1. Cholera Management: Accurate and rapid assessment of dehydration status is critical to preventing morbidity and mortality in patients with cholera, yet the tools available to providers for diagnosing dehydration are limited. With funding support from the NIH Fogarty International Center, I conducted a series of studies in Rwanda and Bangladesh focusing on the development of new tools for the assessment of dehydration in young children with acute diarrhea. In addition to deriving and validating the DHAKA score, a new clinical diagnostic tool for the assessment of dehydration in young children, my research also explored the accuracy of other clinical diagnostic models for dehydration, as well as the interaction between malnutrition and acute diarrheal disease.
2. Ebola Virus Disease: From 2015-2016, I directed International Medical Corps’ Ebola Research Team, leading a series of retrospective and prospective studies in West Africa. Our research has led to the development of new tools that front-line health workers can use to predict which patients are most likely to have EVD in the context of an epidemic, as well as expanding our understanding of the natural history of this deadly disease.
3. Improved Diagnostics for Global Health: I have carried out a series of studies investigating the novel use of cost-effective diagnostic technologies for managing the most common causes of death in children and adults worldwide. This includes several studies on the use of handheld, portable ultrasound for the assessment of dehydration in children with diarrhea, as well as the use of oxygen saturation for predicting pneumonia, and biosensor patches for monitoring vital signs in patients with Ebola. Improved diagnostics can help clinicians in resource-limited settings provide the effective care for patients while limiting the overuse of precious health care resources.
4. Trauma Management in Austere Settings: I have conducted prior research on the management of traumatic injuries, both in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa and during humanitarian emergencies. My research has focused both on understanding the burden of injury in these contexts, as well as developing novel methods for improving the delivery of care to patients across the globe suffering from acute injuries.

My current research focuses on finding new tools for improving the diagnosis of dehydration and resuscitation of children with cholera and other severe diarrheal disease, specifically in the developing world. Dehydration from diarrhea kills over 700,000 children each year, mostly in developing countries. As the severity of the disease can vary widely, accurately assessing dehydration status remains a crucial step in preventing mortality from this disease. Unfortunately, the diagnostic tools available to physicians and other providers to assess the degree of dehydration in children with diarrhea are limited. I am interested in developing new clinical scales, specifically for assessment of children in the developing world, which can be used to accurately assess the degree of dehydration. In addition, I am interested in looking at how other tools, such as ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC), can also be used to improve the diagnosis of dehydration in children. Eventually, these tools could improve the management of dehydration in children with diarrhea, leading to both more effective and more cost-effective care while reducing mortality from this disease.

In addition, I am currently leading an effort for International Medical Corps to analyze data on over 2000 patients managed in its Ebola Treatment Units in West Africa during the recent epidemic. The goal is to improve our understanding of the disease, find new ways of diagnosing and managing it, and improve our response to future epidemics.

I am also interested in the management of injuries in patients in the developing world and during humanitarian emergencies. I am working on projects with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and with Doctors Without Borders to identify acute trauma needs in low-income countries and to improve the management of patients with acute injuries during humanitarian emergencies.

Active

NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases     09/2018-06/2023

Development of a novel mobile health tool for age-specific dehydration assessment and management in patients with diarrheal disease

Grant Number: R01DK116163

Role: Principal Investigator                      $2,809,435 total costs

NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease                           06/2017-05/2019

Evaluation of Management Strategies for Maximizing Supportive Care for Patients with Ebola Virus Disease

Grant Number: R03AI132801

Role: Principal Investigator                      $179,200 total costs

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention                                   06/2017-06/2022

Global Emergency Response and Recovery Partner Engagement: Expanding Efforts and Strategies to Improve Rapid Response to Public Health Emergencies Globally

Grant Number: NU2GGH002058

Role: Principal Investigator                      $750,000 total year one costs

Carnegie Corporation of New York                                                                       04/2018-04/2020

Civilian-Military Coordination in Humanitarian Response

Grant Number: R-17-55582

Role: Co-Investigator                    $175,000 total costs

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation                                                                     10/2018-04/2020

Development of a Bayesian diagnostic for etiological management of pediatric diarrhea

Grant Number: OPP1198876

Role: Co-Investigator                    $74,499 total subaward costs

Completed

Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency                                              07/2008-06/2009

Maryanne Povinelli Humanism Award

International Emergency Ultrasound: Training and Research in Rwanda

Role: Principal Investigator                       $2000 total costs

Rhode Island Foundation                                                                          06/2010-05/2012

Assessment of Severe Dehydration in Children with Diarrhea Using Clinical Exam

Role: Principal Investigator                       $15,000 total costs                 

Thrasher Foundation                                                                                 06/2010-05/2012

Early Career Award

Assessment of Severe Dehydration in Children with Diarrhea Using Ultrasound

Role: Principal Investigator                       $25,000 total costs

Brown University Department of Emergency Medicine                              10/2010-04/2012

Junior Faculty Research Development Grant

Assessment of Severe Dehydration in Children with Diarrhea Using Pulse Oximetry Waveform Analysis

Role: Principal Investigator                       $46,086 total costs

Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC)                                               04/2014-09/2016

Rapid Response Grant

Regional Anesthesia for Painful Injuries After Disasters (RAPID)

Role: Co-Principal Investigator      £122,650 total costs

International Medical Corps                                                                                  05/2015-12/2016

Ebola Research Collaborative

Role: Principal Investigator                       $398,064 total costs

NIH Fogarty International Center                                                               09/2012-09/2017

Assessment of Dehydration in Children with Diarrhea in Resource-Limited Settings

Grant Number: K01TW009208

Role: Principal Investigator                       $679,529 total costs

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/                                    05/2012-06/2018

Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program

Role: Site Program Director                       $1,046,722 total subcontract

NIH National Institute of Child Health and Development                           12/2013-11/2018

Impact of Emergency Department Probiotic Treatment of Pediatric Gastroenteritis

Grant Number: R01HD071915

Role: Site PI / Co-Investigator        $67,730 total subcontract

2012                Humanitarian Service Award, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Global Emergency Medicine Academy

2012                Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award, Brown University Alpert Medical School

2012                Exemplary Service Award, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School

2013                Community Service Award, American Medical Association Young Physicians Section

2015                Rhode Islander of the Year, Rhode Island Monthly Magazine

2016                Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine, American Medical Association Foundation

2017                Global Health Impact Award, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School

Director, Humanitarian Innovation Initiative (HI²)

Brown University Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs

Director, Division of Global Emergency Medicine

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Affiliate Faculty, Center for International Health Research

Rhode Island Hospital

Editor-in-Chief, Global Emergency Medicine Literature Review

Academic Emergency Medicine Journal

Brown University PHP 1802S: Human Security and Humanitarian Response
Spring Semester Seminar Course