Membership Committee

The Membership Committee provides strategic direction on overall membership policies, recruitment, retention and engagement strategies, as well as advises IARS on the most meaningful member and anesthesiology community experiences. The Committee oversees 3 subcommittees (1. Outreach, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee, 2. International Subcommittee, 3. Online Community Subcommittee), each focused on specific goals and tasks around membership and engagement. The Membership Subcommittees are supported by the IARS Marketing and Member Engagement Director.

Time Commitment/Expectations:

• Two hours per month plus meetings, approximately 30 hours total per year.
• Additional meetings may be required as new members are onboarded.
• Committees meet formally twice per year – once at the IARS Annual Meeting and once virtually via Zoom. Additional meetings as needed to address relevant issues that arise during the year or to help with onboarding new members.

Term:

The Membership Subcommittee member term is three years.

Co-Chair

Duminda Wijeysundera, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAHA

IARS Treasurer

Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
University of Toronto
Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
St. Michael’s Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Co-Chair

Bruce Biccard, MBChB, FCA(SA), FFARCI, MMedSci, PhD

IARS Board Member

Nuffield Professor of Anaesthetic Science
Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
University of Oxford

Oxford, United Kingdom

Committee Members

Xueqin Ding, MD, PhD, FASA

International Subcommittee Co-Chair

Professor and the Vice Chair of Faculty Development,
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative, and Pain Medicine,
MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio

Xueqin Ding, MD, PhD, FASA, is a Professor and the Vice Chair of faculty development in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Ding is an accomplished academic physician who has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and served as an editor for some anesthesiology journals. She is widely recognized for her contributions to perioperative care, acute pain management, and anesthesiology education. Dr. Ding is a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and serves on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals. Her current scholarly interests include perioperative pain management for abdominal and thoracic surgery, regional anesthesia outcomes, enhanced recovery pathways, and anesthetic management for high-risk neurologic procedures. She has been an invited speaker and moderator at national and international meetings and has delivered invited grand rounds at major academic institutions, including the National Institutes of Health. She is also an active leader in national and international professional organizations. Dr. Ding currently serves as Chair of the Global Scholars Award Review Study Section of the International Anesthesia Research Society and Co-Chair of the IARS International Subcommittee. In addition, she serves as Chair of the International Committee of the Trauma Anesthesia Society, promoting global collaboration, research, and education in trauma anesthesia.

Christian S. Guay, MD

Online Community Subcommittee Co-Chair

Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at the University of Utah;
Director of the Sleep, Anesthesia & Neuromodulation Devices Laboratory (SAND Lab)
Salt Lake City, Utah

Dr. Christian Guay is a board-certified cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, currently serving as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at the University of Utah. He is also the Director of the Sleep, Anesthesia & Neuromodulation Devices Laboratory (SAND Lab), focused on the development of technologies that precisely monitor and modulate brain states in the operating room and intensive care unit.

Praveen Dharmapalan Prasanna, MBBS, FCARCSI

Online Community Subcommittee Co-Chair

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Program Director for Anesthesiology Residency
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA

Dr. Praveen Dharmapalan Prasanna is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist in Virginia and serves as the program director for anesthesiology residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. He graduated from Medical College Thiruvananthapuram (India), following which he received postgraduate training in England (National Health Service UK). He completed Anesthesiology residency at Baystate Medical Center, MA before joining as anesthesiology faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. His academic interests include patient safety and quality, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and education in anesthesia.

Kimberly Rengel, MD

Outreach, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair

Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Crtitical Care Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Kimberly F. Rengel is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She completed her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, followed by her MD from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed her anesthesiology residency and critical care medicine fellowship both at VUMC. During residency, she was selected as a member of the BH Robbins Scholars program, a comprehensive mentored research program for early-stage physician scientists. Dr. Rengel subsequently joined the faculty of VUMC where she is a practicing anesthesiologist and intensivist.

Dr. Rengel’s research focuses on evaluating mechanisms, prevention strategies, and potential therapies to mitigate acquired disability after critical illness and major surgery, particularly in older adults. Her ongoing work characterizes skeletal muscle health throughout critical illness using ultrasound evaluation with the goal of identifying patients at highest risk for prolonged recovery and new disability. She is also evaluating the efficacy of a comprehensive perioperative cognitive and physical therapy program in reducing cognitive and physical dysfunction in older adults after major surgery.

Katie Schenning, MD, MPH, MCR

Outreach, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee Co-Chair

Preoperative Medicine Clinic Assistant Director;
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine,
School of Medicine
Oregon Health and Science University

Dr. Katie Schenning is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and the Assistant Medical Director of the Preoperative Medicine Clinic at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. Clinically, Dr. Schenning focuses on geriatric and neuroanesthesiology, and has spearheaded the implementation of cognitive and frailty screening in geriatric patients in the Preoperative Medicine Clinic. Dr. Schenning received her MD and MPH degrees from the University of Wisconsin and her MCR from OHSU. She completed anesthesiology residency training and a research fellowship at OHSU.

Dr. Schenning’s research focuses on the effects of anesthesia and surgery on cognition, functional status, and quality of life in older adults. She aims to bridge the gap between aging science and perioperative research to improve perioperative outcomes in older surgical patients. Dr. Schenning’s research is presently supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Kristin L. Schreiber, MD, PhD

International Subcommittee Co-Chair

Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA; IARS International Subcommittee Member and Chair, IARS International Outreach Travel Grant Review Study Section

Dr. Kristin Schreiber is a Professor and Regional Anesthesiologist, whose clinical work involves caring for surgical patients in the perioperative period, and whose research work is centered around predicting and preventing Chronic Postsurgical Pain (CPSP). Her PhD in Neuroscience investigated mechanisms of spinal plasticity in the development of chronic pain states, and her translational clinical research program aims to understand which patients are at risk to develop CPSP, why, and how to best prevent it in different individuals. She employs careful preoperative pain phenotyping, investigating factors that underlie variability in postsurgical trajectories, and testing both pharmacologic and behavioral interventions to reduce postsurgical pain. Her quantitative sensory testing lab-based studies investigate difference in pain processing, in the absence and presence of modulators of pain including regional anesthesia, placebo, distraction, and music. She has enjoyed continuous external funding from the NIH since 2015, and has held administrative roles including associate VC of Research, and VC of Faculty Development, and PI of a translational pain research training grant at Harvard Medical School. She is a handling editor at Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine, and currently serves as Division Chief of Regional Anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford.

