Biography
Joseph Cuschieri M.D. earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and his Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residence and surgical critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Upon completion of his clinical training, he completed a 2-year NIH T32 Fellowship in the field of Trauma/Burn/Inflammation.
Dr. Cuschieri is certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery with subspecialty certification in Surgical Critical Care.
Upon completion of his fellowship in 2002, Dr. Cuschieri joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. After a couple of years he left Cincinnati and returned to Seattle, joining the faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine where he served as the Medical Director of Surgical Critical Care, Interim Associate Medical Director of Critical Care, Associate Medical Director of Surgical Services, and Program Director of Surgical Critical Care. Dr. Cuschieri left Washington and came to UCSF in 2021 to join the faculty in the Department of Surgery as Professor and Trauma Medical Director at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
Dr. Cuschieri currently serves as Principal Investigator, Co-Principle investigator, or Co-Investigator on 3 federally funded grants and has authored or co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed articles and more than 10 book chapters. His national service includes active participation in major trauma, critical care, and surgical societies including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Surgical Critical Care Program Directors. He also serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
Education
| Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training | 09/2021 | |
| University of Washington | T32 Trauma/Burn/Inflammation | 6/2002 | |
| Henry Ford Hospital Medical Center | General Surgery | 6/2000 | |
| Henry Ford Hospital Medical Center | Surgical Critical Care | 6/1998 | |
| Wayne State University School of Medicine | MD | Medicine | 6/1994 |
| University of Michigan | BS | Biochemistry | 6/1990 |
Awards & Honors
| Award | Conferred By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| John K. Stevenson Faculty Teaching Award in Surgery | University of Washington School of Medicine | 2019 |
| CDC HA-VTE Prevention Challenge Champion | Centers of Disease Control | 2015 |
| Castle Connelly Top Doctors | Castle Connelly Inc. | 2006/2021 |
| Joseph Sussman Memorial Award | Surgical Infection Society | 2006 |
Clinical Trials
- Related Conditions: Acute Kidney Injury| Start Date: | End Date:
In the News
Grants and Funding
- Surgery Research Training Program | NIH | 2017-07-01 - 2022-06-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
- Validation of a Genomics Based Prognostic in Severe Trauma | NIH | 2013-06-01 - 2017-04-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
- A Randomzied Phase II Trial of CMV Prevention in Acute Lung Injury | NIH | 2010-06-01 - 2016-12-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
- POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING | NIH | 1975-07-01 - 2015-06-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
- Bedside Genomics in Severe Trauma | NIH | 2012-09-25 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
- Planning a Multi-Center Trial of Interferon-gamma in Trauma Patients | NIH | 2012-09-01 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
- SIS multicenter study of duration of antibiotics for intraabdominal infection | NIH | 2007-09-11 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
- Inflammation and the Host Responses to Injury | NIH | 2000-09-01 - 2013-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
- TRAUMA &SEPSIS INDUCED CHANGES IN IMMUNE CELL MEMBRANE RECEPTOR TRAFFICKING | NIH | 2007-09-01 - 2013-06-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
- Hypertonic Modulation of Inflammation following Injury | NIH | 2007-06-11 - 2012-11-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
Research Narrative
Dr. Cuschieri is a clinical and translational researcher who has worked to decipher the effects of initial injury on subsequent alterations immune function, and development of evidence based practices to improve care of injured and septic patients. His main research focus is in the fields of polytrauma, hemorrhagic shock and neurotrauma with a specific interest in long-term outcomes following injury. From a critical care perspective, his main focus has been on organ support in the critically ill and septic patient.
Publications
- Post-intensive Care Syndrome (PICS): an American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Critical Care Committee Consensus Guideline - Defining, Recognizing, and Managing PICS Associated Physical Impairment, Cognitive Dysfunction, and Thromboinflammatory Dy| |
PubMed
- Navigating the artificial intelligence landscape in trauma, critical care and emergency general surgery: insights from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) 2025 Annual Meeting Panel Discussion.| |PubMed
- Blunt trauma induces a proinvasive transcriptional program in isolated circulating human neutrophils.| |PubMed
- Empiric Antifungal Therapy Is Not Associated with Improved Infectious Outcomes in Penetrating Upper Gastrointestinal Injuries: A Subgroup Analysis of the Surgical Infection Society Multi-Center Observational Study.| |PubMed
- Impact of Whole Blood Resuscitation on Infection Risk in Trauma Patients Undergoing Hemorrhage Control Laparotomy.| |PubMed
- Determination of Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills: Results of a Multidisciplinary, Modified Delphi Process.| |PubMed
- Effect of Aspirin Versus Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin for Thromboprophylaxis in High-Risk and Fracture Location Subpopulations: A Secondary Analysis of the PREVENT CLOT Trial.| |PubMed
- Does patient age influence procedural management of kidney trauma?| |PubMed
- Attenuated interferon-γ following injury is associated with chronic critical illness.| |PubMed
- Surgical Infection Society Multi-Center Observational Study: Empiric Anti-Fungal Coverage after Non-Colonic Gastrointestinal Perforation.| |PubMed