Drs. St. John, Li awarded SAEMF grants for patient-centered emergency care research
Two innovative research projects led by Department of Emergency Medicine faculty have secured competitive funding from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Foundation (SAEMF). Drs. Alexander St. John and Kathy Li were among the 2026 SAEMF grantees, collectively securing nearly $175,000 in awards.
Dr. S. John received the Large Project Grant for his study, "Targeting VWF Hyperadhesiveness to Improve Organ Perfusion After Trauma" ($149,233), which will investigate new ways to optimize blood flow to vital organs during resuscitation after serious injury.
St. John said it will deepen their understanding of what's happening in the body, test potential treatments, and lay the groundwork for future research in this area.
Dr. Kathy Li received funding through the GEMSSTAR for Emergency Medicine Supplemental Funding Program for her study titled, "Interfacility Transfer of Older Adults: Outcomes and Opportunities for Improving Patient-Centered Care" ($25,000).
Her research examines the risks, benefits, and decision-making factors surrounding interfacility transfers to better align care with older adults’ needs and preferences.
Additionally, UW Emergency Medicine Residency alum, Dr. Jacob Lebin (Class of 2019), now a faculty member at the University of Colorado, received a $20,000 MTF/SAEMF Toxicology Research Grant for “Designing Decision Support to Enhance Emergency Care for Alcohol Use Disorder.”
His project aims to expand access to treatment and evaluate scalable strategies to improve the initiation of evidence-based therapies for alcohol use disorder in the emergency department.
Congratulations to all!