Outreach, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee

The Outreach, Retention & Engagement Subcommittee focuses on increasing outreach to IARS members and the global anesthesiology community and recruiting new, active and engaged members and participants to expand the IARS membership and community.

Co-Chairs

Kimberly Rengel, MD

Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Crtitical Care Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Kimberly F. Rengel is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She completed her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, followed by her MD from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed her anesthesiology residency and critical care medicine fellowship both at VUMC. During residency, she was selected as a member of the BH Robbins Scholars program, a comprehensive mentored research program for early-stage physician scientists. Dr. Rengel subsequently joined the faculty of VUMC where she is a practicing anesthesiologist and intensivist.

Dr. Rengel’s research focuses on evaluating mechanisms, prevention strategies, and potential therapies to mitigate acquired disability after critical illness and major surgery, particularly in older adults. Her ongoing work characterizes skeletal muscle health throughout critical illness using ultrasound evaluation with the goal of identifying patients at highest risk for prolonged recovery and new disability. She is also evaluating the efficacy of a comprehensive perioperative cognitive and physical therapy program in reducing cognitive and physical dysfunction in older adults after major surgery.

Katie Schenning, MD, MPH, MCR

Preoperative Medicine Clinic Assistant Director;
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine,
School of Medicine
Oregon Health and Science University

Dr. Katie Schenning is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and the Assistant Medical Director of the Preoperative Medicine Clinic at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. Clinically, Dr. Schenning focuses on geriatric and neuroanesthesiology, and has spearheaded the implementation of cognitive and frailty screening in geriatric patients in the Preoperative Medicine Clinic. Dr. Schenning received her MD and MPH degrees from the University of Wisconsin and her MCR from OHSU. She completed anesthesiology residency training and a research fellowship at OHSU.

Dr. Schenning’s research focuses on the effects of anesthesia and surgery on cognition, functional status, and quality of life in older adults. She aims to bridge the gap between aging science and perioperative research to improve perioperative outcomes in older surgical patients. Dr. Schenning’s research is presently supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Subcommittee Members

Stephen Collins, MD, MSc

Residency Program Director, Associate Prof of Anesthesiology,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA

Stephen Collins, MD, MSc is a Virginia native and board-certified anesthesiologist with clinical interests and focus on patients needing anesthesia for general surgery, thoracic surgery, and solid organ transplantation. Dr. Collins completed his undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary and earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Yale New-Haven Hospital prior to completing his anesthesiology residency at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Collins has strong interests in teaching, medical education, and residency training. He has been awarded multiple department faculty teaching awards, a GME Master Educator Award, and is a member of UVA’s Academy for Excellence in Education. He serves as Residency Program Director and is also a national board examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Olivier Duranteau, MD, PhD, MSc

Burn fellow, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center,
Toronto, Canada; and
Research Fellow,
Department of Anesthesiology at Erasme Hospital,
Université Libre de Bruxelles,
Brussels, Belgium

Olivier Duranteau, MD, PhD, MSc, is a burn fellow at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Canada and a research fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology at Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. He holds a PhD focused on machine learning applications in transfusion medicine, along with an MD and an MSc in medical statistics.

His research interests include transfusion medicine, artificial intelligence and the methodological evaluation of data quality prior to predictive model development. He has contributed to numerous research projects as a statistical expert, particularly in the fields of anesthesiology and critical care, with a strong focus on model validation and the integration of real-world data into clinical decision-making tools.

Wulan Fadinie, MD, MMed

Consultant Anesthesiologist, Obstetric Anesthesia Subspecialist, and Lecturer,
Department of Anesthesiology and Therapy Intensive,
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Medan, Indonesia

Dr. Wulan Fadinie is an obstetric anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist from Medan, Indonesia. She serves as Head of the Emergency Department at RS Prof. Chairuddin P. Lubis Universitas Sumatera Utara, Chair of the Medical Committee at RS Sundari, and as a faculty member at Universitas Sumatera Utara. Her interests include obstetric anesthesia, maternal safety, patient safety, quality improvement, perioperative medicine, and healthcare systems. She is actively involved in research, medical education, and the implementation of quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Wulan Fadinie serves as Vice Treasurer of INSAIT North Sumatra Branch, a Research Committee Member of INASOAC, and a Scientific Committee Member of OASAO. She also completed the Kiani Global Interprofessional Patient Safety Fellowship through the Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF). Through the IARS Outreach, Retention & Engagement Subcommittee, she hopes to strengthen international collaboration and support greater engagement among anesthesiologists worldwide. She believes that meaningful collaboration across countries and cultures is essential to advancing safer anesthesia care worldwide.

Folayemi Faponle, MBChB, FWACS, FMCA, MD

Professor of Anesthesia; Consultant Anesthetist,
Obafemi Awolowo University/ Teaching Hospital,
Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Dr. Folayemi Faponle is a Professor of Anesthesia at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. She did her undergraduate medical training in Nigeria and undertook residencies in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. She is a Fellow in Anesthesia, by examination, of both the West African College of Surgeons and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Anesthesia from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

She is the current Faculty Chairman of The Faculty of Anaesthesia, West African College of Surgeons. She has served previously as the National President of The Society for the Study of Pain, Nigeria (SSPN), which is the Nigerian Chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Additionally, she served for several years on the Developing Countries Working Group of the IASP.

She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Nigeria Postgraduate Medical Journal as well as a Board Member of the Paediatric Anaesthesia Society of Nigeria (PASON).

She returned to her alma mater after her training as the pioneer academic staff in Anaesthesia in the University, a move which has seen to the consolidation of the department as one of the foremost centers for residency training in anesthesia in the country.

Her clinical activities focus on critical care, pain medicine, pediatric anaesthesia, neuroanaesthesia and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She has over 90 publications in verifiable journals.

