Whether it’s solving the world’s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge of scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights plan to improve our world.
Name: Brian Peach
Position(s): Associate professor of nursing; Honors Undergraduate Thesis Program director in the College of Nursing; Co-advisor to the Student Nurses Association, Orlando
Why are you interested in this research?
My interest in this research is rooted in nearly 20 years of nursing practice, most of it spent caring for critically ill patients in intensive care units. I worked alongside dedicated multidisciplinary clinicians to save lives, and I took pride in seeing patients survive conditions such as sepsis, respiratory failure, heart failure and gastrointestinal bleeds.
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I assumed that once they left the ICU, they would recover, reclaim their lives and enjoy the years we had helped them gain. During my doctoral program however, I learned something that fundamentally shifted my perspective. Survivors were not simply recovering — they were facing new or worsened long-term physical, cognitive and mental health challenges that persisted months or even years after discharge.
These chronic issues, collectively known as post‑intensive care syndrome (PICS), included something I found especially troubling: post‑traumatic stress disorder stemming from the ICU experience itself. This realization was unsettling.
As clinicians, we often celebrate when a patient survives and moves on to the next unit or facility. Once they leave our care, they tend to slip out of sight and out of mind. Yet if you asked any ICU clinician what they hope for their patients, none would say they want survivors to live with debilitating long‑term consequences. We want them to thrive.
Recognizing the hidden burden carried by ICU survivors — and the gap between survival and true recovery — motivates my work. I am committed to advancing research that acknowledges, prevents, and treats PICS conditions, with particular focus on PTSD. My goal is to ensure that surviving critical illness is not the end of the story. While many critical illness survivors may never return to their prior level of health, I hope we can effectively treat their PTSD and remove a major barrier to living a fulfilling post‑ICU life.
Who inspires you to conduct your research?
The critical illness survivors and their families motivate me to conduct this research. Through my research, I’ve heard their stories, and admittedly they trouble me. Their experiences remind me that survival is only the first step; what happens after the ICU matters just as much. I want survivors to have the chance at a meaningful, high‑quality life, and I want families to feel supported rather than blindsided by the long‑term effects of critical illness.
Part of my motivation is personal as well. I know that my own loved ones could one day find themselves in an ICU, and if they were to leave with PICS‑related challenges, I would want them to have access to timely, effective care.
This research has also opened doors to service opportunities that continually reinforce my commitment. Through the PICS Advocacy Network, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the American Psychological Association, I’ve met survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers who are working tirelessly to improve post‑ICU outcomes.
Two years ago, I co‑founded Walk‑4‑PICS Orlando with a survivor and the spouse of a survivor. What began with a handful of determined individuals holding small walks in 2023 to raise awareness about PICS has grown into a global movement — now 20 walks across four countries with increasing numbers of attendees. Each year, our walk brings together survivors, families, clinicians, and community members, and I leave every event more inspired than when I arrived.
For the past two years, I’ve worn a Walk‑4‑PICS bracelet every single day. It’s a simple reminder of my “why”: the belief that we can do better for those whose lives have been devastated by critical illness.
How does UCF empower you to do your research?
UCF has empowered my research since my arrival in 2018. The College of Nursing has consistently supported my work with critical illness survivors by providing the facilities, staff assistance, and encouragement needed to pursue both intramural and extramural funding. This particular project was made possible through intramural support from the School of Social Work’s Center for Behavioral Research and Training, which allowed the study to take shape and move forward.
Through the university, I met my collaborator, Pegasus Professor Deborah Beidel. Our therapy study has been conducted at the UCF RESTORES Clinic, where she serves as executive director. The RESTORES team has been enthusiastic, skilled and deeply committed to adapting and testing their therapy for critical illness survivors. Their partnership has elevated the quality and reach of this work.
Students from the College of Nursing and other programs have played an important role as well, assisting with data collection and analysis and bringing fresh perspectives to the research. Their involvement has strengthened the project and given me the opportunity to train the next generation of clinicians and PICS researchers.
What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
I have received funding from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International, and UCF’s Center for Behavioral Research and Training, each of which has supported different phases of my work with critical illness survivors. These awards have helped advance my research program and build the foundation for larger studies. I am now pursuing funding from the National Institutes of Health to further expand my work and strengthen its impact on post‑ICU care.
Why is this research important?
This research matters because the consequences of critical illness extend far beyond the ICU. More than half of the 5.7 million Americans admitted to an ICU each year develop at least one post‑intensive care syndrome (PICS) condition within the first year after discharge, and roughly 20% experience clinically significant PTSD symptoms within six months. These psychological injuries can disrupt survivors’ ability to work, care for their families, and maintain relationships, while placing substantial emotional and practical burdens on caregivers.
When survival comes with a cost of long‑term suffering, we have an obligation to find ways to treat PICS-related conditions. Identifying effective ways to treat PICS conditions — especially PTSD —can help survivors regain stability, restore a sense of normalcy and reengage fully in their communities. And this isn’t an abstract issue. Any one of us, or someone we love, could find ourselves in an ICU because of an infection, an accident, or an unexpected medical crisis. Improving care for ICU survivors is not only a clinical priority; it is a societal responsibility.
