She is an internationally recognized scholar in sex and gender-specific research with a focus on cardiovascular health in emergency care. Her current research focuses on microvascular disease. She has been the recipient of federal and industry funding to conduct translational research, and has expertise in conducting numerous successful clinical trials in emergency settings.
Dr. Safdar has won several research awards including Yale EM Research of the year award in 2004, Connecticut Chapter of Emergency Physicians (CCEP) award in 2004 and the National Best Clinical Science Research Award (Resident) by Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) in 2005 and 2020 AWAEM mid career award. She has formerly led the Women’s Heart Program at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Safdar speaks regularly at regional and national forums and has given several media presentations raising awareness about sex and gender-specific forms of heart disease. In 2014, she successfully co-chaired the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on “Sex and Gender Specific Research – Investigate, Understand and Translate how Gender Affects Patient Outcomes”. This national conference brought leaders in academic Emergency Medicine and other specialties to put forth a blue print to create a research agenda for the specialty for the next decade. Lastly, Dr. Safdar is committed to advancement of women in medicine.