Wendy Walker, PhD, is an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, Texas, USA. She joined the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) in 2017. She has presented at several Critical Care Congresses and is an active member of the Texas Chapter. You can find Dr. Walker running and enjoying the outdoors when she isn’t busy with critical care. Read more about her story below.
What advice do you have for those starting their critical care careers?
My advice for people starting a career in critical care research is to find a great mentor and strong collaborators.
Why do you love being in critical care?
Bacterial sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 6 million people worldwide, and many people continue to experience symptoms of long COVID. I'm grateful to be able to do research on these important diseases. I hope my research will help improve the lives of people with sepsis and COVID-19.
What do you see as the most challenging issue facing critical care?
Federal funding is the most challenging issue for basic and clinician scientists who want to engage in critical care research. We need a robust National Institutes of Health budget to fuel the research that will expand our knowledge of critical care conditions and allow us to develop new therapies.
What do you love about SCCM membership?
I love learning about critical care and meeting clinicians and potential collaborators at the SCCM meetings. I really appreciate the SCCM grant programs. The SCCM-Weil Research Grant was a tremendous help to me in my early research career!
Connect with @Wendy Walker on SCCM Connect!