William Reis, MD, MS

William Reis, MD, MS, is a fourth-year emergency medicine resident at the University of Pennsylvania with a dedicated focus on improving outcomes for patients experiencing cardiac arrest, particularly those presenting with pulseless electrical activity (PEA). PEA is a subset of cardiac arrest characterized by electrical activity without a detectable pulse, known for its increasing incidence and high mortality rate, yet lacking specific treatments.

Dr. Reis earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University before obtaining his medical degree from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He is currently completing his residency training in emergency medicine at Penn Medicine.

Dr. Reis’s research aims to clinically define phenotypes of PEA and identify treatments for idiopathic PEA—cases without an identifiable reversible cause. By distinguishing idiopathic PEA from cases with known etiologies, he seeks to enhance understanding of PEA's underlying mechanisms and determine the prevalence of idiopathic instances. For PEA cases with identifiable causes, the standard approach involves addressing the reversible etiology. However, for idiopathic cases, current treatment options are limited to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which has low survival rates.

To advance this critical area of resuscitation research, Dr. Reis plans to pursue a research fellowship focused on repurposing existing therapeutics for the treatment of idiopathic PEA.