts a month (16 hours total) for at least 6 months (shifts are in four-hour increments between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m., 7 days a week)
- Must be up to date on immunizations, including COVID-19 and influenza (no medical or religious exceptions)
- Must be able to complete a 10-panel urine drug test and TB test
- Must be able to work at either BUMCT or BUMCS
Current Research
All of Us Research Program | Funding: NIH
The All of Us Research Program is an ambitious effort to gather health data from 1 million or more people living in the United States, accelerating research in broad and diverse areas. All of Us is part of the Precision Medicine Initiative, aimed at advancing personalized health care that encompasses the patient’s genetic information as well as their social behavior. Its enrollment mission is focused on highlighting historically underrepresented populations, such as racial/ethnic and sexual minorities. The data collected from this study can be widely accessed (with different levels of confidentiality) by high schoolers and university researchers alike.
BEEPER (BEdside Exclusion of Pulmonary Embolism in children without Radiation) | Funding: NIH and PECARN
No study has been performed to prospectively record the presenting complaints, signs, symptoms and comorbidities of children who raised the suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinicians must extrapolate what is known about PE in adults to children. Perhaps as a result, the mortality rate of PE is the same in children as it is in adults. On the other hand, tens of thousands of low-risk children and adolescents are unnecessarily exposed to increased lifetime cancer risk from ionizing radiation from CT scans done to search for PE they do not have. No clinical criteria have been developed to either estimate the probability of PE in children, or to exclude PE based upon information available at the bedside. This project will provide much-needed evidence for physicians to have a rational basis to launch a workup for PE, and also provide clinical criteria to exclude PE without the need for ionizing radiation.
SAnds-PPCSAnds-PPC | Funding: NIAID
This is an observational study in 750 individuals ages 14 years or older, diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) who meet all eligibility criteria in Valley fever-endemic regions. This study is designed to provide data on the prevalence of primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis among persons presenting with CAP in endemic regions. Among individuals diagnosed with primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, this study aims to describe the clinical course, predictors of the clinical course and compare the response to prescribed antifungal therapy versus no antifungal therapy.
PEDI-DOSE (PEdiatric Dose Optimization for Seizure in Emergency Medical Service) | Funding: NINDS in affiliation with PECARN
This study will evaluate if a standardized method for paramedics to administer seizure medication leads to timely delivery of the right dose. The purpose of this study is to simplify how paramedics give medication to seizing children to stop the seizure and to decrease the number of children still seizing when they arrive at the emergency department. By replacing complicated dose calculations with age-based standardized dosing, we aim to increase the number of children who receive the right amount of seizure-stopping treatment before arriving at the hospital.
Staff
Kurt R. Denninghoff, MD
Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center Phoenix
The Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center (AEMRC) Phoenix is an internationally acclaimed hub for research focusing on improving outcomes for patients of time-sensitive cardiovascular, neurologic and traumatic medical emergencies. The AEMRC brings together a strong team of seasoned, NIH-funded, prehospital researchers concentrating on measuring and improving the effectiveness of life-saving prehospital medical interventions. The team includes expertise in epidemiology, database integration, advanced biostatistics and prehospital outcomes research.
AEMRC Phoenix Leadership
Daniel W. Spaite, MD
Advanced Hazmat Life Support (AHLS)
AHLS is a continuing education program of the Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center.
The flagship 16-hour course sets the global standard for training health care professionals to care for people exposed to hazardous materials.
AHLS trains the trainers in a four-hour course followed with observation by an accomplished AHLS instructor, ensuring high teaching standards.
Additional continuing education courses cover radiological incidents & terrorism, toxic terrorism, chemical burns & toxic products of combustion, tox medics and tactical medics, and a basic hazmat life support online program.
University of Arizona Research Resources
Additional Research Resources
Funding Opportunities
Research Training & Education
CITI Protecting Human Research Subjects certification is valid for four years before refresher training must be completed.
This graduate certificate prepares clinician-scientists for the complexities of clinical research through high-quality didactic instruction and mentored research experiences.