Critical Care Fellowship

Research Opportunities

Trauma Research Center

AMA 2009 - Surgical Critical Care Fellowship || Mission Connect 2010 - Photos by Scott Holmes

Research opportunities are numerous and are supported and driven by the two trauma research enterprises within UTHSC. The first is a robust basic science laboratory that focuses on hemorrhagic shock and its optimal resuscitation. Drs. John Holcomb and Rosemary Kozar lead this lab clinically, while Drs. Charles Wade and Shibani Pati direct its laboratory structure and efforts. Charlie Wade, Ph.D., has recently joined our faculty from the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX. The majority of Dr. Wade’s research has focused on aspects that will be immediately translatable to the care of soldiers on the battlefield and improve outcomes of injured civilians. Dr. Wade’s collaborative relationship with Dr. Holcomb, in addition to his research and translational medicine research, provides him with the expertise and experience to serve in the role of support faculty on the T32 training program. The T32 fellowship in research is a federally funded grant mechanism to develop the careers of promising young scientists. Each T32 program has a specific focus, and UTHSCH was awarded this grant in 2001 to investigate the Role of the Gut in Multiple Organ Failure. Since it’s creation, the focus of the research has evolved and is now aimed at the role of plasma in hemorrhagic shock. Currently, three trainees (with a Ph.D. or M.D.) devote themselves for two years to basic science, bench, and clinical research. (see past and current Fellows) Funding for renewal was granted in 2006, and currently, Dr. Holcomb is the Principle Investigator of this program. The success of the T32 is due to the combined efforts of faculty members and collaborators.

Center for Translational Injury Research

Michelle L. Scerbo (left), was awarded the C. Frank Webber Prize for Student Research at the 2009 Annual Research Poster Symposium held during the AMA-RFS Interim Assembly Meeting in Houston, Texas on November 5, 2009 Right: McNutt, Cotton and Hamilton - Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
The second component of the research enterprise is supported and led by the Center for Translational Injury Research (CeTIR). Funds from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Memorial Hermann Hospital Fund established CeTIR in 2008. The principle mission of our center is to lead in the research and development of next-generation medical technologies related to hemostasis, resuscitation, and computerized decision support for trauma patients. The need for translating trauma research from the bench to the bedside is as great a priority and CeTIR is in a unique position to link basic science research to clinical practice. Faculty from the center have numerous research projects available for participation and ownership by the Fellows. The Center currently employs not only clinical scientists, but epidemiologist and biostatisticians as well. The fields of interest range from development of models to rapidly predict massive transfusion to the multi-center assessment of the utility of Rapid Thromboelastography to identify coagulation defects in the acutely injured patient to outcomes based research topics and performance improvement projects. Investigators from the Division of Acute Care Surgery and CeTIR have authored 250 peer-reviewed articles in the past two years.