Dr. Robert W. Neumar, a renowned expert in brain damage after cardiac arrest and head trauma, has been appointed chair of the Medical School’s Department of Emergency Medicine, after approval by the U-M Board of Regents at its June 21 meeting.
Neumar, who will begin July 1, comes to U-M from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where he was an associate professor of emergency medicine and associate director of the Center for Resuscitation Science.
Along with maintaining an active clinical practice at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Neumar conducted extensive research focused on understanding the mechanisms of brain injury, and developing therapies to minimize brain damage and improve the brain’s ability to recover after cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury.
“Dr. Neumar has a strong track record of producing cutting-edge research into the molecular events that happen in the brain after cardiac arrest and head trauma,” says Dr. James O. Woolliscroft, dean of the Medical School and Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine. “His expertise and experience will further the University of Michigan Medical School’s contributions to the advancement of emergency medicine worldwide through research while providing the highest level of critical care to our patients.”
Woolliscoft also thanked Dr. William Barsan, who had led the department since its establishment in 1999. Barsan will stay on as faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine, continuing to his preeminent clinical research program in neurologic emergencies that includes leadership of the NIH-funded Neurologic Emergencies Treatment Trial Network.
Neumar has a 17-year track record of continuous NIH funding and has published more than 75 original research manuscripts, reviews, editorials and chapters. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has previously chaired the American College of Emergency Physicians Research Committee, Scientific Review Committee, and Research Section and is a recipient of ACEP’s Award for Outstanding Contribution in Research.
