SAEM Award Winners

Amy H. Kaji, MD, PhD

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

At the time of her passing on August 1, 2024, Dr. Kaji was senior advisor for academic development at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and a professor of clinical emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

A Harvard College graduate, she earned her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College. Her extensive training included an emergency medicine residency and research/disaster medicine fellowship at Harbor-UCLA, where she also completed an MPH and a doctorate in epidemiology from UCLA School of Public Health. 
Dr. Kaji authored hundreds of published works and was a methodological and statistical editor for Annals of Emergency Medicine and JAMA Surgery. In addition, she edited the 9th edition of Rosen's Emergency Medicine and co-authored the first edition of the study guide, Emergency Medicine Board Review. Her three-book series, The Kaji Review, remains a valuable educational resource for emergency medicine students, residents, and attending physicians.

University of Pennsylvania Department of Emergency Medicine (PennEM)

University of Pennsylvania

PennEM’s proactive and research-driven approach to wellness has positioned the department as a national leader in promoting wellness, mitigating burnout, and fostering an inclusive, supportive culture. By setting a standard for innovation and equity, PennEM exemplifies the values of the SAEM Outstanding Department for Wellness Award.

Ian B. K. Martin, MD, MBA

Medical College of Wisconsin

Dr. Martin is an eminent scholar and professor of emergency medicine, medicine, and health and equity at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Medical School. He serves as system chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, interim senior associate dean for faculty affairs, and interim associate provost for faculty affairs at MCW. Additionally, he is emergency physician-in-chief for Froedtert & MCW Health System.

Previously, Dr. Martin was professor and chair of emergency medicine at West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine and emergency physician-in-chief for WVU Health System. He currently serves on the Froedtert & MCW Health System Clinical Executive Committee, the MCW Medical School Dean’s Executive Workgroup, and the Medical College Physicians Board.

Vik Bebarta, MD

University of Colorado

Dr. Bebarta is a distinguished physician-scientist specializing in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and pharmacology. He holds the position of professor and vice chair for strategy and growth in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Additionally, he serves as the founding director of the Center for Combat and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, focusing on advancing acute care, critical care, and combat casualty care research.

Dr. Bebarta earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy, graduating as a Distinguished Graduate and collegiate boxer. He obtained his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Following an internship at the University of Colorado, he completed his residency in emergency medicine at Denver Health Medical Center, where he served as chief resident. He further specialized by completing a fellowship in medical toxicology at the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center.

Luan Lawson, MD, MAEd

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Dr. Lawson serves as senior associate dean of medical education and student affairs and a professor of emergency medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. She joined VCU after previously serving as associate dean of curricular innovation in medical education and associate professor of emergency medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, where she earned her medical degree.

At VCU, Dr. Lawson continues to emphasize collaboration and continuous improvement in medical education, supporting students and advancing the field. Her ongoing research interests include health systems science and its integration into medical curricula, as evidenced by her publications in the field.

Alister Martin, MD, MPP

Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Martin is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School, a senior fellow at the Burnes Center for Social Change, and a practicing emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also serves as the chief executive officer of A Healthier Democracy, a nonprofit healthcare organizing incubator that leverages healthcare workers and settings to develop programs serving vulnerable patients.

Dr. Martin graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University, where he was a Division I tennis player. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School as a Presidential Scholar and obtained a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School as a fellow in the Center for Public Leadership. ​During his training, he served as chief resident at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency.

Judy Linden, MD

Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center

Dr. Judith A. Linden serves as the executive vice chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and holds the distinction of being the department's first female full professor. She is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, utilizing her expertise to develop innovative simulation training programs for residents. These programs incorporate trauma-informed care to enhance the treatment of sexual assault survivors. ​

Dr. Linden's academic interests focus on interventions for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, as well as the recognition and treatment of substance use disorders. She has contributed to the field through publications, including an invited review in the New England Journal of Medicine on the acute care of sexual assault survivors. ​

Theresa Hsiang-Ting Cheng, MD, JD

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Emergency Medicine - Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

