#1 in NIH FUNDING!
Washington University ranked #1 in the United States in 2008 for NIH funding among Departments of Anesthesiology.
Congratulations to our research division chiefs, Evan Kharasch, Mike Crowder, and Rob Gereau, and to our entire research team.
http://www.brimr.org/NIH_Awards/2008/NIH_Awards_2008.htm

Congratulations to the recipients of the annual Department of Anesthesiology awards!

Dr. René Tempelhoff: Outstanding Teacher Award for 2008-2009

This award goes to the faculty member whom our Residents believe to have been most influential in their training and education. Excellent teaching skills, mentoring, role model and impact on development are all considerations. Congratulations, Dr. Tempelhoff !!!

Dr. Larisa Zhurav: Peter E. Krucylak Prize for Outstanding Resident in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia - 2008-2009

Dr. Paul Kerby: Leonard W. Fabian Award for Outstanding First-Year Resident in Anesthesiology - 2008-2009

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Nagele
Dr. Peter Nagele received his Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from the TL1 Predoctoral Program Intensive Track through the Institute of Clinical And Traslational Sciences (ICTS) Clinical Research Training Center. Graduation ceremony was held May 14, 2009

New findings may significantly improve the safety of methadone, a drug widely used to treat cancer pain and addiction to heroin and other opioid drugs, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Washington in Seattle.

"Unfortunately, increased methadone use for pain has coincided with a significant increase in adverse events and fatalities related to methadone," says principal investigator Evan D. Kharasch, M.D., Ph.D., an anesthesiologist and clinical pharmacologist at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. "The important message is... more>>

Congratulations to James Fehr, M.D.
Dr. Fehr has been awarded a Research in Education grant from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) for his project entitled "Skills in Pediatric Anesthesia: A Simulation-Based Assessment Program."

Dr. Michael Crowder Awarded 2009 Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award.
Dr. Crowder was selected to receive the prestigious 2009 Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award at the IARS 83rd Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. This $500,000 biennial award was created to foster innovation and creativity by an individual researcher in the field of Anesthesiology. Dr. Crowder received this recognition for his leadership in the field and his work on the project entitled Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Hypoxic and Anesthetic Preconditioning.

The 2009 Midwest Anesthesia Residents Conference was held at the Marriot Chicago Downtown Hotel on April 17-19, 2009. Residents presenting at the conference were: Mario Carmosino, MD; Ryan Derby, MD; Paul Kerby, MD; David McFarland, MD; Kayla O'Toole, MD; Tru Patel, MD; Lesley Rao, MD; Clare Ridley, MD; Justin Shields, MD; Ken Sykes, MD; Dan Tivener, MD and Larisa Zhurav, MD.
Special Congratulations to our first place winners:

CASE REPORT: INTRAOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERNATREMIA SECONDARY TO SCOLICIDAL TREATMENT OF ECHINOCOCCAL HYDATID CYST DISEASE
Authors: Nikravan, Sara MD; Ishag, Selma, MD

PROXIMAL MIGRATION OF A STENT GRAFT DURING ENDOVASCULAR REPAIR OF A TRAUMATIC THORACIC AORTIC TRANSECTION
Authors: Welch, Timothy, MD; Lakshminarasimhachar, Anand, MD; Jamroz, Tatiana MD

Congratulations to Jason Maynes, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Maynes has been awarded a Research Fellowship grant from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) for his project entitled "Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Mitochondrial DNA Repair and Cell Survival in Response to Anesthetics: Role of DNA Pol Gamma and DNA 2."

The new Chief Residents for the 2009-2010 Academic year are: Michael Bottros, M.D., Jason Gillihan, M.D., and David McFarland, M.D.
These chief residents were selected by a vote of the Residents and Faculty. There were many highly qualified and deserving individuals in the CA-2 class, several of whom received a significant number of votes. The Department is confident they will do an excellent job continuing to elevate our Residency Training Program. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr. Mike Crowder for his article in Science.
Mike Crowder and his colleagues Lori Anderson, Xianrong Mao and Barbara Scott published a paper in the January 30th issue of Science magazine showing that mutations in proteins  involved in protein translation protected worms from hypoxic death.    The article received international media attention including the attached article in the New York Times. Congratulations to the Crowder lab.

The article for this project can be read by Clicking Here.
See a publishing in The New York Times by Clicking Here.

The 21st Annual C. R. Stephen Lecture of the Department of Anesthesiology will be delivered by Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Vascular Program, Institute for Cell Engineering Professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Semenza will discuss "Regulation of Oxygen Homeostasis by Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1" at the lecture on April 14, 2009, at 4:00 p.m., in the Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid Avenue.

Dr. Richard Benzinger is the new Associate Program Director for the Anesthesiology Residency Training Program!
Dr. Benzinger, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, was appointed Associate Program Director effective November 1, 2008. Of special note, Dr. Benzinger was a former Chief Resident in our Department and was the first recipient of the WD Owens Research Fellowship in 2004. Congratulations Rich!

A dedication ceremony was held December 3, 2008, marking the opening of the new Howard and Joyce Wood Simulation Center. Under the direction of Dr. David Murray, this 5,600 square-foot center, located on the 5th floor of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center, offers opportunities for medical students, interns, and residents to learn the necessary competency skills with the goal of providing better diagnosis and treatment for our patients. To see the website for the new Howard and Joyce Wood Simulation Center, please click here.

Congratulations to David Murray, M.D.
Dr. Murray will receive the Washington University School of Medicine Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership Award in Medical Student Education for 2008 in recognition of his excellence and commitment to medical student education.

Congratulations to René Tempelhoff, M.D.
Dr. Tempelhoff will receive a "Distinguished Clinician Award” at the Distinguished Faculty Awards Ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

Congratulations to Joseph H. Steinbach, Ph.D.
Dr. Steinbach will receive a "Distinguished Investigator Award” at the Distinguished Faculty Awards Ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

Congratulations to Michael Avidan, M.D.
Dr. Avidan will receive a "Clinical Teacher of the Year Award" for teaching in academic year 2007-2008 at the Distinguished Service Teaching Awards Ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, 2008, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. The ceremony begins at 5:15p.m. and is followed by a reception in the Atrium Lobby.