Trauma Research

Richard J Mullins, MD: Director, Trauma Service

As a Level I trauma center, OHSU is dedicated to researching improved care of trauma victims. OHSU’s trauma surgeons continue to investigate several aspects of trauma patient care, from the effectiveness of specific emergency procedures to the overall influence of the entire Oregon Trauma System.

Richard J. Mullins, MD, Chief of the OHSU Trauma Service, is the principal investigator of the Rural Trauma Study Group (RTSG), which is supported by grant R49/CCR-006283 from the US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The RTSG has published several articles examining whether implementation of the Oregon Trauma System has improved survival of the state’s injured patients. Dr. Mullins recently organized and hosted–along with the OHSU Department of Surgery, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration–the Academic Symposium to Evaluate Evidence Regarding the Efficacy of Trauma Systems, an event that brought together over 90 of the nation’s experts on trauma systems for the purposes of reviewing the evidence reporting on trauma systems, arriving at action items designed to further proliferate trauma systems throughout North America, and to evaluate the experts’ opinions concerning the quality of the current evidence and the directions of future trauma system research. Dr. Mullins has also co-authored papers on rhabdomyolysis, colon injury, abdominal vascular injuries, and splenic injuries, among others.

John C. Mayberry, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, has been an active member of OHSU’s trauma team since 1995. He has a broad range of research interests and is well known for his commitment to trauma and surgical education. His recent publications have described mesh closure of abdominal wounds, the abdominal compartment syndrome, and percutaneous tracheostomy procedures.

An Assistant Professor of Surgery at OHSU since 1997, Robert K. Goldman splits his time between the Trauma Service and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. As a result, Dr. Goldman’s research focuses on the extended care and recovery of trauma patients, including bi-level ventilation and bedside surgical procedures. He also has interests in the pathophysiology of shock and ARDS.

As the former Chairman of OHSU’s Department of Surgery, Donald D. Trunkey, MD has many responsibilities and duties unrelated to research. However, he has been a world-recognized leader in trauma care for over 30 years and still has a passion for trauma surgery and research. He co-authors several papers on this topic each year and is currently investigating geriatric trauma care and end-of-life decisions.