Bhakti Patel, MD

2020 Associate Junior Faculty Scholars

Dr. Patel is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director of the Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Program. As an academic clinical trialist, she specializes in complex multidisciplinary interventions aimed at improving outcomes in patients with respiratory failure. Her overall hypothesis is that many ICU complications are perpetuated by current standard care practices and that choosing mobility over immobility, mental animation over sedation, and spontaneous versus controlled respiration will improve outcomes. Her research career is built on this “less is more” approach to inform investigational trials that rely on collaborative team building, innovation, and program development. This approach has inspired her investigations of early mobilization in mechanically ventilated patients and helmet ventilation in ARDS, which was recognized as among the top three clinical research achievements of 2016 by the Clinical Research Forum and referenced internationally to guide COVID-19 pandemic response. Her efforts and commitment to medical education has also been recognized in teaching awards from the University of Chicago Internal Medicine Residency.