May 31, 2024

IARS Trustee Meredith C.B. Adams, MD, MS, FASA, FAMIA

IARS Trustee Meredith C.B. Adams, MD, MS, FASA, FAMIA, was recently recognized for her work to advance pain research and health IT with two honors – one from Becker’s Hospital Review and another from the National Institute of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative.

An associate professor of anesthesiology, biomedical informatics, physiology & pharmacology and public health sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Dr. Adams was named as one of more than 141 women in health IT to know in 2024 by Becker’s Hospital Review, which recognizes women who are shaping and enhancing the future of healthcare in this field. Additionally, the NIH HEAL Initiative, an effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis, acknowledged her during its 2^nd Annual PURPOSE Meeting, May 3-5, with a Golden Neuron Award in the “Rising Star Researcher” category for her efforts to shape the future of pain research, easing pain and improving patient outcomes globally.

Overseeing a portfolio of more than $27 million, Dr. Adams is advancing healthcare substantially through research, leadership and advocacy. As the primary investigator (PI) of three network research centers focused on data for chronic pain and opioid use disorder including the MIRHIQL Resource Center (U24), the WF DISC (U24) as part of the NIH HEAL Data2Action program and the IDEA-CC center (R24) for the IMPOWR network, her independently funded research includes economic analysis, development of machine learning and artificial intelligence tools, data infrastructure support, data visualization and health equity. Dr. Adams is changing the way healthcare is delivered, pioneering technologies that enhance patient care and address disparities in patient outcomes. A leader on several boards including the IARS, she plays a major role in improving anesthesia and healthcare outcomes for all populations and promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. Blending clinical and technical expertise, Dr. Adams is actively contributing to the enhancement of excellence and innovation for health IT and the further advancement of patient care.