UT Health San Antonio has established TRC4, a collaborative effort that partners with the Department of Defense and the entire UT System to enhance trauma care. With traumatic injuries being the leading cause of death among people aged one through 45 years and the third leading cause of death across all age groups in the U.S., this collaborative was formed to conduct cutting-edge research aimed at improving care, survival rates, and quality of life for injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and burns.
James Bynum, PhD, serves as both the vice chair of research for the Department of Surgery at UT Health San Antonio and as executive director of TRC4. He emphasizes the importance of developing better treatment and resuscitation strategies, as well as skin substitutes for wound healing. Bynum believes that major trauma can have long-lasting mental effects, even in civilian settings. San Antonio’s reputation as a health research hub for the military makes it an ideal location for TRC4’s research initiatives.
Bynum views this collaboration as a significant opportunity after over 20 years of experience as a Department of Defense researcher. He regards making a difference from a civilian perspective is worth pursuing after serving with the Army for so long. Science & Medicine is another collaborative project between TPR and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio that highlights how scientific discoveries made in San Antonio are revolutionizing medical practices worldwide.
