Remembering E. Brooke Lerner, PhD, FAEM
- Published October 31, 2023
E. Brooke Lerner, PhD, FAEMS, passed away Oct. 4 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Lerner was a pioneer in the field of prehospital pediatric research, and served as co-principal investigator for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network’s (PECARN)’s dedicated EMS research node: CHaMP E-RNC (Charlotte, Houston, Milwaukee Prehospital EMS Research Node Center).
Last spring, Lerner sat down for an interview about her career, which you can read here. Below, her colleagues share their thoughts on her impact.
“Our lights have dimmed while Brooke passes into the heavens. But her legacy of protecting the lives of our children will forever burn brightly! We remember her gratefully.”
Theresa Morrison-Quinata, EMSC Branch Chief
“We have a formidable national network filling critical knowledge gaps in EMS due to Brooke. Brooke mentored me, and she inspired me to become a NIH-funded EMS investigator. If it were not for her guidance, I would not be leading the Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in EMS (PediDOSE) study in PECARN now.”
Manish I. Shah, MD, MS, of PECARN
“Beyond her immense research skills, Brooke modeled integrity, persistence, and humility. She drove forward PECARN prehospital research, leaving a rich, rapidly growing, and successful investigator core to build on the foundation she built, calmly and without self-promotion.”
Peter Dayan, MD, of PECARN
“Brooke was the ultimate colleague, advisor, and friend. She was to the point and direct, but always thoughtful and able to see through the complexities to get to the meat of the matter. Most importantly she was a friend who was always there when I needed her. Her legacy is not only the impact she had within PECARN and EMSC, but to the individuals she befriended and mentored.”
Eileen Klein, MD, MPH of PECARN
“Thank you, Brooke, for changing the acceptability and face of pediatric EMS research. Initially, you pretty much did it single-handedly, and now you have cultivated a legacy of amazing prehospital researchers who grew up with your non-nonsense mentorship and who produced results quickly under your guidance. You have made such a difference, my friend!”
Rachel Stanley MD, MHSA of PECARN (quoted from a text to Lerner shortly before her passing)
Learn more about a fund created in Lerner's honor here or listen to a recent Push Dose EMS podcast that highlights her legacy.