Paul García, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology,
Division Chief of Neuroanesthesia
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY

Paul García, MD, PhD, is an anesthesiologist and researcher in New York City. He studied electrical engineering and computational neuroscience at the University of Florida, before matriculating at Emory’s MD/PhD program. Through the NIH-supported Medical-Scientist Training Program (MSTP), he obtained his PhD in Bioengineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. At Emory and its affiliated hospitals, he completed his medical degree, anesthesiology residency training, and started his faculty career. In 2018, he joined the faculty of the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. His laboratory focuses on models of neuronal degeneration caused by age, anesthesia, or other pharmacologic exposure. Frequently this involves neurophysiologic recording from rodent brain tissue as well as behavioral testing in pre-clinical models. Dr. García has translated this research into the human/clinical realm. His clinical research projects involve investigating intraoperative EEG signatures and their association with adverse postoperative outcomes, such as pain and delirium in the recovery room. Understanding the generation of these signals can lead to improved care for patients in the care of anesthesiologists. He has maintained continuous extramural funding throughout his career (supported by the NIH, DoD, Veteran’s Affairs, and private foundations). His laboratory, translational, and clinical research combines neuromodulation techniques with pharmacology to improve clinical outcomes after surgery with general anesthesia. Dr. García’s official title is Associate Professor and Chief of Neuroanesthesia at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Michael Grocott, BSc, MSc, MBBS, MD, FRCA, FRCP, FFICM

Director, NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre,
University of Southampton,
Southampton, United Kingdom

Izumi Kawagoe, MD, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine,
Juntendo University
Tokyo, Japan

Izumi Kawagoe, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Juntendo University. She received her M.D. from the Kagawa University School of Medicine in 2000 and her Ph.D. from Juntendo University in 2008. A thoracic anesthesiologist, her research focuses on thoracic anesthesia, airway management, and the immunosuppressive effects of anesthetics in thoracic surgery. She received the Japan Clinical Anesthesia Society Research Award (2016), has been supported by Japan’s Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research since 2018, and received the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists Excellent Award (2020). Dr. Kawagoe completed advanced training through the EACTAIC Thoracic Exchange Program (Spain), the CAMES Flexible Bronchoscopy Course (Denmark), and an observational fellowship in thoracic and regional anesthesia (Germany). She currently serves as Director for Public Relations of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists and Director of International Affairs at the Japan Clinical Anesthesia Society. She is also Chair of the Thoracic Committee of the Japanese Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesia and EACTAIC National Coordinator for the PROTHOR and PROVE international multicenter studies. She received the International Airway Management Society Distinguished Education Prize in 2023 and joined the Sustainability Committee of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) in 2026.

Natalie Jane Koons, DO

Resident Physician, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

Dr. Natalie Koons is an anesthesiology resident at Stanford Health Care. She received her medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine internship at Stanford Health Care. Dr. Koons is a current FARM Research Scholar through the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and is interested in critical care/cardiac obstetric anesthesiology. She is the current President-Elect for the ASA Resident Component Governing Council and has a particular interest in the professional development of trainees and advocacy in anesthesiology. She serves as an Associate Editor and Resident Liaison for OpenAnesthesia and is a social media ambassador for Anesthesia & Analgesia. Dr. Koons is passionate about clinical outcomes research, mentorship, and physician wellbeing.

Ben Lalabekyan, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FRCA

Senior Anesthesia Resident
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom

Dr Bagrat (Ben) Lalabekyan, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FRCA, is a senior anaesthesia resident (ST7) at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London and incoming Consultant Anaesthetist at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, with fellowship training in complex airway and in liver transplant and hepato-pancreato-biliary anaesthesia. He originally trained in maxillofacial and head and neck surgery before moving to anaesthesia; a graduate of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, he trained across major London teaching hospitals, including King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’. He holds a PhD and 14 peer-reviewed publications, and was awarded the AAGBI Roddie McNicol Patient Safety Prize (2024) for a Learning from Incidents programme now used across South-East London. He develops clinical decision-support tools for airway management, and his focus is on improving patient safety and the safe implementation of machine learning in anaesthesia.

Daniel Vasco Lazzareschi, MD, MSc

Assistant Clinical Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA

A native of the California Bay Area, Dr. Lazzareschi completed medical and graduate school at Stanford University School of Medicine followed by anesthesiology residency and ICU fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is board-certified in both anesthesiology and critical care medicine. After training, he joined Anesthesia Care Associates Medical Group (ACAMG), a physician-only private practice in the Bay Area. He later joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), where he served as the Thoracic Residency Director at Mercy Hospital, an academic, tertiary-care hospital and level-1 trauma and burn center. His research interests center on systemic inflammatory responses and their role in predisposing to and prognosticating outcomes of sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and related conditions in perioperative and critically ill populations. Dr. Lazzareschi will join the faculty at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine in October 2026, and he is honored to serve on the IARS Outreach, Retention & Engagement Subcommittee (2026-2029).

Nadia Lunardi, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA

Adam Milam, MD, PhD, FASE, FAHA, FASA

Professor of Anesthesiology, Vice Chair for Health Outcomes,
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Adam J. Milam, MD, PhD, FASE, FAHA, FASA is a Professor of Anesthesiology (PAR) at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and he serves as Vice Chair for Health Outcomes in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. He is board-certified in both Anesthesiology and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology. Prior to his role at Johns Hopkins, he served as Professor of Anesthesiology and as the chair of the Health Equity Subcommittee at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Dr. Milam completed his cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic and residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, he attended Johns Hopkins University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health. He also holds a Master of Health Science as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health from the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Milam has been actively involved in several national societies including the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Heart Association, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the National Medical Association. He is a fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography (FASE), the American Heart Association (FAHA), and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (FASA). He also is actively engaged in research; Dr. Milam’s research is rooted in practices, policies, and interventions to address health disparities and health inequities. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed publications, 3 book chapters, and has more than 100 national, international, and invited presentations. His research has been featured and disseminated in leading public health and medical journals as well as Men’s Health, Rolling Stone, and US News & World Report. His work has been used to guide local and state legislation that promote health equity. Dr. Milam’s research also explores barriers and possible strategies to improve diversity in the medical workforce. He also serves on the steering committee for the Anesthesia Research Council, which provides independent, trustworthy synthesis and advice to address complex challenges by mobilizing expertise, practice and knowledge in science, engineering, and medicine. In 2024, Dr. Milam was appointed to the Editorial Board of Anesthesia & Analgesia, serving as the Section Editor for the People and Health Advocacy Section and Executive Editor.

