Through this historical timeline, we invite you to reflect on the foundation, some of the key moments and people who made the International Anesthesia Research Society and Anesthesia & Analgesia what it is today.

Click the buttons below to view important events from other timeframes.

2020

Re-organization of Journal content was presented in an editorial by Dr. Pittet and Dr. Suresh to include:

• goal of the new presentation of the content is to increase the visibility of the best-published articles by coupling infographics, editorials, and their target articles together in print.
• The second section of the Journal is comprised of meta-analyses, systematic review articles, and narrative review articles. These articles will be followed by original clinical, translational, and basic science research articles.

• second goal of the reorganization of the Journal is to significantly increase the online offerings of the Journal. This includes increasing the number of podcasts related to articles published each month by the Journal.
• To better reflect the international nature of our Journal, we have changed its tagline to “Anesthesia & Analgesia: The Global Standard.” we are increasing the presence of the Journal in Europe by actively participating with A&A-sponsored symposia at the annual meetings of European Society of Anesthesiology in Vienna in 2019 and in Barcelona in 2020. Our Journal was represented in Asia at the national specialty meetings of the Chinese Society of Anesthesiology and the Japan Society for Clinical Anesthesia in November 2019. We will expand the presence of the Journal to other countries.

• We will also continue to provide our readers with themed issues of the Journal. These themed issues are organized by an Executive Section Editor, who can enlist 1 or 2 colleagues. The goal of these themed issues is to provide high-quality original and review articles on a well-defined topic.

 In January 2020, the affiliation between the Journal and the Society for Airway Management has resulted in the creation of a new section focused on the airway management during the perioperative period.

The IARS recruited a COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board from a select group of retired members, along with physicians from other relevant medical specialties including pulmonology, cardiology, and intensive care medicine. Then group’s mandate was to review all of the biomedical literature that emerge each day in the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database, extract the publications of direct relevance to providers on the front lines, and then review, summarize, and categorize the relevant articles. From this content, the IARS built a database and a website then launched an e-newsletter to push the information out to the IARS community.

Dr. Dean Andropoulos appointed as Medical Officer of SmartTots.

The IARS, AUA and SOCCA 2020 Annual Meetings, due to be held in San Francisco, CA, were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Max Kelz, MD, PhD, and YS Prakash, MD, PhD, join the IARS Board of Trustees.

Keith (Tony) Jones, MD becomes Board Chair of IARS.

2021

FDA grant awarded to support SmartTots.

After the cancellation of the IARS, AUA and SOCCA 2020 Annual Meetings, the planned educational content was disseminated as webinars to members and the community through the newly formed IARS Virtual Education Series. The series quickly became a year-round mainstay — providing free, compelling basic and clinical research content from experts in the anesthesiology specialty, reaching across the globe to advance the science and practice of medicine. 

The IARS, AUA and SOCCA 2021 Annual Meetings were held virtually, May 13-16.

Lee A. Fleisher, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine presented the T.H. Seldon Memorial Lecture – The Future of the Specialty: How the Pandemic and Policy Changes should Influence our Leadership at the virtual 2021 Annual Meetings.

The 2021 Kosaka Best Abstract Award Recipients were:

• Kosaka Best Basic Science Research Award Winner: Shufang He, PhD
  Abstract Title: Leveraging TRPV1 genetic divergence between avian and mammalian species to develop a TRPV1 knock-in mouse and a novel analgesic.
• Kosaka Clinical Research Award Winner: Keith M. Vogt, MD, PhD
  Abstract Title: Whole-brain network connectivity changes with midazolam sedation during task performance and periodic pain: A functional MRI study in healthy young adults.
• Kosaka Scholars Presentation Award Winner: Yifan Xu, MD, PhD
  Abstract Title: Modulation of Microvascular Blood Flow and Stroke Outcome Via GPR39 in Mice.

