Research
Dr. Eric O. Yeates conducts clinical and health services research focused on improving outcomes in trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care. His work combines prospective clinical trials, multicenter collaborations, and national database analyses to address common clinical decisions and variation in surgical care. His recent research includes the SEAL IT randomized trial evaluating suction versus water seal for traumatic pneumothorax, improving CT-based measurement of traumatic hemothorax, and comparing robotic and laparoscopic approaches to emergency general surgery. Dr. Yeates has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, with work addressing trauma risk prediction, thoracic injury management, and disparities in injury patterns and outcomes. His research aims to inform clinical practice, reduce unnecessary interventions, and improve care for patients served by safety-net hospitals.
Biography
Dr. Eric O. Yeates is a board-certified general surgeon and surgical intensivist at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he practices trauma and acute care surgery and leads research efforts within the Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care. He earned his undergraduate degree in Computational and Systems Biology at UCLA and his medical degree at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. He completed general surgery residency at UC Irvine, including a dedicated research year, followed by fellowships in Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Yeates is a member of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, where he contributes to the hemothorax practice management guideline committee. He also serves on The Lundquist Institute’s Research Committee. Recognized for teaching and clinical excellence during his training, he is committed to mentoring residents and medical students and developing collaborative research that advances surgical care.