Matthew Weinger, M.D., professor of Anesthesiology, Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, has been elected a fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the society.
Weinger was among seven fellows recognized at the group’s recent 56th Annual Meeting in Boston, and is the first physician ever awarded this honor. HFES is an interdisciplinary nonprofit organization of professionals involved in the human factors field — the characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems, devices, tools and processes of all kinds.
Weinger directs the Vanderbilt Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety and is a physician at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. He has been teaching and conducting research in patient safety, human factors engineering and clinical decision making for more than two decades.
In 2006, he was named the Norman Ty Smith Chair in Patient Safety and Medical Simulation, one of the nation’s first named chairs focused on patient safety and simulation.
“This is a great honor that recognizes Matt’s significant contribution to human factors research,” said Warren Sandberg, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. “We are very proud to have him represent Vanderbilt in this international capacity.”
“To be recognized by this group is a great honor, both personally and professionally,” said Weinger. “The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society has been an important part of my career development since I joined the society more than 20 years ago.”
A member of the Vanderbilt faculty since 2004, Weinger has made significant contributions to improving patient handovers, developing the university’s medical simulation training into a world-class center of excellence and in identifying and addressing specific patient safety issues.