IARS awards an all-female team of Mentored Research Awardees. For the first time in its grant funding history, the 2021 awards went to an all-female group. IARS is an exceedingly strong advocate of women in medicine and we gratefully recognize and honor the women of anesthesia. The awardees, Laura Downey, MD, Catherine Duclos, PhD, Kendall Smith, MD, PhD, and Jessica Spence, MD, PhD, FRCPC, represent just a few of the many remarkable women with whom we are fortunate to collaborate. IARS is very proud to encourage and support women in medicine.

Vivianne Tawfik, MD, PhD, and Oluwaseun Johnson-Akeju, MD, MMSc, join the IARS Board of Trustees.

Christian Werner, MD, becomes Board Chair of IARS.

2022

IARS/SmartTots grants two new research awards! Jimcy Platholi, MS, PhD, from Weill Medical College of Cornell University, was awarded $170,000 for her study entitled Role of Mossy Fiber Terminals in Early Anesthesia Neurotoxicity. A second award of $139,000 went to Peter Szmuk, MD, from UT Southwestern Medical Center, for his research — Neurodevelopmental Outcome after Standard Dose Sevoflurane versus low-dose.

The IARS, AUA and SOCCA 2022 Annual Meetings were held virtually March 17 – 20.

Dr. S. Ramani Moonesinghe from University College London presented the T.H. Seldon Memorial Lecture — Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: The Beneficial Legacy of COVID-19 for Perioperative Healthcare at the virtual 2022 Annual Meetings.

The 2022 Kosaka Best Abstract Award Recipients were:

• Kosaka Top Basic Science Award Winner: Andrew McKinstry-Wu, MD
  Abstract Title: Glutamatergic and Adrenergic Neurons Mediate Alpha-2-Agonist-Induced Sedation and Hypnosis in Mice.
• Kosaka Top Clinical Research Award Winner: Megan K. Wong, BSE
  Abstract Title: Cognitive and Cerebrospinal Fluid Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Changes Over Time in Older Surgical Patients and Matched Nonsurgical Controls.
• Kosaka Top Scholars Presentation Award Winner: Amy S. Tsai, BS (MD Candidate)
  Abstract Title: Integrated Single-cell and Plasma Proteomic Modeling to Predict Surgical Site Complications, A Prospective Cohort Study.

IARS is recognized for its COVID-19 Resource Initiative and e-Newsletter by the American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) with the 2022 Profile of Excellence Award in Education. The award honors the positive member and community impacts made by members that succeed in advancing the field of medicine and improving the lives of physicians and the patients they serve.

The IARS appointed Debnath Chatterjee, MD, FAAP, of Children’s Hospital Colorado as the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of OpenAnesthesia® (OA). OA is the IARS site that offers a collection of anesthesia-related online education resources for anesthesiology residents and physicians worldwide. Dr. Chatterjee undertook responsibility for the overall quality and ongoing development of OA content, recruiting and managing a board of editors, and contributing to the overall strategy and vision for OA.

Jarna Shah, MD, and Emily Sharpe, MD, are named as the inaugural social media editors for Anesthesia & Analgesia and A&A Practice.

Paloma Toledo, MD, MPH, is named inaugural Executive Editor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

IARS Board Trustee Dr. Beverley Orser is appointed to the Order of Ontario. The Order of Ontario is Ontario’s highest civilian honor and is presented for extraordinary contributions to the province.

Santhanam Suresh, MD, MBA, becomes Board Chair of IARS.

IARS Chair Dr. Santhanam Suresh, MD, MBA, FASA, FAAP, and Immediate Past Chair Christian Werner, MD, present at the Japan Society of Clinical Anesthesia (JSCA) 42nd Annual Conference, held November 11-12, at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan.

2023

The IARS, AUA and SOCCA 2023 Annual Meetings were held April 13-16 in Denver, CO.

Dr. Irene Tracey from the University of Oxford presented the T.H. Seldon Memorial Lecture: Imaging Pain, Pain Relief and Altered States of Anaesthesia-induced Consciousness at the 2023 Annual Meetings.

