Research
Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS
Vice Chair of Research and Innovation
The Department of Emergency Medicine is pioneering transformative research at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Our interdisciplinary team integrates clinical expertise with diverse fields including artificial intelligence, engineering, sociology, design, cognitive science, and ethics to tackle the complex challenges facing emergency and acute care. We adopt a holistic, human-centered approach to research integration, emphasizing principles that recognize innovations as essential elements of broader healthcare ecosystems. By actively engaging with communities, patients, and stakeholders, we ensure that research advancements reflect human values, enhance equity, and translate seamlessly from discovery to meaningful, sustainable improvements in care delivery.
Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Vice Chair of Research and Innovation
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to advance knowledge through rigorous, translational research, foster interdisciplinary partnerships, and drive purposeful innovation, while training the next generation of scientists—ensuring each discovery enhances emergency care and builds healthier communities.
Our vision is to be a global leader in emergency medicine research, advancing excellence in patient outcomes and healthcare transformation through innovation and team science.
Research Faculty and Staff
Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS
Vice Chair of Research and Innovation
Research interests:
- AI & machine learning research
- Biomedical informatics and data science
- Biostatistics
Thomas R. Hartka, MD, MS, MSDS
Assistant Research Director, EMRO
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
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
Matthew Trowbridge, MD, MPH
Research Faculty
Research Interests:
- Preventive Medicine – Impact of the built environment (architecture, urban design, and transportation planning) on individual (clinical) and population-level health outcomes.
- Medical Education – Use of human-centered design / design thinking to teach complex problem solving, systems-thinking, and inter-disciplinary collaboration within undergraduate medical education.
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.
Colleen Mullins
Clinical Research Coordinator
Colleen earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Virginia. During her undergraduate years, she worked as a scribe in the UVA Emergency Department and researched adult neurogenesis in a lab through the Biology Department, piquing her interest in both emergency medicine and research. She began working with EMRO as a Research Scribe prior to becoming a Clinical Research Coordinator. In her free time, she volunteers at a nearby hippotherapy barn and enjoys playing pickleball.
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.
The EMRO Team L to R front to back: Ashley Simpson, George Glass III, MD, Thomas Hartka, MD, MS, Colleen Mullins, Andrew Muck, MD & Chair of Emergency Medicine, Joseph Ash, MD, Betsy Sachs, Sarah Homan, and Alex Schwartz