About

Emad Awad, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah and the director of the Emergency Medicine Undergraduate Research Associates program. He completed his PhD in Experimental Medicine with honors from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 2021. Dr. Awad brings over two decades of academic, clinical, and research experience in emergency medicine, with primary research interests including prehospital and in-hospital emergency care and outcomes, cardiovascular emergencies, cardiac arrest, and sex differences in emergency interventions and outcomes. He is also a scientist at the BC Resuscitation Research Collaborative (RESURECT) in British Columbia, Canada. His work focuses on integrating technology, innovation, and AI into emergency medicine research, and he supervises medical students, emergency medicine residents, and graduate students involved in clinical research. Dr. Awad has made significant contributions to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and resuscitation research and has been recognized with multiple national and international awards for his contributions to emergency medicine research.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Sociology
• Family medicine
• Internal medicine
• Demography
• Medical education
• Management
• Emergency medicine
• Statistics
• Internet privacy
• Surgery
• Medical emergency
• Geology

Selected publications

• Sex-based disparities in bystander CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest related to non-prescription drug use

  Resuscitation Plus · 2026-01-07

  articleOpen access

  Background: Non-prescription drug toxicity accounts for up to 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves OHCA outcomes but may be influenced by the patient's sex and the bystander's perceptions of non-prescription drug use. We examined differences in bystander CPR for OHCA of female and male cases with evidence of recent non-prescription drug use. Methods: We used the BC Cardiac Arrest Registry to identify emergency medical system-treated non-traumatic adult OHCAs (2019-2024) with evidence of recent non-prescription drug use. We assessed the association between patient sex and the primary outcome of bystander CPR, and secondary outcomes of bystander naloxone administration, automated external defibrillator (AED) application, and CPR technique, using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among 3012 included cases, the median age was 40 years (Quartile 1 = 31, Quartile 3 = 50) and 826 (27%) were female. Female sex (compared to male) was associated with a higher odds of receiving bystander CPR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.5). Female sex was not associated with bystander naloxone administration (aOR 1.0; 95% CI: 0.81-1.3) or AED application (aOR 0.82; 95% CI: 0.48-1.4). Female sex was associated with a higher odds of receiving compression-plus-ventilation CPR versus compression-only CPR (aOR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0-3.0), although CPR type was frequently not noted. Conclusion: In OHCA cases with evidence of recent non-prescription drug use, female sex was associated with a higher odds of receiving bystander CPR and compression-plus-ventilation CPR. We did not detect an association between sex and bystander naloxone or AED application.

  PublisherDOI

• Manual versus Automated Ventilation with an i-gel^® Airway During Short-Haul Helicopter Operations

  Figshare · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Short-haul rescue involves evacuating a patient from a backcountry environment while suspended beneath a helicopter. Airway management may be required for head injuries or other critical transports. These missions may compromise airway security and ventilation quality. The objective of this study was to compare manual and automated ventilation performance during simulated static and live short-haul scenarios using a mid-fidelity manikin with an i-gel^® airway. We used a prospective simulation-based, non-randomized crossover study design. The study included two scenarios: simulated static and live helicopter short-haul scenarios. An i-gel^® airway was pre-inserted into a mid-fidelity Laerdal Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation manikin. The primary outcome was achievement of target minute ventilation (MV; 5–7.2 L/min). Stretcher attendants performed two short-haul tests for each scenario. The first test utilized a pocket bag-valve-mask for manual ventilation (MV) of the manikin and for the second an automatic ventilator was used. Tidal volumes, breaths per minute, and MV were measured. Additionally, post-test i-gel^® movement was documented and each stretcher attendant completed a post-simulation operational usability survey. Paired comparisons between manual and automated ventilation were analyzed using McNemar’s exact test for the primary outcome and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for secondary outcomes. Nine attendants completed both methods in the static scenario; six completed both in the live scenario. Target MV was achieved in 67% of tests via MV compared to 100% with automated during the static tests. In live scenarios, target MV was achieved via manual in 33% of tests while automated achieved 100%. This difference, while substantial, did not reach statistical significance (static: <i>p</i> = 0.25; live: <i>p</i> = 0.12) likely due to low number of tests with all discordant outcomes favoring the automated ventilator. Manual ventilation resulted in greater i-gel^® movement and resulted in four ventilation disconnects (two static, two live) while no disconnects were observed during automated ventilation; participants also reported greater preference for automated ventilation. Automated ventilation consistently achieved target MV, minimized i-gel^® movement and was preferred by attendants. Rescue teams should consider automated ventilation for short-haul airway management with an i-gel^® airway.