Dr. Cheng is an assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine and associate co-director of social emergency medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She earned her medical degree from the Mayo Clinic and a Juris Doctor specializing in international law from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. ​

Dr. Cheng focuses on integrating social equity into emergency care through a human rights and international law perspective. She co-authored a chapter on homelessness in the textbook "Social Injustice and Public Health" (4th edition). Her previous work includes collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme on issues of medical neglect and coercion of HIV-positive individuals in Southeast Asia, as well as partnering with the American Civil Liberties Union to investigate reproductive health violations of migrants in detention centers. ​

Nicholas Jouriles, MD

Northeast Ohio Emergency Medicine; US Acute Care Solutions; Summa Health System

Dr. Jouriles serves as the professor and chair of emergency medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and as the vice chair of faculty development in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Summa Health.

Dr. Jouriles earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Dartmouth and further specialized in emergency medicine at the University of Colorado's Denver Affiliated Hospitals. ​

Konnor Davis

University of California, Irvine School of Medicine

Dr. Davis is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree. He is now beginning his emergency medicine residency at the University of California, Davis. Originally from Sacramento, California, Dr. Davis began his academic journey at community college before earning an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from UC Davis. While at UC Davis, he was a student leader in the Emergency Medicine Research Associates Program (EMRAP), contributing to clinical research in the emergency department. Before medical school, Dr. Davis worked as a clinical research coordinator, where he managed a federally funded clinical trial for children with autism and anxiety and contributed to the longest longitudinal autism research study to date.

At UC Irvine, Dr. Davis was deeply involved in emergency medicine as vice president of education, vice president of advising, and senior advisor for the Emergency Medicine Interest Group. In these roles, he organized procedure workshops, faculty interviews, monthly networking dinners, and other initiatives to strengthen the group’s impact.

David Gordon

Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University

Dr. Gordon is a recent graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree. He is now beginning his emergency medicine residency at Yale University, where he has been admitted into the Yale Emergency Scholars (YES)program, a five-year track that merges emergency medicine residency with a rigorous research fellowship. 

Dr. Gordon is also the co-founder of AltruMed, a start-up developing a wearable harm reduction device for respiratory suppressant overdose. With a unique background combining EMS, architecture, and industry experience into emergency medicine research, Dr. Gordon merges clinical research with design principles to address gaps in healthcare delivery. He is particularly interested in research that creates technology or processes to improve access to emergency care, patient experience, and emergency department design.

Michael DiGaetano, MD

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Dr. DiGaetano is chief resident in emergency medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. He earned his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Dr. DiGaetano has developed and implemented numerous educational initiatives, including simulation-based learning and escape room scenarios, to enhance resident and medical student training. His research interests focus on the cognitive-behavioral impact of standardized testing, the development of interpersonal communication skills, and the efficacy of simulation in medical education.

Patricia Hernández, MD

Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Patricia Hernández is a third-year emergency medicine resident at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, earning an A.B. in Molecular Biology with a certificate in Global Health Policy. Dr. Hernández then attended the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, obtaining her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2022.

Throughout her medical training, Dr. Hernández has demonstrated a strong commitment to medical education, ultrasound, critical care, and health equity. She is actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students and residents, with a particular focus on integrating ultrasound techniques into emergency care. Her dedication to advancing health equity is evident through her involvement in initiatives aimed at addressing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.

Rana M. Barghout

Weill Cornell Medicine

Rana Barghout is a third-year medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine with an interest in emergency medicine, geriatrics, and health systems research. She graduated from Amherst College with a degree in neuroscience through the QuestBridge National Match program. During her time there, she conducted honors thesis research, led the first-generation student society, and delivered a TEDx Talk on breaking stereotypes and improving support for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Following graduation, Rana conducted translational research at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying the genetic and immunologic mechanisms underlying blood production and neutrophil function. At Weill Cornell, she has served on the Medical Student Executive Council and is involved in the Emergency Medicine Interest Group, Weill Cornell Community Clinic, and First Generation–Low Income Group. Her current research focuses on refusal of care, capacity assessment, and agitation management for older adults in the EMS setting, reflecting her passion for improving patient safety and emergency care for vulnerable populations.