Alexandria Page, MB BChir, FRCA

Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California, San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA

Dr. Alexandria Page is a T32 postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California, San Francisco, where her work spans the Transplant Anesthesia Research Group and the Hellman and Kolodzie laboratories. She earned her medical degree from the University of Cambridge, including an intercalated degree in physiology, and completed core anesthetics training in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2023.

Dr. Page’s research centers on biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in critical illness and major surgery. Her current work examines perioperative change in endothelial biomarkers during liver transplantation, alongside bench studies of innate immune agonists and endothelial permeability. Her earlier work focused on indirect calorimetry in prolonged critical illness. She was an Associate Principal Investigator for the NIHR Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme and completed the Advanced Training in Clinical Research certificate at UCSF. As a physician who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic, she is passionate about creating collaborative research environments and widening access to research engagement through pragmatic online spaces.

Juan C. Pedemonte, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology
Director, Pharmacology and Toxicology Program
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Santiago, Chile

Dr. Juan Pedemonte is an anesthesiologist and clinical researcher with a strong interest in the perioperative care of older adults and the use of clinical data to enhance outcomes in anesthesia. He earned his medical degree and completed his anesthesiology residency at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He also holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacology from Universidad de Chile and a Master of Medical Sciences in Clinical Investigation from Harvard University, completed in collaboration with the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Pedemonte currently serves as Assistant Professor at Hospital Clínico of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he is actively involved in teaching, research, and academic outreach. His research focuses on intraoperative cerebral monitoring, anesthesia for older patients, total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), clinical pharmacology, and liver transplantation.

Krishnan Ramanujan, MD

Assistant Professor
Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MN

International Subcommittee

The International Subcommittee focuses on developing new and innovative ways to engage the international community through IARS membership and education and research activities.

Co-Chairs

Xueqin Ding, MD, PhD, FASA

Professor and the Vice Chair of Faculty Development,
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative, and Pain Medicine,
MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio

Xueqin Ding, MD, PhD, FASA, is a Professor and the Vice Chair of faculty development in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Ding is an accomplished academic physician who has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and served as an editor for some anesthesiology journals. She is widely recognized for her contributions to perioperative care, acute pain management, and anesthesiology education. Dr. Ding is a Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and serves on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals. Her current scholarly interests include perioperative pain management for abdominal and thoracic surgery, regional anesthesia outcomes, enhanced recovery pathways, and anesthetic management for high-risk neurologic procedures. She has been an invited speaker and moderator at national and international meetings and has delivered invited grand rounds at major academic institutions, including the National Institutes of Health. She is also an active leader in national and international professional organizations. Dr. Ding currently serves as Chair of the Global Scholars Award Review Study Section of the International Anesthesia Research Society and Co-Chair of the IARS International Subcommittee. In addition, she serves as Chair of the International Committee of the Trauma Anesthesia Society, promoting global collaboration, research, and education in trauma anesthesia.

Kristin L. Schreiber, MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA; IARS International Subcommittee Member and Chair, IARS International Outreach Travel Grant Review Study Section

Dr. Kristin Schreiber is a Professor and Regional Anesthesiologist, whose clinical work involves caring for surgical patients in the perioperative period, and whose research work is centered around predicting and preventing Chronic Postsurgical Pain (CPSP). Her PhD in Neuroscience investigated mechanisms of spinal plasticity in the development of chronic pain states, and her translational clinical research program aims to understand which patients are at risk to develop CPSP, why, and how to best prevent it in different individuals. She employs careful preoperative pain phenotyping, investigating factors that underlie variability in postsurgical trajectories, and testing both pharmacologic and behavioral interventions to reduce postsurgical pain. Her quantitative sensory testing lab-based studies investigate difference in pain processing, in the absence and presence of modulators of pain including regional anesthesia, placebo, distraction, and music. She has enjoyed continuous external funding from the NIH since 2015, and has held administrative roles including associate VC of Research, and VC of Faculty Development, and PI of a translational pain research training grant at Harvard Medical School. She is a handling editor at Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine, and currently serves as Division Chief of Regional Anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford.

Subcommittee Members

Igor Abramovich, MD, PhD

Clinical Instructor, Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Dr. Igor Abramovich is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Hamburg and completed an anesthesiology residency followed by a critical care fellowship at Charité in Berlin. He also holds the European Diploma in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care.

Widely regarded as an educator and researcher, Dr. Abramovich has held positions within both the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care and the German Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. He has led studies on innovative training formats and co-developed award-winning educational programs. His current clinical research focuses on perioperative brain health and neuroanesthesia, and he continues to foster global collaboration in the anesthesiology community.

Ezzat Samy Aziz, MBBCh, FRCA, FFARCSI, MD, MSc, DA (UK)

Professor of Anesthesia and Intensive Care
Faculty of Medicine
Cairo University Hospital
Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Ezzat Samy Aziz is currently serving as a Professor of Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Hospital. After completing his undergraduate degree at Cairo University, he was appointed as Anaesthetic Resident at Cairo University Hospitals where he gained extensive experience in various anesthetics sub-specialties. 

He conducted his PhD thesis in University of Amsterdam, focusing on neonatal intensive care, which resulted in the attainment of his MD degree. His international experience involved working in different hospitals in the Republic of Ireland and the UK, where he gained exposure to European healthcare practices and successfully passed the Royal College of Anaesthetists fellowship examination in Ireland and the UK. In 2002, he was appointed as Professor of Anesthesia, a position that afforded him nearly four months of leave annually. This opportunity enabled him to establish himself as a Visiting Consultant Anaesthetist in Chesterfield, UK, a role he dedicated himself to for 20 years. 

He actively engaged in teaching and research, participating in numerous research projects. His expertise was recognized as he was appointed as an examiner for Master and MD degrees in Anaesthesia at Cairo University, as well as for the fellowship exam in Dublin, Ireland. He further extended his reach as an external examiner in various countries around the world. 

Professionally, he founded the African Society of Regional Anaesthesia (AFSRA) in 2011 and currently serves as its president. AFSRA spreads knowledge of regional anesthesia across Africa through annual meetings and workshops. Dr. Aziz has also held leadership roles in international anesthesia congresses and joined the committee of Professional Well Being for the WFSA in 2016. 

