Overview of Science and Mission
People Behind the Science
Established in 1999, the Emergency Resuscitation Center was founded with the hope of improving survival rates following cardiac arrest. Our mission is to decrease loss of life through the development of new scientific and clinical techniques and treatments. The research performed by ERC scientists spans multiple disciplines including cell and molecular biology, bioengineering, translational research, and clinical studies.
The ERC is under the direction of Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek, a practicing physician in the University of Chicago’s emergency department and a national expert on cardiac arrest. Dr. Vanden Hoek has won two awards for his research from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. Dr. Vanden Hoek is joined by a diverse team of scientists, engineers, clinicians, and educators all working to break the four-minute barrier to survival.
Directors
Terry L. Vanden Hoek, M.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Emergency Resuscitation Center
e-mail: thoek@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Kimm J. Hamann, Ph.D.
Director, Basic Science Studies
Research Associate (Professor)
e-mail: khamann@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
David G. Beiser, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Director, Translational Studies
e-mail: dbeiser@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Zuo-Hui Shao, M.D.
Senior Research Professional
Director, Cell Culture Laboratory
e-mail: zshao@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Dana Edelson, M.D., MS
Instructor, Program in Hospital Medicine
Director, Clinical Studies
e-mail: dperes@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Clinical Research Group
Deborah Walsh, BSN, MSN
Research Nurse
Elizabeth Weidmann, B.A.
Research Assistant
Community CPR/AED Instructor
Ellen Demertsidis, EMT-B
Trainer, Community Services
e-mail: EllenMD3@aol.com
Translational Science Research Group
Gerasim Orbelyan, M.D.
Research Professional Associate
Huashan Wang, M.D.
Research Professional Associate
Danhong Zhao, M.D., PhD
Research Professional Associate
Basic Science Research Group
Atul Joshi, M.S.
Senior Research Technician
Chang-qing Li, M.D.
Research Professional
Phillip Long, B.A., B.S.
Research Technician
Willard Sharp, M.D., Ph.D.
Instructor
Kim Wojcik, M.S.
Lab Manager
ERC Scientific Writer/Editor
Administration
Lynne Harnish
Administrator
e-mail: lharnish@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Michael Retzer, B.A.
Administrative Assistant
ERC Content Writer/Editor