Our research mission is to provide outstanding clinical care through excellence in research and discovery, while mentoring future generations of clinician scientists.
The Research Mission within the Department of Emergency Medicine is composed of collaborative scientists dedicated to providing emergency care 24/7/365. Clinical research in Emergency Medicine extends from the field and emergency medical services through the front-door of the hospital, the intensive care units, operating rooms, and into outpatient rehabilitation. Faculty in the department hold a diverse range of research expertise in pediatric and adult emergency medicine, toxicology, EMS, clinical trials, education, ethics, critical care, engineering, public service, and biomarker development. Our faculty serve as leaders in clinical and translational research in traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest, and infectious disease, working to design and execute research that will improve clinical care through evidence based outcomes assessment. Our mission supports the education of all learners ~ undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and professional are welcome to contact the team about opportunities for collaboration.
Clinical Trials Collaborative
VCU/VCU Health - The Clinical Trials Collaborative (CTC) is a research core that facilitates study execution for inpatient and acute-care clinical trials 24/7/365. The collaborative is composed of physicians, nurses, research administrators, and staff across multiple departments. Research is facilitated from the field, through the emergency department, operating rooms, ICUs, and into outpatient rehabilitation.
ResearchVCU has joined the NIH’s SIREN clinical trial network as a Hub within the CORE-EM Hub Alliance (Emory, U Arizona, U Texas, Orlando Health, Tufts, and VCU). CORE-EM provides access to clinical trials across a combined population composed of over 72 million ethnically and racially diverse people across the US.
VCU will participate in clinical trials to study novel therapies for time-critical acute conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, cardiac arrest, and sepsis. VCU will build upon the outstanding established clinical research programs across the hospital system.
SIREN | CORE-EM Hub Alliance
Network for Emergency Care Clinical Trials: Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials Network
NIH 1 U24 NS100673-01 (MPI: Merck, Wright, Papa, Selker, Cairns, Jones)
NIH NHLBI NINDS
07/15/2017 – 05/31/2022
Active Studies & Grants
BOOST3: Brain Oxygen Optimization in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury - Phase 3*
*VCU CORE-EM SIREN Hub
https://siren.network/clinical-trials/boost-3
Study Sponsor(s): National Institute of Health (NIH) and The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Study Description: BOOST3 is a randomized clinical trial to determine the comparative effectiveness of two strategies for monitoring and treating patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the intensive care unit (ICU). The study will determine the safety and efficacy of a strategy guided by treatment goals based on both intracranial pressure (ICP) and brain tissue oxygen (PbtO2) as compared to a strategy guided by treatment goals based on ICP monitoring alone. Both of these alternative strategies are used in standard care. It is unknown if one is more effective than the other. In both strategies the monitoring and goals help doctors adjust treatments including the kinds and doses of medications and the amount of intravenous fluids given, ventilator (breathing machine) settings, need for blood transfusions, and other medical care. The results of this study will help doctors discover if one of these methods is more safe and effective.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03754114
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03754114
Status: Community Consultation
ICECAP: Influence of Cooling duration on Efficacy in Cardiac Arrest Patients (ICECAP)*
*VCU CORE-EM SIREN Hub
https://siren.network/clinical-trials/icecap
Study Sponsor(s):The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Study Description: The Influence of Cooling duration on Efficacy in Cardiac Arrest Patients (ICECAP) study will enroll comatose adult survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest that have already been rapidly cooled using a definitive temperature control method. Those with and without initial shockable rhythms will be studied as distinct populations (maximum of 1800 subjects over four years). ICECAP will determine if identifying an optimal duration of cooling can improve outcomes, and if development of a duration response curve can substantiate efficacy in a wider patient population.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04217551
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04217551?cond=04217551&draw=2&rank=1
Status: Open to Enrollment

Lisa H. Merck MD, MPH, MA, FACEP
Professor & Vice Chair of Research

Lisa H. Merck MD, MPH, MA, FACEP
Professor & Vice Chair of Research
Emergency Medicine
Assistant Dean for Acute Care Research & Clinical Trials
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Medical Director for Acute Clinical Research
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
Email: Lisa.Merck@vcuhealth.org