In his free time, Dr. Aziz indulges in collecting vintage watches and enjoys leisurely activities such as traveling and swimming. 

Sean Chetty, MBChB, DA(SA), DCH(SA), FCA(SA), Cert.Crit.Care(SA), PhD

Executive Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care,
Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital,
Cape Town, South Africa

Sean Chetty is Executive Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. He is a specialist anaesthesiologist with clinical and research interests in perioperative pain medicine, obstetric anaesthesia, critical care, and patient safety. His research focuses on improving perioperative outcomes through patient-centred approaches, the prevention of persistent postsurgical pain and digital health interventions. Professor Chetty leads an active clinical research programme and has supervised numerous postgraduate students at Master’s and PhD level. His work has attracted national and international funding and has resulted in publications spanning perioperative pain, obstetric anaesthesia, critical care, quality improvement, and healthcare education. He is particularly interested in translating evidence into clinical practice and developing pragmatic solutions that improve patient outcomes in low- and middle-income settings. In addition to his academic work, Professor Chetty has held several national and international leadership positions. He is the Immediate Past President of the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA), Director of Programmes for the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), and serves as Chair of the Education and Research Committee of the Critical Care Society of Southern Africa (CCSSA). He is also Section Editor for Pain for the Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia and has contributed extensively to postgraduate education, curriculum development, and international collaborations in anaesthesiology and pain medicine.

Professor Chetty has a longstanding commitment to advancing global perioperative care through research, education, mentorship, and international collaboration. He is committed to strengthening research capacity, supporting emerging investigators, and promoting equitable opportunities for anaesthesia researchers in the global south.

Lena E. Dohlman, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Dr. Lena Dohlman is a clinically retired anesthesiologist with an appointment in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School (HMS). She is also an Affiliate Faculty in the HMS Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, on the Core Faculty for Clinical Skills Assessment HMS, and is a member of the Academy at HMS. Her primary focus is on education in global health.

Dr. Dohlman completed her anesthesia residency at Beth Israel Hospital (BIDMC), after two years of surgical residency at the same hospital. She joined the BIH staff as Instructor in Anesthesia, HMS, in 1981 where she remained on staff until 1999 when she joined the MGH. Dr. Dohlman has been involved in education, both locally and internationally, for many years.  She has taught several courses at HMS and has served as a Faculty Examiner for the 2nd and 4th year OSCE at HMS since 2003. Dr. Dohlman has also served as a mentor to international students at the Harvard School of Public Health as part of the Alumni Mentoring Program and to anesthesia residents interested in regional anesthesia, education, and global health. She was Adjunct Faculty in Medical Simulation at the Center for Medical Simulation for several years.

Dr. Dohlman graduated from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1993 with an MPH and became interested in global health issues, especially in capacity building through education.  She founded the SEA HVO Traveling Fellowship in 2001, a nationally competitive, one-month elective for senior anesthesia residents to spend a month teaching anesthesia in a low resource country. She has held several leadership and committee positions related to global health and has lectured internationally on anesthesia topics in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malawi, Botswana, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Uganda, and Rwanda. She has organized multiple refresher courses overseas on Emergency Airway Care, regional anesthesia, and the use of ultrasound for emergency evaluation and procedures. She is currently the co-director of an educational initiative in Uganda and recently helped run an “Anesthesia Bootcamp” for medical students at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda with the aim of attracting more students to anesthesia as a career. She is the Vice-Chair of the Global Health SIG for ASRA Pain Medicine and helps yearly to select a Regional or Pain Fellow in the U.S. to teach overseas. Dr. Dohlman hopes to continue mentoring academic anesthesia department members in low-and-middle income countries when requested.

Mada Helou, MD

Program Director for Anesthesiology,
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center;
Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, OH

Mada Fares Helou, MD, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors from the University of Cincinnati, and her medical degree from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She completed her training in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic where she received the Excellence in Teaching Award upon graduation. She is board certified in both fields. She joined the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center staff in 2015 and is an Associate Professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She is the Program Director for Anesthesiology, and previously served as Associate Program Director for Anesthesiology and Medical Student Clerkship Director. She also serves on multiple education committees for the residency and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, as well as hospital and national societies. Her clinical interests include liver transplant, thoracic and vascular anesthesiology and her research interests include innovative teaching methods and faculty development. She is a Cleveland native, dedicated to her hometown and the local community.

Fitsum Kifle Belachew, PhD

Managing Director,
Network for Perioperative and Critical Care (N4PCc),
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fitsum Kifle Belachew, PhD, is a global surgery, perioperative medicine and acute care health system researcher based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He co-leads Ethiopia’s National Perioperative Quality Improvement Network (NaPQIN) under the Ministry of Health, leads and collaborates on national and multinational surgical and critical care outcome studies across Africa, and co-founded HEARTS Care, a digital emergency response platform. He holds a PhD in Global Surgery from the University of Cape Town with a clinical background in anaesthesiology, an NIHR Academy membership at Queen Mary University of London, and an adjunct appointment at Debre Berhan University. His work, published in Anaesthesia & Analgesia, BMJ Global Health, The Lancet, and Nature Scientific Reports, focuses on building sustainable surgical and anaesthesia systems in low-resource settings through research, implementation, and mentorship.

Gerald Kirenga, MBChB, MMED Anaesthesia, FCA

Consultant Anesthesiologist, University of Rwanda, 
Dream Medical Center Hospital,
Kigali, Rwanda

A medical clinician with over 17 years in clinical medicine and 7 years of experience in anesthesia and critical care medicine, Dr. Gerald Kirenga is currently pursuing subspeciality training in Interventional Pain Medicine at the Asian Pain Academy.

He has a special interest in perioperative medicine, patient safety, theater efficiency, clinical teaching and research. He previously worked at a tertiary referral hospital in Kigali, Rwanda, before joining a specialized orthopedic private hospital facility with dedicated and advanced pain management services.

Annemarie Chrysantia Melati, MD

Anesthesiologist
Premier Bintaro Hospital
South Tangerang, Indonesia

Dr. Annemarie Chrysantia Melati completed her training in anesthesiology and intensive care at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia where she is also doing her fellowship program in regional anesthesia. She is also studying for a Master in Perioperative Medicine from University of College London and doing fellowship in palliative medicine at the Institute of Palliative Medicine in India. She has done numerous research projects in geriatric anesthesia and regional anesthesia. She is interested in perioperative medicine, especially in geriatric and high-risk anesthesia, regional anesthesia and palliative medicine. She also serves as Vice Chair of ERAS Program and Palliative Care Program at her current workplace.

