Overview and Goals
The Harborview Anesthesiology Research Center (HARC) advances research and translational medicine opportunities in the clinical areas of critical care, pain management, and care for patients before, during and after surgery – also known as perioperative care.
Translational medicine is the continuum – often known as “bench to bedside” – by which researchers and clinicians work together to move scientific discoveries from the laboratory into clinical practice to diagnose and treat patients.
Based at Harborview Medical Center, HARC strives to improve the quality, availability, and cost-effectiveness of resuscitation, perioperative care, pain management and critical care through thoughtfully designed and carefully performed clinical research, including investigations funded by federal, private, and industry sponsors. The center produces objective evidence for anesthesia-related medical care and procedures that are safe, cost-effective and state-of-the-art.
In addition to supporting and facilitating research by Harborview anesthesiology faculty, HARC:
- provides training and clinical research opportunities for junior faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students pursuing careers in academic medicine;
- enhances recruitment of motivated physicians and scientists to academic careers in the UW and Harborview Departments of Anesthesiology;
- leverages pilot investigations and seed funding to successfully pursue federal, foundation, and industry funding support.
HARC benefits from Harborview’s busy and varied operating room caseload and interdisciplinary research collaborations in the areas of surgery, neurosurgery, rehabilitation medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine (Medic One) and the UW Burn Center. Harborview’s active acute pain service and status as an academically-oriented referral and Level 1 trauma center also contribute to HARC’s organized and efficient clinical research program.
Research Areas
HARC Director Monica S. Vavilala, M.D, chairs the HARC Clinical Research Advisory Panel, which includes representatives from current areas of clinical and research emphasis at Harborview (see list below). These and other senior faculty members are committed to providing support for students, residents, fellows and junior faculty who wish to participate in clinical research.
Developed specialties include:
Acute and Preoperative Care of Pediatric Trauma/Burn Patients
Sam Sharar, M.D.
Critical Care and Outcomes
Miriam Treggiari, M.D., M.P.H.
Pediatrics
Monica Vavilala, M.D.
Additional, as yet undeveloped specialties may include pain/regional anesthesia and prehospital EMS.
Research Funding Opportunities in Anesthesia Related Fields
HARC supports externally-funded scientific investigators with administrative help, research assistance, clinical database interrogation and statistical expertise. To assist interested individuals, HARC maintains an inventory of ongoing research projects at Harborview, as well as an inventory of potential research funding opportunities relevant to HARC research emphasis areas.
Index of Research Funding Opportunities in Anesthesia and Related Fields (PDF)
Detailed Research Funding Opportunities in Anesthesia and Related Fields (PDF)
Pilot Research Project Funding
Limited amounts of research seed funding are available through HARC and the UW Department of Anesthesiology. Applications from all research areas are welcome. Individuals interested in clinical research and/or seed funding are encouraged to contact the HARC director Monica S. Vavilala, M.D., or appropriate members of the advisory panel for further information.
For application guidelines for preparing HARC funding applications >
Contact
For more information on HARC, its facilities and its programs:
Monica S. Vavilala, M.D.
Harborview Medical Center
Department of Anesthesiology
325 Ninth Avenue
Box 359724
Seattle, WA 98104-2499
vavilala@u.washington.edu