  PublisherDOI

• Racial Disparities in Door-to-Clinician Time for Cardiac Chest Pain in the Emergency Department

  Western Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2026-01-07

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  INTRODUCTION: Timely evaluation in the emergency department (ED) is critical for patients with cardiac chest pain. Although racial disparities in ED wait times have been reported, few studies have focused specifically on cardiac-related presentations. In this study we assessed racial and ethnic disparities in ED door-to-clinician time for cardiac chest pain. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adult ED visits for cardiac chest pain (2019-2025) at a tertiary-care academic hospital. Patients ≥ 18 years of age were included. Race/ethnicity was categorized as White, Hispanic/Latino, Black, Native American, Asian, or other/unknown. Multivariable generalized linear modeling assessed the association between race/ethnicity and door-to-clinician time, adjusting for demographics and clinical variables. RESULTS: The study included 3,925 patients. The overall median door-to-clinician time was 15.9 minutes (interquartile range 8.0-36.0). In unadjusted bivariate analyses, significant differences were observed across racial and ethnic groups (P < .001). Native American patients experienced the longest delays (23.8 minutes [13.9-49.8]), followed by Asian (18.6 minutes [8.4-36.5]) and Hispanic/Latino patients (17.1 minutes [9.3-43.7]). In contrast, White and Black patients had shorter median wait times of 14.9 minutes [7.1-33.9] and 15.0 minutes [8.8-38.7], respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, triage acuity, clinician type, and initial vital signs, Hispanic/Latino patients waited 18.2 minutes vs 14.9 minutes for White patients (absolute +3.3 minutes; 22% longer; relative risk 1.22, 95% CI, 1.09-1.36, P < .001). Adjusted times were also higher for Black (16.5 minutes), Native American (17.7 minutes), and Asian patients (15.1 minutes), but differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Hispanic/Latino patients with cardiac chest pain experienced a 22% longer ED wait time than White patients. Our findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and multisite research to ensure equitable, timely care for all patients with acute cardiac conditions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sample-efficient active learning for materials informatics using integrated posterior variance

  Computational Materials Science · 2026-02-09 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Developing accurate machine learning models with minimal data remains a central challenge in materials informatics. Efficient models can significantly reduce costly computational simulations and time-intensive experimentation by providing reliable predictions of material properties. In this work, we investigate the integrated posterior variance acquisition function within an active learning framework, comparing its performance against three established methods: random sampling, point-wise uncertainty sampling, and query-by-committee. We evaluate these methods across three diverse datasets: AutoAM, Thermoelectric, and NMR. Our results demonstrate that integrated posterior variance consistently outperforms conventional methods in selecting candidates that minimize prediction error with fewer labeled samples. We identify two key limitations: computational overhead that increases with dataset size and diminished effectiveness in high-dimensional feature spaces where distance metrics become less meaningful. Despite these constraints, our approach demonstrates how strategic experimental selection can substantially improve model performance across varying materials informatics domains while minimizing the number of required experiments, offering significant resource savings for materials discovery workflows. • Active learning - Compares Integrated Posterior Variance (IPV) against random sampling, point-wise uncertainty sampling, and query-by-committee. • Multi-dataset evaluation - Benchmarked on three diverse datasets; AutoAM, Thermoelectric, and NMR. • Performance gain - IPV consistently selects candidates that reduce prediction error with fewer labeled samples than other selection strategies. • Limitations - (1) Computational overhead grows with dataset size; (2) Effectiveness declines in high-dimensional spaces where distance metrics degrade. • Practical impact - Enables strategic experiment selection that cuts required experiments for materials discovery workflows.

  PublisherDOI

• Manual versus Automated Ventilation with an i-gel ^® Airway During Short-Haul Helicopter Operations

  Prehospital Emergency Care · 2026-04-01

  article

  OBJECTIVES: airway. METHODS: movement was documented and each stretcher attendant completed a post-simulation operational usability survey. Paired comparisons between manual and automated ventilation were analyzed using McNemar's exact test for the primary outcome and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for secondary outcomes. RESULTS: movement and resulted in four ventilation disconnects (two static, two live) while no disconnects were observed during automated ventilation; participants also reported greater preference for automated ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: airway.

  PublisherDOI

• Unequal Relief: Sex Disparities in Opioid Use for Cardiac Chest Pain in the Emergency Department

  Western Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2026-04-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Introduction: Acute chest pain, commonly caused by coronary artery disease, is a frequent reason for emergency department (ED) visits. While sex disparities in the evaluation and treatment of chest pain are well known, there is limited research on sex differences in the use of opioid analgesics for this condition in the ED. In this study we aimed to evaluate sex differences in the administration of opioid analgesics (morphine and fentanyl) and to compare the time to medication administration in patients presenting with acute cardiac chest pain. Methods: This retrospective observational study included adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) presenting with acute cardiac chest pain and confirmed elevated troponin between 2019–2024. The primary outcome was receipt of intravenous (IV) morphine and/or IV fentanyl. The secondary outcome was time from medication order to administration. For male vs female comparisons, we used t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests for continuous variables, and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to assess sex differences in opioid administration and time to medication, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 2,168 patients were included in the study, with 924 females (42.6%). Among morphine recipients, the median initial IV morphine dose was 5 mg (interquartile range [IQR] 4-5 mg; range 2-6 mg). Males had higher adjusted odds of receiving morphine compared to females (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.28, 95% CI, 1.04–1.57, P = .02). Females had a longer unadjusted time from order to morphine administration (median 11 minutes [IQR 6-20] vs 9 minutes [IQR 4-17]; P = .003). Time to fentanyl administration did not differ by sex. In adjusted analyses, there were no significant sex differences in time to morphine or fentanyl administration. Conclusion: This study identifies significant sex disparities in the administration of morphine to patients with acute chest pain. After adjusting for other factors, male patients had higher odds of receiving IV morphine compared to females. These findings highlight the need for further research to understand the underlying causes of these disparities and to develop strategies to ensure equitable chest pain management in the ED.

