#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

New Evidence Finds Surgery, Illness Do Not Increase Cognitive Decline for Older Patients
CHICAGO - (October 26, 2009) In new study published in the November edition of Anesthesiology, researchers examine a concern common among Seniors and their caregivers - the occurrence of long-term cognitive decline following surgery or illness.

Drs. Avidan and Evers and colleagues from Washington University School of Medicine examined long-term cognitive decline using an innovative investigative approach... more>>

To read the published article in the November edition of Anesthesiology Click Here!

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Nagele!
Dr. Peter Nagele has been awarded a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the NIGMS for his project titled "Pharmacogenetics: Nitrous oxide and anesthetic outcomes"
Congratulations!

View More by Clicking Here.

Congratulations to Richard Hotchkiss, MD
Richard Hotchkiss, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology and Surgery, along with Jonathan E. McDunn, Ph.D., have published a Review Article titled "Mechanisms of Disease: Cell Death" in the October 15, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

View a .pdf version of the article by Clicking Here.
View the article on the New England Journal of Medicines website by Clicking Here.

Congratulations to Dr. Zhou-feng Chen for his article in Science.
Using a form of "molecular surgery," Zhou-feng Chen and colleagues have discovered a special set of neurons in the spinal cord that specifically transmit the sensation of itch. This finding is the first evidence for an itch-specific neuronal pathway, helping to resolve an ongoing controversy as to whether separate neural pathways exist for itch and pain.

The study was published in the August 6 issue of Science Express, and has received international media attention.

More on this discovery can be found by Clicking Here.
Or Read & Listen to what NPR (National Public Radio) has on this by Clicking Here.

Congratulations to Dr. Jerry Morrissey
Dr. Jerry Morrissey has been awarded a grant from the Lonfger Life Foundation for his project titled "Novel Proteins as Urinary Biomarkers of Renal Cell Carcinoma"
Congratulations Dr. Morrissey!

Congratulations to Peter Nagele, M.D.
Dr. Peter Nagele has been awarded a grant from the American Heart Association 2009 Midwest Clinical Research program for his project titled "Influence of genetic variation in the beta-adrenergic receptor signaling pathway on perioperative myocardial infarction".
View the abstract by Clicking Here.

David J. Murray, M.D., appointed Chief of the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. Dr. Murray will continue as the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor and head of medical simulation for Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Murray received his M.D. from the University of Saskatchewan and his anesthesiology residency training at the University of Iowa. He was a Professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology at University of Iowa as well as Vice-Chairman (Education) of the Department of Anesthesia before being recruited to Washington University in 1995. David initiated the clinical simulation program at Washington University and has shepherded the development of the medical schools nationally renowned program in medical simulation. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is Associate Editor of the journal Anesthesiology. He has received numerous grants and awards and his research in simulation-based assessment of physician performance is funded by NIH/Agency for Health Quality Research.

Congratulations to Evan Kharasch, MD, PhD
Dr. Kharasch, the Russell and Mary Shelden Professor of Anesthesiology and Chief of the Division of Clinical and Translational Research, has been named the Interim Vice Chancellor For Research at Washington University, effectively immediately.
The Vice Chancellor for Research is the University's senior official responsible for directing and guiding the University's research mission, on both the Medical School and Danforth campuses. Evan will continue in his research and leadership role in the Department on a 50% basis.

Congratulations to Dr. Rocco Hüneke
Dr. Rocco Hüneke was selected as the William D. Owens Fellow for 2009 and 2010. The Owens Fellowship was established to support junior fellows or faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to a career in research. Dr. Hüneke will be working under the guidance of Dr. Jeanne Nerbonne, Alumni Endowed Professor in the Department of Development Biology. Dr. Hüneke will be investigating the role of cytoskeletal proteins in modulating the activity of cardiac myocyte potassium channels. These studies have potential clinical implications for cardiac arrhythmias and contractility.

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.