Vanderbilt Anesthesiololgy
Perioperative Medicine · Pain Managment
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Overview
The major scientific challenges facing anesthesiology include identifying the means to prevent life-threatening and costly medical disabilities associated with the period surrounding surgery such as stroke, heart attack, arrhythmia, chronic pain, and abnormal bleeding. Vanderbilt Anesthesiology is fostering the growth of physician scientists who are focused on translating the emerging discoveries in basic biomedical research into solving the major healthcare problems manifest in the perioperative period.
The Department of Anesthesiology is even now developing translational research programs, supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration, that capitalize upon Vanderbilt’s major investigative strengths in cardiovascular disease and the clinical genetics of complex human traits. Anesthesiology faculty are working in collaboration with the faculty in the Departments of Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, and Pathology to examine common genetic variants in the population that influence the risk of a host perioperative morbidities, including blood loss, graft thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmias, pre-eclampsia, and pain. Many of these studies will set the stage for development of rapid preoperative genetic screening methods to minimize the risks of surgery.
At the same time, our clinical investigators use the most advanced molecular strategies to understand the basis of devastating clinical outcomes ascribed to the unique stressors of surgery. Ongoing projects include defining the complex molecular and genetic interactions between components of the coagulation cascade and cardiopulmonary bypass, efforts to define the mechanism whereby hyperoxia exacerbates acute lung injury during mechanical ventilation, and studies to precisely define how cognitive function, mental status, and nutritional status all influence postoperative recovery in the intensive care unit.
Principle Investigators
- Dr. Jeffrey Balser
- Dr. Stephen Bruehl
- Dr. Brian Donahue
- Dr. Pratik Pandharipande
- Dr. Mias Pretorius
- Dr. Kenneth Smithson
Junior Faculty Physician Scientist Development Program