The 2023 Kosaka Best Abstract Award Recipients were:

• Kosaka Top Basic Science Award Winner: Richard Levy, MD
  Abstract Title: Discovery of a New Quinone Anesthetic Leads to Identification of a Novel Pharmacological Target in Mice.
• Kosaka Top Clinical Research Award Winner: Aiman Suleiman, MD, MSc
  Abstract Title: Lung entropic hysteresis: The concept of retained energy in mechanically ventilated ARDS patients.
• Kosaka Top Scholars Award Winner: Annika Witt, BSc
  Abstract Title: Hispanic ethnicity and postoperative discharge to a nursing home: A New York City hospital retrospective study.

Debnath Chatterjee, MD, FAAP, Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of OpenAnesthesia® (OA) makes compelling updates to OA by appointing a new, more diverse editorial board, collaborating on a website redesign, and recruiting writers for and editing more than 350 new in-depth articles on key concepts. He also engaged new affiliate societies to develop subspecialty pages, as well as expanded the vodcast and podcast library and other resources vital to OA’s visitors.

The COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) wraps up their monumental task of providing up-to-the-minute COVID-19 resources to the field. The SAB worked for more than 42 months, curating, evaluating and synthesizing 3,100 of the most relevant peer-reviewed journal articles and publishing more than 1,100 article reviews. The information, disseminated through the IARS COVID-19 website and e-newsletter, allowed frontline workers to stay abreast of critically needed scientific information that impacted daily lives.

The editors of Anesthesia & Analgesia conduct the first A&A Peer Reviewer Workshop at the IARS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. Developed by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Thomas Vetter, the workshop provides an engaging experience where attendees of all experience levels interact with journal senior editors to learn and hone essential peer review skills.

IARS sponsors the Gordon Research Conference, June 11-16, at Stonehill College in Easton, MA. More than 118 researchers from 16 countries came together to contemplate the important scientific realms of Consciousness, Anesthesia and Evolutional Biology.

Reflecting the need in anesthesiology to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Anesthesia & Analgesia devoted its entire October 2023 issue to these topics.

The Anesthesia Research Council (ARC), of which IARS partners with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, published an article, The Anesthesiology Physician-Scientist Pipeline: Current Status and Recommendations for Future Growth—An Initiative of the Anesthesia Research Council, in Anesthesia & Analgesia, proposing solutions to address the lag of anesthesiology researchers in the pipeline, which is trailing other specialties.

IARS appoints Jaideep J. Pandit, Professor of Anaesthesia, University of Oxford, as the 8^th Editor-in-Chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia (A&A) and its companion journal, A&A Practice. Dr. Pandit is a Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford and Consultant Anaesthetist at Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he serves as Clinical Director of Operating Theatres.

IARS appoints Santhanam Suresh, MD, MBA, to the newly-created position of Physician Executive.

IARS Physician Executive Dr. Santhanam Suresh receives ASA’s Excellence in Education Award. The award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions through demonstrated teaching, the development of new teaching methods, and/or implementation of innovative educational programs in anesthesiology.

IARS Trustee Emeritus Emery N. Brown, MD, PhD, is elected to join the 2023 class of the American Philosophical Society, the United States’ oldest learned society.

A&A Editor-in-Chief Jaideep Pandit is awarded the Sir Ivan Magill Gold Medal of the Association of Anaesthetists, the organization’s most prestigious honor.

IARS Physician Executive Santhanam Suresh, MD, MBA, FAAP, FASA, is recognized with the 2023 Gaston Labat Award and Lectureship by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (ASRA). This distinguished award honors the pioneering work in regional anesthesia of Gaston P. Labat, the first president of ASRA.

Beverley Orser, MD, PhD, becomes Board Chair of IARS.

Meredith Adams, MD, MS, Duminda Wijeysundera, MD, PhD, and Alexander Zarbock, MD, PhD, join the IARS Board of Trustees.

