Researching the Icu: Where The Only Constant is Chaos

What really happens when research collides with the controlled chaos of the ICU—especially when the focus is on airway, voice, and swallowing disorders? This session dives into the unpredictable, behind-the-scenes world of critical care research: messy data, messier data collection, and the ever-shifting landscape of ICU care. It’s part reflection, part cautionary tale, and part exploration of how meaning can still emerge from the noise—and why it’s worth the effort to keep asking questions in a place where nothing ever goes quite as planned.

Biosketch: Martin B. Brodsky, Ph.D., Sc.M., CCC-SLP, F-ASHA Dr. Martin Brodsky serves as Section Head for Speech-Language Pathology in the Head and Neck Department within the Integrated Surgical Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He also holds appointments as Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Brodsky’s research focuses on swallowing and swallowing disorders, with particular emphasis on dysphagia and laryngeal injury after endotracheal intubation. His work, supported by the National Institutes of Health, investigates the effects of critical illness and critical care interventions on swallowing function. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds editorial roles as Associate