  PublisherDOI

• Correction to: Abstract Sun602: Lower Survival After Out-of- Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Older Females: The Joint Effect of Age and Sex

  Circulation · 2026-03-02

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Manual vs Automated Ventilation with an i-gel® Airway During Short-Haul Helicopter Operations

  Figshare · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Short-haul rescue involves evacuating a patient from a backcountry environment while suspended beneath a helicopter. Airway management may be required for head injuries or other critical transports. These missions may compromise airway security and ventilation quality. The objective of this study was to compare manual and automated ventilation performance during simulated static and live short-haul scenarios using a mid-fidelity manikin with an i-gel® airway. We used a prospective simulation-based, non-randomized crossover study design. The study included two scenarios: simulated static and live helicopter short-haul scenarios. An i-gel® airway was pre-inserted into a mid-fidelity Laerdal Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation manikin. The primary outcome was achievement of target minute ventilation (MV; 5–7.2 L/min). Stretcher attendants performed two short-haul tests for each scenario. The first test utilized a pocket bag-valve-mask for manual ventilation of the manikin and for the second an automatic ventilator was used. Tidal volumes, breaths per minute, and MV were measured. Additionally, post-test i-gel® movement was documented and each stretcher attendant completed a post-simulation operational usability survey. Paired comparisons between manual and automated ventilation were analyzed using McNemar's exact test for the primary outcome and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for secondary outcomes. Nine attendants completed both methods in the static scenario; six completed both in the live scenario. Target MV was achieved in 67% of tests via manual ventilation compared to 100% with automated during the static tests. In live scenarios, target MV was achieved via manual in 33% of tests while automated achieved 100%. This difference, while substantial, did not reach statistical significance (static: p = 0.25; live: p = 0.12) likely due to low number of tests with all discordant outcomes favoring the automated ventilator. Manual ventilation resulted in greater i-gel® movement and resulted in four ventilation disconnects (two static, two live) while no disconnects were observed during automated ventilation; participants also reported greater preference for automated ventilation. Automated ventilation consistently achieved target MV, minimized i-gel® movement, and was preferred by attendants. Rescue teams should consider automated ventilation for short-haul airway management with an i-gel® airway.

  PublisherDOI

• Inhaled Epoprostenol Augments Cold-Induced Vasodilation: A Double-Blind Crossover Trial

  Wilderness and Environmental Medicine · 2025-11-28

  article

  Introduction Cold exposure initially induces peripheral vasoconstriction. After 5–10 min, distal blood vessels will transiently and cyclically vasodilate and vasoconstrict in a phenomenon known as cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD). Increased CIVD response is thought to improve dexterity and confer a reduced risk of frostbite injuries. Current guidelines recommend the use of an intravenous synthetic prostacyclin (PGI2) analog for the treatment of some cases of severe frostbite. This double-blind crossover study investigates the effects of the inhaled PGI2 analog epoprostenol on CIVD response through continuous finger temperature measurement during cold water immersion. Results Fourteen healthy volunteers completed both sessions of the study and were included in the analysis. Compared to placebo, inhaled epoprostenol sessions showed higher mean finger temperature (9.16 vs 8.34° C; p = .027), mean maxima temperature (10.86 vs 9.88° C; p = .045), and mean minima temperature (7.45 vs 6.80° C; p = .024). No significant difference was detected in the number of cycles (10.0 vs 7.93; p = .104). No hypotension, hypothermia, or hypoxia was observed, and no subject requested discontinuation due to side effects. Conclusion In this small study, inhaled epoprostenol induced a statistically significant increase in mean temperature, mean maxima temperature, and mean minima temperature in fingers immersed in a cold-water bath, consistent with an augmented CIVD response. The ability to deliver an inhaled PGI2 analog via nebulizer raises the possibility of early interventions to manage frostbite in austere environments, but further study is needed to draw any conclusions regarding the use of epoprostenol for frostbite care.

  PublisherDOI

• Getting Lost to Find Insights - A Prospective Cohort Evaluation of Outdoor Experiential Learning as a Method to Teach Clinical Decision-Making and Decision Science Concepts

  Research Square · 2025-04-28

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Brian Grunau

  University of Warwick

  25 shared

• Jim Christenson

  University of British Columbia

  22 shared

• Karin H. Humphries

  15 shared

• Floyd Besserer

  University of Northern British Columbia

  8 shared

• Scott T Youngquist

  New York City Fire Department

  8 shared

• Niki Rumbolt

  Qatar Science and Technology Park

  7 shared

• H. Farhat

  Centre Hospitalier de Versailles

  7 shared

• Rakan Shami

  Qatar Science and Technology Park

  7 shared

Labs

• Emad Awad LabPI

Education

• Ph.D.

  University of British Columbia

  2021

Awards & honors

• outstanding contributions to emergency medicine research