Richard E. Rothman, MD, PhD, FACEP, is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, where he also serves as Executive Vice Chair and Vice Chair for Research. He has dedicated his career to research, mentoring, and program building focusing on improving care for emergency department (ED) patients impacted by infectious diseases.
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Rothman has played a leadership role in advancing ED-based approach to improve surveillance, diagnosis, and management of ED patients with indolent infectious diseases (including HIV, HCV and varied STIs). In the mid-1990’s he participated in studies which helped define the HIV epidemic from the ED lens, leading him to focus attention on the design and implementation of programs to improve disease recognition, decrease community transmission, and advance care for patients who are impact by these diseases who seeks care in the ED. Together with many dedicated clinicians and public health colleagues (both locally and nationally), Dr. Rothman has carried out studies to demonstrate gaps, while also advancing new approaches to improve patient care and public health. He has also advocated for both funding and legislation to address gaps in care for impacted ED populations (particularly vulnerable and marginalized populations).
Dr. Rothman has made important contributions in the development and translation of innovative molecular diagnostic tests to improved detection of common and emerging threats in the ED. He has particular expertise in rapid point-of-care methods – helping advance new tools, from assay design to integration into practice (with support from NIH, CDC, BARDA, DOD, and industry). He currently serves as Co-PI for the NIAID Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response.
Dr. Rothman served as consultant to the CDC for ACEP, and held varied leadership roles in both the ACEP and SAEM Public Health Committees. Nearly a decade ago, he partnered with ED colleagues from across the country to establish a collaborative ED network focused on research, practice, and policy to address emerging transmissible infectious disease threats (coined EMTIDE, The Emergency Medicine Transmissible Infectious Diseases and Epidemics Network) which continues today.
Dr. Rothman received his BA from Amherst College, PhD from UCSF in physiology (molecular biology), MD from Cornell University, and emergency medicine residency and fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University.
About This Award
The Public Health Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution in advancing public health care and injury prevention measures locally, statewide, or nationally.
