2024 Research Committee Leader Spotlight

Charles Sanky, MD, MPH, Chair of the EMRA Research Committee, 2024

Program: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Your goal as an EMRA leader: Continuing to grow in EMRA committee leadership role will allow me to better serve my peers and patients. Integrating lessons I've learned through service to EMRA the past seven years, I hope to facilitate opportunities for residents, young physicians, and medical students to share and learn from each other's experiences. I look forward to furthering EMRA’s mission and helping foster the tight-knit, supportive community that will allow others to find a professional home like I did.

What do you think are the top three traits of a great leader? Showing up for your team. Integrity. Creativity.

What is the best advice you have ever received? Sometimes when you feel a need to ramp up or do more, you really have to slow down and do less. Only then will you gain the focus, clarity, and perspective that you really need.

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Snacks. Lots of snacks.

What's the last non-textbook you read? "Poverty, By America" - by Matthew Desmond

Favorite channel on social media? The TED Talks Channel

What are your tops songs on your Spotify Wrapped? "I Wish" - Stevie Wonder, "Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream, "Crazy on You" - Heart

Anna Heffron, MD, PhD, Chair-Elect of the EMRA Research Committee, 2024

Program: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Your goal as an EMRA leader: I'm thrilled to be leading in EMRA and most look forward to helping my colleagues connect over and advance their interests related to research.

What is something people don't know about you? Most people don't know I was on my undergrad boxing team.

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: I might have been a basic science researcher, and/or an activist of some type.

What is your favorite hack for night shifts? Peanut M&Ms and of course some source of caffeine (about 50/50 on whether that's coffee or Celsius)

What is the last non-textbook you read? Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver--it's SO GOOD. Finished it right around the same time as Deep Medicine by Eric Topol--also really good though a different kind of read.

Michael Makutonin, BS, Vice Chair of the EMRA Research Committee, 2024

Program: George Washington University

Your goal as an EMRA leader: I have been a stats and computer nerd for as long as I can remember, and I hope that I can help folks get similarly inspired about the process of research and the role that statistics and machine learning can play in their academic and clinical practice!

What is something people don't know about you? I used to be a ski instructor!

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: I would probably go back to software engineering - but I don't want to think about that possibility too deeply until after Match next year, when this question becomes as hypothetical as it is for my colleagues.

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Does coffee count? Then coffee. Lots of coffee. Sometimes followed by a snack. And then more coffee.

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time? Oof - the New York Times. I'm a doomscroller. 

Laura Harding-Jackson, DO, PhD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Research Committee, 2024

Program: University of Michigan Medicine

Your goal as an EMRA leader: My goal is to highlight and expand the vibrant academic world of emergency medicine! Emergency medicine is a fulfilling destination for both community and academic-focused individuals. However, the vast academic side of emergency medicine is not always conveyed to those exploring interest in the specialty. I am so excited to showcase the cutting edge practice advancements contributed by emergency medicine physicians and broaden the possibilities of academic emergency medicine to the next generation of physicians. 

What is something people don't know about you? I love baking macarons. Experimenting with endless flavor options is so fun, and while baking them is a finicky process, it is so rewarding when they come out perfectly.

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: A world-renowned travel writer and food blogger, of course! 

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Always keep an emergency snickers bar on hand. 

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time? Probably messaging my family chat on WhatsApp! We are a proud family of over-sharers. 

Favorite channel on social media? Probably anything cooking or baking related; Food52 and New York Times Cooking are two favorites! 

Jose Reyes, MD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Research Committee, 2024

Program: Cook County Health & Hospital Systems

Your goal as an EMRA leader:  My goal as an EMRA leader is to create a stronger emergency medicine specialty that will continue to compare to the others in desirability as a specialty and innovator in the House of Medicine as a whole. Similar to other specialties that integrate research more closely into their training, I plan to promote research in EM so that its prevalence and accessibility increase to develop the EM physician’s ability to innovate and critique the medical system. I aim to advocate for progress in reproductive and women’s health issues, and I plan to share the perspective of underrepresented demographics in leadership decisions to ensure equity is maintained and in ongoing and new projects spearheaded by EMRA.

What is something people don't know about you? I have kosmemophobia or a visceral reaction to jewelry. I will never forget to double glove to remove ostentatious stuck rings and occasionally forget for the dreaded ED disempaction.

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: I would try to be a writer, but odds are my writing wouldn’t be best seller level, so I’d probably teach writing and write some.

What app on your phone consumes the most of your time? Marvel Snap. It's a silly game that doesn’t deserve the amount of time it’s given.

Favorite channel on social media? Ziwe (RIP Her Show) who came back with an insane George Santos Interview.

Katrina A. Muraglia, MD, PhD, Asst. Vice Chair of the EMRA Research Committee, 2023-2024

Program: University of Michigan

Your goal as an EMRA leader: My main goal as an EMRA leader is to promote resident involvement in research, particularly basic science. We as EM physicians play a pivotal role in at least the first 6 hours of every field of medicine; our "domain" of basic science research is well and truly endless--and minimally tapped as far as I'm concerned.

What is something people don't know about you? I am a competitive powerlifter and finished 12th in my weight class at USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals in 2015. I took a bit of a hiatus while finishing medical school but am now back to competing and coaching. My passion is mentoring young female lifters who are also interested in STEM, and teaching them how to use the gym as a simulation ground to gain confidence and unapologetically take up space in a male-dominated field.

If I weren't an emergency physician, I would be: I would be a novelist writing epic high fantasy books!

Favorite life hack for night shifts: Celsius, Celsius, and more Celsius. Also--eating an actual meal--I am sleepier if I don't eat "lunch" (or whatever meal that's supposed to be!)