Current Research Projects and Collaborations
ASPIRED: Alleviating Suicidality by Combining Psychotherapy and IM Ketamine for Rapid Treatment in the Emergency Department – A Randomized Clinical Trial
Emergency Medicine, in collaboration with the STRONG STAR Consortium for the alleviation of PTSD, is carrying out a pilot study to assess the feasibility of administering a one-time intramuscular (IM) injection of ketamine paired with a brief, CBT-based psychosocial intervention called Crisis Response Plan to acutely suicidal patients in the ED. Dr. Robert De Lorenzo serves as PI and lead researcher on the project, with Dr. Romeo Fairley serving as Co-PI. Awarded $3.1 million, DoD Funded.
Assessing Potential Adjunct Medications Such as Hydroxocobalamin and Methylene Blue, with REBOA, in the Management of Hemorrhage in a large Animal (SUS SCROFA) Model of Polytrauma
Led by Dr. Patrick Ng, the objective of the study is to compare the efficacy of hydroxocobalamin (HOC) and methylene blue (MB) each in combination with whole blood (WB), to be used as adjunct resuscitative therapies to prevent the cardiovascular collapse associated with deflation of a Zone 1 REBOA balloon after polytrauma. Awarded $500K, TRC4 funded.
Echocardiography and Lung Evaluation while visiting Altitude – Transient Extremes (ELEVATE)
Led by Dr. Savannah Chavez, the study aims to test the TE Air interface and measurement capabilities on mobile devices and plan to demonstrate it as a viable option in the austere environment, given its desirable characteristics of ight weight, portability, and multi-purpose probe. Awarded $200K, TRC4 Funded.
SIREN Network
Our Department is a clinical site for the NIH SIREN Network (Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials Network). We are excited to be involved with SIREN and the upcoming research studies the network will execute/conduct. The goal of the SIREN Network is to improve the outcomes of patients with neurologic, cardiac, respiratory and hematologic emergencies by identifying effective treatments given in the earliest stages of care.
Airway Resuscitation Research
Dr. Robert De Lorenzo is the lead investigator on this effort to develop an autonomous and automatic airway and suction device suitable for use by pre- hospital personnel in far-forward and austere settings. This multi-faceted endeavor involves collaborations with investigators, researchers, and physicians from the Long School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UTSA’s College of Engineering, Southwest Research Institute, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, and Brooke Army Medical Center.
Vancomycin Powder for Acute, Long-Bone, Open- Fracture Infection Prophylaxis
Emergency Medicine is coordinating and executing a study that will gauge the efficacy of powdered vancomycin in the use of long-bone open fractures. This project partners Emergency Medicine with investigators at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center, and the Long School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Trauma and Division of Trauma and Emergency Surgery. Dr. Robert De Lorenzo is the lead researcher on this project.
Medical Design Innovations Laboratory
The MDI Lab’s primary mission is to further medical science and improve patient outcomes through innovative device designs. This objective is pursued from a perspective and culture focused on training tomorrow’s engineers within a radically inclusive environment: everyone is welcome. The MDI Lab provides space and resources for students to engage with real medical device design problems, hone their scientific skillsets, and further their personal and professional development. We firmly believe that success is only achievable through team effort; therefore, we incorporate a diverse array of graduate and undergraduate students into research collaborations with professors, doctors, medical caregivers, and business professionals. Medical Design Innovations Laboratory
THERMIC (Thermoregulatory Health Emergencies and Rapid Management Interdisciplinary Collaboration)
A multi-institutional group of interest united by a shared mission: to advance temperature monitoring and thermal management solutions for emergency, prehospital, athletic, and military care. This effort brings together experts in biomedical engineering, emergency medicine, physiology, athletic training, and bioheat transfer to tackle essential gaps in the detection and treatment of hyperthermia, hypothermia, and thermal emergencies.
The initiative is led by The University of Texas at San Antonio, through the Medical Design Innovations Lab and the Department of Emergency Medicine, and includes collaborators from University of Arkansas, The University of Texas at Austin, UT Southwestern Medical Center, United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR), Phoenix Fire Department, and University of Minnesota.
Current efforts focus on the development of a temperature monitoring system, evaluation of advanced cooling technologies, and development of next-generation bioheat transfer models to inform both device design and treatment strategies. By combining experimental, computational, clinical, and field expertise, including that of athletic trainers, the THERMIC group is working to accelerate the translation of research into practical, field-ready solutions for heat- and cold-related emergencies.