2024

IARS implements new membership tiers! To expand our resources to the global community and to better serve all career levels of anesthesia providers, IARS begins offering discounted member rates for individuals who are located in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, early career individuals, as well as allied health professionals, and complimentary membership to fellows, residents, medical students and others in training.

IARS undergoes a change in executive leadership. After 17 years of extraordinary service and leadership, IARS Executive Director, Tom Cooper, retired. Many thanks to Tom for his tireless passion and dedication! 

Andre Williams becomes IARS Executive Director. Andre brings a strong background in all aspects of society leadership; he is committed to implementing the strategic goals necessary to guide the IARS global anesthesiology community to continued success.

IARS successfully expands its global presence by exhibiting at the 18th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in Singapore. IARS leadership, including Drs. Orser, Prakash and Pandit attended.

The IARS, AUA and SOCCA Annual Meetings became the Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA, beginning this year. AUA opted to hold a stand-alone meeting going forward.

The 2024 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA, was held May 17-19, in Seattle, WA.

Dr. John Rogers from Northwestern University presented the T.H. Seldon Memorial Lecture: Soft, Skin-Interfaced Wireless Electronic and Microfluidic Sensors in Medicine at the 2024 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA.

The 2024 Kosaka Best Abstract Award Recipients were:

• Kosaka Top Basic Science Award Winner: Varina Clark Onwunyi, MD
  Abstract Title: In Vivo miR10b-5p Inhibition in Rats is a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Pulmonary Hypertension.
• Kosaka Top Clinical Research Award Winner: Annika Eyth, Medical Student
  Abstract Title: Development and Validation of a score to predict intraoperative blood transfusion.
• Kosaka Top Scholars Award Winner: Richard Perez, MD
  Abstract Title: Deciphering the Translatomic Perturbations Associated with Acute and Chronic Pain in Mouse Spinal Cord Astrocytes.

Building on their success at the 2023 Annual Meeting, the A&A editors enhance the Peer Review Workshop at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, expanding to offer two versions – for beginner and advanced reviews.  A third A&A workshop was also added in 2024 – Successful Manuscript Preparation. Additionally, the editors of A&A Practice moderated a new session recognizing select Medically Challenging Cases.

YS Prakash, MD, PhD, becomes Chair of the IARS Board of Trustees.

Daniel McIsaac, MD, MPH joins the IARS Board of Trustees.

Anesthesia and Analgesia Executive Editor, Angela Enright, MD, attends the All Africa Anaesthesia Congress on behalf of IARS and A&A. Dr. Enright informed the delegates of new international initiatives from IARS and A&A.

A new funding opportunity is announced – the IARS International Outreach Travel Grant!  The award opportunity, with grants ranging from $1,000 – $5,000, provides travel assistance to accepted abstract presenters to attend the IARS Annual Meeting. The grant will support scientists globally and is certain to enhance the richness of diversity and expertise at the Annual Meeting.  Individuals located in low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries who are involved in research related to anesthesia may apply when the funding cycles are open and available.

Anesthesia & Analgesia launches an Editorial Fellowship program. The Editorial Fellows will join the A&A journal team for a 12-month stint to acquire skills, gain experience, and receive behind-the-scenes insights into every aspect of journal editorial work.

IARS Trustee Meredith Adams, MD, MS, FASA, FAMIA, is 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.

Adam J. Milam, MD, PhD, is appointed to the roles of Executive Editor and Section Editor for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Section of Anesthesia & Analgesia. Dr. Milam is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Phoenix, AZ.

Amanda M. Kleiman, MD, is appointed to the role of Associate Content Editor for Correspondence of Anesthesia & Analgesia. Dr. Kleiman is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Dr. Kleiman joins Eduardo Javier Goenaga ​Diaz, MD, current Content Editor for Correspondence, in handling the growing number of Letters to the Editor being submitted to Anesthesia & Analgesia.

2025

IARS will co-sponsor the Gordon Research Conference on Consciousness, Anesthesia and Evolutionary Biology, January 26-31, 2025, in Lucca, Italy.