Elaine Fajardo

Elaine Fajardo is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. She serves as the Medical Director for Respiratory Care at Yale New Haven Hospital, where she plays a pivotal role in clinical care, research, and quality improvement within the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). Her work bridges clinical practice with innovation, particularly in mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure management.

• Associate Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
• Medical Director for Respiratory Therapy, Internal Medicine
• Sub-investigator, PreVents 2 Clinical Trial
• Member, VV ECMO Multidisciplinary Team

Dr. Fajardo’s research and clinical interests center on critical care innovation and respiratory support. She has led initiatives to optimize non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and improve airway management in the ICU. Her expertise in mechanical ventilation has been instrumental during public health emergencies, including the development of emergency-use ventilator splitting devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on acute respiratory failure, ARDS, ventilator management, and pandemic preparedness. Themes across her work include resource optimization, ethical research conduct in emergencies, and translational innovation in critical care. She has contributed to textbook chapters on respiratory medicine and critical care protocols.

Professional Affiliations:

• American Thoracic Society (2009–Present)
• American College of Chest Physicians (2009–Present)

Dr. Fajardo has been involved in significant grant-funded research, notably as a sub-investigator in the multicenter PreVents 2 trial, which evaluates endotracheal tube outcomes in acute care settings. She has also contributed to emergency preparedness through innovation in ventilator sharing and crisis resource management. Her leadership in quality improvement includes committee work on airway safety and procedural standards in the MICU.

She is actively involved in multidisciplinary teams, including the VV ECMO group and respiratory therapy leadership, and has helped shape institutional guidelines for respiratory care. Her clinical and research activities are deeply integrated within the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI) and the Department of Internal Medicine’s critical care division.