Miodrag Milenovic, MD, PhD

Head of Anaesthesiology,
Anaesthesiology & Resuscitation Emergency Center,
University Clinical Center of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia

Dr. Miodrag Milenovic is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia, and Head of the Anesthesiology Section in the Operating Room, Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, Emergency Center, the University Clinical Centre of Serbia.

His clinical and academic interests include perioperative medicine, acute postoperative pain, patient safety, critical care, medical education, and clinical research. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has been actively involved in international anesthesiology through his involvement with the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC).

As a member of the IARS International Subcommittee, he is committed to strengthening international collaboration, advancing education and research, and supporting the professional development of anesthesiologists worldwide.

Hiroshi Morimatsu, MD, PhD

Director of Intensive Care Unit,
Director of Perioperative Management Center
Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology,
Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Okayama University
Okayama, Japan

Hiroshi Morimatsu, MD, PhD is Chair and Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology at the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Okayama University, Japan. He also serves as Director of the Intensive Care Unit and Director of the Perioperative Management Center, where he leads clinical, academic, and perioperative care initiatives.

Dr. Morimatsu earned his MD from Okayama University Medical School in 1993, the same year he obtained his Japan National Medical License. He became a Registered Anesthesiologist in 1996 and later completed his Ph.D. at the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2007.

He completed his residency training at Okayama University Medical School and Kure Kyosai Hospital in Hiroshima before serving on the medical staff at Atago Hospital in Kochi and Okayama University. From 2001 to 2002, he expanded his clinical expertise internationally through a Clinical Fellowship in the Intensive Care Unit at the Austin and Repatriation Medical Center in Melbourne, Australia.

Following his return to Japan, Dr. Morimatsu joined the faculty at Okayama University, advancing from staff anesthesiologist to Assistant Professor of Intensive Care. In 2013, he was appointed Chair and Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, a role in which he continues to oversee the department’s clinical, educational, and research missions while directing the university’s Intensive Care Unit and Perioperative Management Center.

An active contributor to the international anesthesiology and critical care communities, Dr. Morimatsu is a member of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiology, the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA).

Sérgio Martins Pereira, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto;
Investigator, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital,
Toronto, Canada

Dr. Sérgio Martins Pereira completed his medical training, anesthesiology residency and critical care fellowship at University of São Paulo. For more than a decade, Dr. Pereira’s goals have been to deliver excellent patient care while engaging in research to reduce perioperative complications and reduce ICU-related morbidity and mortality. He has worked on a variety of studies, delving most deeply into issues of mechanical ventilation and respiratory physiology.

Recently, his research interest has expanded into perioperative medicine, with a particular focus on acute pain management. He recognizes the potential of advancing postoperative pain strategies to address the opioid crisis. In addition, he has designed and is actively engaged in multiple studies on perioperative hemodynamic optimization using goal-directed protocols to enhance patient outcomes.

Carolina S. Romero Garcia, MD, PhD, MStat

Assistant Professor and Consultant in Anesthesia and Critical Care,
Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia,
Valencia, Spain

Carolina S. Romero is an Anesthesia and Critical Care consultant at the General University Hospital of Valencia, Spain. She is interested in collaborative research merging new technologies and modern statistical methods with medicine and has obtained a Master’s Degree in Biostatistics. In her area, she teaches research methodology at the University and she is involved in the local innovation hub promoting transfer knowledge from the clinical setting to industry, supporting  innovation, digitalization and collaboration between health tech partners.

At ESAIC (European Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care), CS Romero is currently the Guidelines Committee Chair and she is also the Research Mentorship programme leader. Besides, she is a member of the research committee. Carolina is also a member of the research committee of IACA (International academy of cardiac anesthesiologists) and a member of the Outcomes Research Consortium.

Shagun Bhatia Shah, MBBS, DA, DNB, FIMSA, MNAMS, Cert. TEE

Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre
New Delhi, India

Dr. Shagun Bhatia Shah, MBBS, DA, DNB, FIMSA, MNAMS, Cert. TEE, is a motivated, dedicated and competent anesthesiologist with 21 years of experience in the field of anesthesia. Presently she is a Senior Consultant onco-anesthesiologist at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (a premiere tertiary care institute and the largest exclusive oncology setup of Northern India) and a thesis guide for DNB students. She has authored 94 publications in peer reviewed indexed journals besides 11 Book Chapters. She is especially interested in recent advances in anesthesia like USG guided procedures, difficult airway, advanced haemodynamic monitoring, ERAS protocol and anesthesia for robotic surgery. She is certified in TEE (Trans esophageal echocardiography) and utilizes it for managing cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac oncosurgery. She is ready to walk that extra mile with post-operative and terminally ill cancer patients to alleviate their pain and suffering.

Her major achievements are tabulated below

• Best Original Article Award (2018) published in Indian Journal of Anaesthesia
• Best Researcher’s Award: (2017) RGCIRC
• Best Oral Paper award at Best of SABCS (2019) DELHI
• Award for Best Poster (International Cancer Congress; ICC)
• Best Teachers Award (ISACON-Delhi 2022)
• Organizing Secretary RGCI COAT Program Onco anaesthesia update 2023
• GC Member North Zone Society of Oncoanaesthesia and Palliative Care (SOAPC)
• Member International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) International Committee
• Associate editor: 3 journals; Section editor 2 journals; Reviewer: 4 journals
• Faculty/Speaker/Moderator/Chair at national and international Conferences

(ISC: Toronto; Canada (2017); IARS: Chicago; USA (2018); IASC: Valencia; Spain (2021); IARS Hawai; USA (2022); IARS Denver; USA (2013); ISACON National: Shillong (2022); Ahmedabad (2021); Agra (2018); ICACON National: Delhi; SOAPCCON: Mumbai; Hyderabad; Kolkata; ISACON Delhi; RSACPCON Rohtak)

Coridalia Wald, MD

Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Surgery
UMass Chan Medical School
Worchester, MA

Dr. Coridalia Wald, a graduate of the University of Panama School of Medicine, completed her residency at Santo Tomas Hospital in Panama City before specializing in anesthesia for abdominal transplantation and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Miami in Florida. She briefly contributed her expertise at Washington University in St. Louis before joining UMass Chan Medical School as an Assistant Professor in 2022. Dr. Wald is dedicated to enhancing medical education and patient care, collaborating with ASA and SEA on professional development committees. Her clinical focus includes abdominal transplantation, major vascular surgery, and intraoperative mechanical ventilation.

