Research

The research division of the Department of Emergency Medicine has enjoyed tremendous growth in recent years and is now well-positioned to achieve its mission. The department has seen a marked increase in scholarly production, grant applications and external funding, and has exceeded $1 million in grant funding annually for several years from prominent funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Justice, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Defense, Naval Medical Research Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gilead Sciences, Masimo Corporation, California HIV/AIDS Research Program and the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, among others.

The division has recruited an exceptional, full-time faculty researcher: Sarah Axeen, PhD, from University of Southern California. Dr. Axeen’s research focuses on understanding drivers of and evaluating solutions to the growth problem of opioid use and abuse in the United States. Her “Essays in Opioid Use and Abuse” won the USC Price Henry Reining, Jr. Dissertation Award for best dissertation written in public policy and management.