William J. Brady, MD

Professor of Emergency Medicine, Medicine & Nursing, University of Virginia


Charlottesville, Virginia

William J. Brady, MD, is practicing academic emergency physician at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville. He is a tenured professor of Emergency Medicine, Medicine, and Nursing as well as the David A. Harrison Distinguished Educator at the UVA School of Medicine (SOM). He is also a professor of Emergency Medical Services at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, VA.  

Dr. Brady was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Fairfax County (Annandale area) of Virginia. He attended UVA, graduating in 1984 with a BA in History. He then attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), graduating with an MD in 1988; he also completed residency training in internal medicine at MCV from 1988 to 1991. He then completed an emergency medicine residency (1991-1994) at the Medical College of Wisconsin where he also served as Chief Resident (1994) in emergency medicine, graduating in 1994.

He then joined the emergency medicine faculty at the UVA School of Medicine as an assistant professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and ultimately to Professor; he also holds secondary appointments as professor in the Department of Medicine as a Professor and the School of Nursing.

Dr. Brady is active clinically in the emergency department of the UVA Medical Center where he functions as an attending physician in emergency medicine. He also serves in numerous roles at the UVA Medical Center and surrounding area, including Chair of the Resuscitation Committee, Co-chair of the Airway Committee, medical director of the Medical Center’s Rapid Response Team, medical director of Emergency Management, medical director of the Life Support Learning Center, operational medical director of several EMS agencies (Albemarle County Fire Rescue, Madison County EMS, Seminole Trail Fire Department, and Special Event Medical Management), University AED medical director, and medical director of the Piedmont Virginia Community College Paramedic Training Program, among other programs. He is active within the UVA School of Medicine as Chair of the Bylaws Committee and a member of the Admissions Committee and Promotion and Tenure Committee. Lastly, he serves as a senator in the Faculty Senate of the University of Virginia.    

Dr. Brady is actively involved in the instruction of healthcare providers on many topics, including the electrocardiogram, cardiac arrest resuscitation, acute coronary syndrome, and other cardiovascular entities in the prehospital and hospital-based environments. He lectures locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally on these topics. He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Educators at UVA and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) National Faculty Teaching Award, the UVA SOM Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the UVA SOM David A. Harrison Distinguished Educator Award. He has also published numerous scholarly works (original research, reviews, annotated bibliographies, invited editorials, guidelines, and textbook chapters) on these and other emergency medical topics. In addition, he has contributed to clinical policy guidelines for both ACEP and the American Heart Association. He has written and / or edited multiple textbooks focusing on the electrocardiogram in emergency medicine.       

Dr. Brady lives in Charlottesville, VA, with his family; he is active in the community, working in volunteer capacities in public safety and community athletics.

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