Research in the Erica Johnson Lab investigates infection control in military deployment environments as well as infections that are associated with combat trauma. We explore topics such as HIV outcomes, gender-based health issues and disparities in care.

At the brain tumor laboratory, Henry Brem, M.D. and Betty Tyler, along with more than 350 trainees, have conducted scientific research, contributed to scientific literature, amended clinical practice, and illuminated new pathways for improving clinical outcomes.

The laboratory has advanced the understanding of gene therapy, angiogenesis, intracranial implantation of biodegradable polymers to treat malignant glioma, tumor genetics and proteomics, microchip drug delivery and drug resistance studies. Dr. Brem and his colleagues have designed and led many multi-institutional clinical trials to improve and expand the range of therapeutic options for patients with brain tumors.

The Bradford Winters Lab conducts research on patient safety and quality of care. Our team focuses on the topics of patient care in the intensive care unit, evidence-based medicine, quality health care, and the measurement and evaluation of safety efforts. Currently our work involves evaluating pain management techniques in post-craniotomy patients, developing guidelines for policy development of patient safety initiatives and creating measures for rapid-response system outcomes.

Research in the Biophotonics Imaging Technologies (BIT) Laboratory focuses on developing optical imaging and nano-biophotonics technology to reduce the random sampling errors in clinical diagnosis, improve early disease detection and guidance of biopsy and interventions, and improve targeted therapy and monitoring treatment outcomes. The imaging technologies feature nondestructiveness, unique functional and molecular specificity, and multi-scale resolution (from organ, to architectural morphology, cellular, subcellular and molecular level). The nano-biophotonics technologies emphasize heavily on biocompatibility, multi-function integration and fast track clinical translation. These imaging and nano-biophotonics technologies can also be potentially powerful tools for basic research such as for drug screening, nondestructive assessment of engineered biomaterials in vitro and in vivo, and for studying brain functions on awake animals under normal or controlled social conditions.

Dr. Crews’ team focuses on health disparities in chronic kidney disease. We have studied how social determinants of health, such as poverty and healthful food access, affect disparities in kidney disease outcomes. Our research on end-stage renal disease includes studies of the best timing and environment to initiate dialysis among vulnerable populations.

Work in the Donald Shaffner Lab investigates several topics within critical care medicine. Our team conducts research on the mechanisms involved in neurologic injury from global ischemia as a result of cardiac arrest and resuscitation. We also study neurologic outcomes of pediatric patients who experience cardiac arrest.

Investigators in the Yukari Manabe Lab evaluate the accuracy of rapid, point-of-care diagnostics for HIV, tuberculosis and related infectious diseases in resource-limited settings particularly sub-Saharan Africa and examine the impact of diagnostic interventions on disease detection and patient outcomes. The team also conducts operational and translational research in tuberculosis and HIV co-infection.

The Wang lab focuses on the signals that direct the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, such as induced-pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, into hematopoietic and cardiovascular cells. Pluripotent stem cells hold great potential for regenerative medicine. Defining the molecular links between differentiation outcomes will provide important information for designing rational methods of stem cell manipulation.

The research mission of the Zackary Berger Lab is to bridge evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making in the context of patient-centered care. Lab studies investigate how to accomplish this in the common case of uncertainty, while seeking to clarify the ethics of decision-making and empirically describe how shared decision-making is and should be done. Zackary Berger, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In addition to his work as an internist and primary care physician, Dr. Berger is an associate faculty member in the Berman Institute of Bioethics, and core faculty in the Evidence Based Practice Center as well as the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research.

The Vaninder Dhillon Lab is currently researching 1) the role of voice outcomes in laryngeal dysplasia treated both in the operating room and clinic with the KTP laser; 2) Voice outcome pre and post thyroidectomy 3) Voice outcomes and technique in placement of Montgomery T tubes for subglottic and upper cervicotracheal stenosis.