Xinyan Wang, MD

Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University  
Beijing, PR China  

Dr. Xinyan Wang is an anesthesiologist and clinical scientist at the Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University. Her research work focuses on perioperative anesthesia management of cerebrovascular diseases. She has published numerous articles in prestigious journals such as JAMA Neurology, Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, and BMC Anesthesiology. Additionally, Dr. Wang has presented her research at international conferences including the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC), the World Stroke Congress, and the International Stroke Conference (ISC). Her clinical interests include neuroanesthesia and critical care. Dr. Wang’s current clinical research focuses on improving clinical outcomes for patients undergoing endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

Sebastian Zeiner, MD, PhD, MBA

Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care,
University of California, San Francisco,
San Francisco, CA

Sebastian Zeiner, MD, PhD, MBA, is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and a faculty member at the Medical University of Vienna. He completed his residency in anesthesiology and intensive care medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, where he subsequently served as an attending anesthesiologist. He also holds certification in prehospital emergency medicine.

Dr. Zeiner’s clinical practice focuses on liver transplantation and complex perioperative care. His research interests include perioperative hemostasis, transplant anesthesiology, artificial intelligence, and clinical outcomes research, with a particular focus on leveraging large clinical datasets and machine learning to improve perioperative care. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves as principal investigator on multiple investigator-initiated research projects.

Dr. Zeiner is committed to advancing international collaboration in anesthesiology through research, education, and mentorship. As a member of the IARS International Subcommittee, he looks forward to fostering global partnerships and supporting initiatives that advance perioperative science and improve patient care worldwide.

Online Community Subcommittee

The Online Community Subcommittee focuses on championing the Online Community in DocMatter to IARS members and the anesthesiology community and increasing overall engagement in the community. This community offers the opportunity for 8,000+ participants from 121+ countries to engage in insightful, high-quality, clinical and research discussions where experiences, ideas, and questions are exchanged.

Co-Chairs

Christian S. Guay, MD

Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at the University of Utah;
Director of the Sleep, Anesthesia & Neuromodulation Devices Laboratory (SAND Lab)
Salt Lake City, Utah

​Dr. Christian Guay is a board-certified cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, currently serving as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at the University of Utah. He is also the Director of the Sleep, Anesthesia & Neuromodulation Devices Laboratory (SAND Lab), focused on the development of technologies that precisely monitor and modulate brain states in the operating room and intensive care unit.

Praveen Dharmapalan Prasanna, MBBS, FCARCSI

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Program Director for Anesthesiology Residency
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA

Dr. Praveen Dharmapalan Prasanna is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist in Virginia and serves as the program director for anesthesiology residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. He graduated from Medical College Thiruvananthapuram (India), following which he received postgraduate training in England (National Health Service UK). He completed Anesthesiology residency at Baystate Medical Center, MA before joining as anesthesiology faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. His academic interests include patient safety and quality, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and education in anesthesia.

Subcommittee Members

Krishma Adatia, BSc MBChB FRCA

Academic Clinical Fellow
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Dr. Krishma Adatia is currently an academic resident at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. She completed a BSc in Biomedical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London, and her medical degree at the University of Sheffield. Her academic interests include perioperative biomarkers and their association with outcomes, traumatic brain injury, differential attainment, and postgraduate training in anesthesia.

Jill F. Arthur, MD, FAAP

Pediatric Anesthesiologist
CHU de Bordeaux
Bordeaux, France

Cameron R. Bosinski, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Dr. Cameron Bosinski is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Rochester and Attending Anesthesiologist at Strong Memorial Hospital. His research focuses on the mechanisms of volatile anesthetics, gap junction physiology, and neuromonitoring/EEG using translational models including C. elegans. As a FAER Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellow, he studied electroencephalography in the Kelz/Proekt laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania and conducted research on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in the Auerbach lab. He completed his anesthesiology residency in the research track at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, working with Dr. Christopher Connor. Dr. Bosinski is an active IARS contributor as a writer for The Daily Dose and is co-Vice President of Early-Stage Anesthesiology Scholars. He has presented his work on anesthesia mechanisms and gap junctions at multiple IARS Annual Meetings and serves on ASA committees related to neuroanesthesiology. He is committed to mentorship, clinical excellence, and fostering global engagement in anesthesiology education and research.

Jonathan Matias Chejfec-Ciociano, MD

Clinical Researcher,
Mexican Federation of Anesthesiology Colleges,
Mexico City, Mexico

Dr. Jonathan Matias Chejfec-Ciociano is a physician and clinical researcher with a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Universidad de Guadalajara. His work focuses on patient safety, clinical research, perioperative systems, public health, and human factors in anesthesiology.

As Principal Investigator for the Mexican Federation of Anesthesiology Colleges, he leads a multidisciplinary research group conducting applied investigations into anesthesia-related adverse events and medication safety. His work has contributed to regulatory reforms and clinical practice improvements, and has been recognized with national and international honors, including the IARS International Outreach Travel Grant. His research combines real-world clinical data with systems-level analysis to support safer, more effective anesthesia care across varied healthcare settings.

Mathew Ciurash

Fourth-Year Medical Student
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Charlottesville, VA

Mathew Ciurash is a 4th-year medical student graduating in the class of 2025 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from William and Mary, graduating in the class of 2020. During his medical education, Mathew served as the Medical Student President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and is actively involved in the Global Health Curriculum at VCU, focusing on acute care in low-resource settings. His clinical interests include global health disparities and acute trauma management. A Richmond native, Mathew is dedicated to promoting equity in healthcare within his community and beyond.

