Overview
Dr. Gerardo is Professor and Chair for the Department of Emergency Medicine. He graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, and received his MD degree from University of California, Davis. He went on to complete his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He completed his Masters of Health Sciences from the Duke University Clinical Research and Training Program. In 2000, he joined Emergency Medicine faculty at Duke University and has served in numerous educational, research and administrative leadership roles. His current research focuses on US and global snake envenomation using a variety of methodologies from transitional science and clinical trials to machine learning and implementation science. He has over 90 peer reviewed publications and book chapters, and is published in JAMA, PLOS Medicine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine and Clinical Toxicology.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Scholarly Works
Effectiveness, safety, and implementation outcomes of a decentralization program to deliver antivenoms in the Western Brazilian Amazonia: The SAVING program.
Journal article PLoS Negl Trop Dis · August 2026 BACKGROUND: Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a major cause of morbidity in mortality in low-income and middle-income countries. In Brazil, SBE disproportionately affects Indigenous populations. Limited access to antivenom treatment is a key determinant of poo ... Full text Link to item CiteEthical considerations in decentralizing antivenom treatment in indigenous territories of the Brazilian Amazonia.
Journal article PLoS Negl Trop Dis · July 2026 Snakebite envenoming disproportionately affects Indigenous populations in the Brazilian Amazon, where centralized healthcare systems limit timely access to antivenom. The recently implemented SAVING Program has decentralized antivenom delivery to Indigenou ... Full text Link to item CiteWilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Pit Viper Envenomations in the United States and Canada: 2026 Update.
Journal article Wilderness Environ Med · May 30, 2026 The Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop a set of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and treatment of North American pit viper envenomations, and this serves as an update to the initial guidelines. We present a review of ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
IMPLEMENTATION OF A CULTURALLY TAILORED DECENTRALIZATION PROGRAMME FOR SNAKEBITE TREATMENT IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZONIA
ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by Fundacao de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado · 2025 - 2029Snakebite Study #2- Pro00112601
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Ophirex, Inc · 2023 - 2025Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of a Multi-Dose Regimen of Oral Varespladib-Methyl in Subjects Bitten by Venomous Snakes
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Ophirex, Inc · 2021 - 2025View All Grants