IARS 2024-2025 International Outreach Travel Grant Interview: Gonzalo Boncompte, BS, MS, PhD in Neurosciences

Aperiodic Activity in Preoperative EEG Predicts Postoperative Delirium Above and Beyond Patient’s Age in Cardiac Elderly Patients

Early in his educational journey, Gonzalo Boncompte, BS, MS, PhD in Neurosciences, became fascinated with how the brain functions. His journey towards better understanding of this area began with a bachelor’s degree in biology and continued on to completing a PhD with a thesis focused on brain correlates of conscious vs unconscious perception. Eventually, his interest shifted to states of consciousness and anesthesia, where he has focused his research the past five years. Now a researcher for the Anesthesiology Division, School of Medicine at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile, Dr. Boncompte investigates aperiodic activity of the electroencephalogram (EEG) as a marker of excitation/inhibition balance in brain states. This specific research was recently highlighted when he was awarded the IARS 2024-2025 International Outreach Travel Grant. His investigations could prove to be a valuable tool in better evaluating hypnotic levels and brain states in general, especially in older populations, eventually helping to better evaluate the best anesthetic plan possible for patients preoperatively. Dr. Boncompte will present his research, “Aperiodic Activity in Preoperative EEG Predicts Postoperative Delirium Above and Beyond Patient’s Age in Cardiac Elderly Patients,” during Poster Session B, on Friday, March 21, at the 2025 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA. Below, he discusses his research findings and the important impact of this award for his career.

Abstract Presentation:

Poster Session B, Friday, March 21, 2025, 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm HST, Coral 3, Hilton Hawaiian Village® Waikiki Beach Resort

1. For this research, I am…

Principal Investigator

2. What drew you to this area of research? Has it evolved since your initial research project?

My original area of research was focused on cognitive neuroscience, and basic neuroscience. I did my PhD in perception and consciousness, which eventually led to states of consciousness, and then to anesthesia, which has been my focus of interest for the past five years.

3. What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work with this research project?

With this project, and in general in my line of research, I try to better understand the impact of anesthesia in several distinct aspects of brain functioning. The two main aims of this are to 1) better understand cortical systems, especially during conscious and unconscious states and to 2) use these results to provide useful information to healthcare providers that can improve clinical practices.

4. What is the potential impact of your research on the field of anesthesia and patient care?

Aperiodic activity of the EEG as a marker of brain states’ excitation/inhibition balance could prove to be a valuable tool in better evaluating hypnotic levels and brain states in general, especially in older populations. This could be used to improve hypnotic depth monitors, or to preoperatively evaluate patients to choose the best anesthetic plan possible.

5. How do you feel about receiving the IARS International Outreach Travel Grant?

I am very grateful and happy to receive this honor. I am also excited to be able to attend this meeting to share the research we are doing here in Chile and receive feedback from the international anesthesia research community.

6. How will this grant affect your research and professional trajectory?

This will certainly greatly improve my chances of advancing in my professional career, because it greatly contributes to the internationalization of my research, and the fact that it is well received by the broad anesthesia community.

7. What are the benefits of presenting your research at the IARS Annual Meeting?

It will allow me to receive valuable feedback from world class anesthesia researchers, to directly find out more about the latest research and to develop new collaboration opportunities for the future.

8. Outside of your research, what might someone be surprised to learn about you?

My bachelor’s degree was in Biology and my PhD thesis was on brain correlates of conscious vs unconscious perception.