Thomas R. Hartka

About

Thomas Hartka, MD, MS is an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Hartka studied Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech, earning his Bachelors and Masters Degrees. He investigated structural optimization using cellular automata on reconfigurable hardware during his graduate work. After leaving Virginia Tech, he completed a premedical post-baccalaureate program at Johns Hopkins. He then worked as a research assistant in pediatric neurology at DC Children’s Hospital, specifically assisting on work to phenotype Alexander Disease. He attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine, then remained at the University of Virginia to complete his residency in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Hartka then took a position as the Trauma Research Fellow at the Center for Applied Biomechanics. After completing his fellowship, he joined the faculty at the University of Virginia. Dr. Hartka is currently board certified in Emergency Medicine and works clinically in the Emergency Department. He is also involved in medical student education, resident education, biomechanical instrumentation, and motor vehicle collision analysis.