Research
Dr. Thomas Hartka, Interim Vice-Chair of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine
Our research team is committed to advancing medical research, with a particular emphasis on trauma biomechanics and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in clinical medicine. We are proud to collaborate with the Center for Applied Biomechanics, the largest academic biomechanics laboratory in the world, to advance automotive safety and improve the safety of our military. Additionally, we offer a Research Fellowship focusing on data science and AI, designed to cultivate the next generation of innovators in this rapidly evolving field. Our Emergency Medicine Research Office plays a crucial role in executing clinical studies, furthering our understanding of emergency care.
We invite you to join us as we continue to contribute to the betterment of emergency care through dedicated research and collaboration.
Thomas Hartka, MD, MS, MDMS
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine
Interim Vice-Chair of Research
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to improve patient outcomes and emergency care through performing impactful research and training the next generation of Emergency Medicine researchers.
Our vision is to be a premier emergency medicine research program internationally known for our expertise in trauma biomechanics and the application of artificial intelligence to emergency care. We seek to advance medical research through performing robust and reproducible science, publishing articles that change the practice of Emergency Medicine, training successful research fellows, facilitating faculty projects, and engaging learners in research.
Research Faculty and Staff
Thomas R. Hartka, MD, MS, MSDS
Interim Vice-Chair of Research
Assistant Medical Director, UVA Center for Applied Biomechanics
Research Interests:
- Real-time prediction for clinical medicine
- Deep learning for medical code translation
- Motor vehicle collision crash reconstruction and kinematic analysis
- Prehospital trauma triage guidelines
- Injury prediction from motor vehicle collisions
George Glass, III, MD
Assistant Research Director, EMRO
Medical Director, Emergency Management, University of Virginia Medical Center
Research Interests:
- Trauma biomechanics
- Machine learning and clinical application of predictive analytics
- ECG diagnosis of cardiovascular emergencies
- High fidelity simulation for medical education
Mark Sochor, MD, MS, FACEP
Research Faculty, EMRO
Medical Director, UVA Center for Applied Biomechanics
Research Interests:
- Blunt force trauma
- Graduate medical education research
- Trauma registries and trauma system development
- Motor vehicle crash occupant kinematics
- Pre-hospital patient care
- Traumatic brain injury
- Post mortem human subject experimental instrumentation
- Telematics
- Post mortem injury identification through non-invasive techniques
Alexander Schwartz
Grants Manager
Prior to becoming the Grants Manager, Alex had been working in Charge Entry and Billing for the department. He has been working in the Department of Emergency Medicine since 2013. Outside of work, Alex enjoys the outdoors, music, and traveling.
Ashley Simpson
Head Clinical Research Coordinator
Ashley Simpson is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Emergency Medicine Research Office. She has worked in Emergency Medicine (EM) at UVA for over 12 years. She began as an Emergency Department Technician and EMT for the rescue squad. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Virginia and her master’s degree in Forensic Science from George Mason University. Ashley coordinates multiple clinical trials simultaneously of various complexities from study start-up through study completion. She is currently the primary coordinator for the research team’s cardiovascular, sepsis and trauma studies.
Sarah Homan
Clinical Research Coordinator
Sarah Homan is a Clinical Research Coordinator for EMRO. She was born and raised just outside of Charlottesville, VA. She graduated from PVCC with her Associates in Science and General Studies. From there, she went on to Virginia Tech where she obtained her Bachelors in Biological Science. During her time at Tech, she fell in love with the aspects of laboratory work and research. The last 2 years of her career had been spent at the UVA Core Laboratory where she handled and processed specimens from all over the UVA hospital and other outside facilities. In her free time she enjoys going hiking, traveling to Europe each year, and spending time with her niece and nephew.
EMRO (Emergency Medicine Research Office) supports the advancement of health care by enrolling research participants with a standard of excellence in respect and safety for persons with the highest regard for regulations. Our inclusive mission extends to broaden participation in quality research, to benefit the institution, the research participants, and society as a whole.
EMRO Team – Front Row L-R: Kathleen Acevedo, Travis Hornsby, Ashley Simpson; Middle Row L-R: Dr. George Glass, Anjali Kapil, Dr. Mark Sochor, Dr. Thomas Hartka; Back Row L-R: Jacob Mingle, Alexander Schwartz