Jacopo D’Andria Ursoleo, MD

Fellow, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia,
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute,
Milan, Italy

Dr. Jacopo D’Andria Ursoleo, MD, is a Fellow in Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Anesthesia at IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute (Milan, Italy). His clinical and academic interests include perioperative medicine, cardiac anesthesia and ICU, mechanical circulatory support and the integration of palliative and end-of-life care in those who are critically ill. Dr. D’Andria Ursoleo serves as an editor and peer-reviewer for several international, indexed journals. His Twitter/X handle is: @JDAndriaUrsoleo.

Madelle Ferrer, BS, MS

Medical Student,
St. George’s University School of Medicine,
Orlando, FL

Madelle Ferrer is a 4th-year medical student at St. George’s University School of Medicine. During her medical education, she has been actively involved with the American Society of Anesthesiologists through its Medical Student Component, contributing to educational and advocacy initiatives. Her academic and clinical interests include perioperative medicine, cardiac anesthesiology, and improving educational resources for medical students and trainees. Madelle is passionate about advancing medical student engagement within anesthesiology and hopes to continue contributing to research, education, and professional development within the specialty.

Nishkarsh Gupta, MBBS, MD, DNB, MNAMS, PGCCHA

Fellow Palliative Medicine
Fellowship in Clinical Research Methodology & Evidence-based Medicine
Professor, Department of Onco-Anesthesiology and Palliative Medicine
DRBRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

Dr. Nishkarsh Gupta is currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Onco-Anaesthesiology and Palliative Medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India. He received his undergraduate and postgraduate medical training from Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India. He has over 20 years of experience in teaching and clinical practice as a faculty member in Anesthesiology.

He is an executive member of three national societies: the Society of onco-Anesthesia and Perioperative Care (SOAPC), the Research Society of Anesthesia and Clinical Pharmacology (RSACP), and the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC). He is an Associate Editor for various National journals, including the Indian Journal of Palliative Care (IJPC) and the Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth. He is the editor of 10 books, including the South Asian edition of the widely circulated and popular “Clinical Anesthesia by Barash,” “Dorsh & Dorsh,” and “Stoelting’s Coexisting Diseases.” He has also published more than 250 articles in various journals, and his H-index is 18. He is a gold medalist and the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Research by the Indian Society of Anaesthesia in 2021, the Best Reviewer Award by Indian Journal of Anaesthesia in 2021, and the Professor MK Dey Award by the Indian College of Anesthesiologists in 2022.

He is a certified American Heart Association (AHA) instructor for CPR courses and conducts various training sessions nationwide. He is the workshop coordinator for various airway and regional anesthesia workshops. His main areas of interest include airway management, skill training, resuscitation, care of the pediatric population, oncological anesthesia, regional anesthesia, patient safety, perioperative care, and structured skill training of medical students.

Rodrigo Gutiérrez, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Chile
Anesthesia Residency Program Director, University of Chile
Santiago, Chile

Dr. Rodrigo Gutiérrez is an anesthesiologist and scientist with a focus on the interception of neuroscience and perioperative care. After completing his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Chile, Dr. Gutiérrez completed a PhD in Medical Science at the same institution. After that, he completed a 2-year postdoctoral training at the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Currently his research is focused on understanding anesthesia-induced brain oscillations in vulnerable populations and its association with nociception and pain.

Aleesha Jethwa, MBBS, BMedSci, MSEd

Postdoctoral Scholar,
Stanford University School of Medicine,
Stanford, CA

Dr. Aleesha Jethwa is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK and completed over six years of clinical training in the UK, the majority in anesthesiology, before earning a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jethwa works on clinical trials adapting non-pharmacological interventions for peripartum pain, with wider interests in maternal mental health and postpartum recovery outcomes. She is passionate about clinical outcomes research, mentorship, and medical education. 

Zhuan Jin, MD

Assistant Professor,
Oregon Health & Science University,
Portland, OR

Dr. Zhuan Jin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. He received his medical degree from Osaka University in 2019 and completed his anesthesiology residency at Kameda Medical Center in Japan in 2025. As an early-career anesthesiologist, he is committed to advancing perioperative care through clinical practice, research, education, and professional engagement. He is also a PhD candidate at Okayama University, where his research focuses on perioperative management and regional anesthesia. Dr. Jin’s academic interests include perioperative optimization, regional anesthesia, and clinical outcomes research. His work employs a range of methodologies, including randomized controlled trials, large-scale database studies, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses. He currently serves as an Editorial Fellow for Anesthesia & Analgesia and has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications in perioperative medicine and regional anesthesia, including a recent publication in Anesthesia & Analgesia. He looks forward to contributing to the IARS community by promoting education, collaboration, and engagement among anesthesiologists worldwide.

Prakash Kalika, MD

Critical Care Medicine Fellow,
University of Toronto,
Toronto, Canada

Dr. Prakash Kalika is an anesthesiologist and critical care physician with extensive clinical experience in anesthesiology, intensive care, and perioperative medicine. He completed his MD in Anesthesiology at Hubei University of Medicine in China and has practiced as a Consultant Anesthesiologist and Critical Care physician in Nepal. He is currently a Clinical Fellow in Adult Critical Care Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Kalika has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed publications on regional anesthesia, perioperative pain management, and critical care. His scholarly interests include perioperative care, patient safety, hemodynamic management and regional anesthesia. He has also served as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Kalika has participated as a mentor in the WFSA Global Anesthesia Mentoring Programme. In addition to his clinical roles, he has been actively involved in medical education, regularly supervising and mentoring residents and early-career researchers. His interests include global anesthesia collaboration, mentorship, medical education, research, and strengthening professional communities in anesthesiology and critical care.

Ofeoritse Murphy-Akpieyi, MBBS

Medical Practioner, Anesthesiology
University of Lagos – College of Medicine
Yaba Lagos, Nigeria

Dr. Ofeoritse Murphy-Akpieyi is a dedicated medical doctor, who embarked on a journey in healthcare at the prestigious University of Lagos, where she honed her skills and passion for medicine. With a keen interest in clinical research, she actively participated in groundbreaking work during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a clinical research assistant in Lagos, Nigeria’s first human clinical trial. Her commitment to service extended beyond the laboratory as she volunteered as a field doctor, providing critical care to those in need. Now, as she pursues her dream of specializing in anesthesiology, she is on a mission to make a profound impact on healthcare.

Ashley Phoenix

Ashley Phoenix, MD, MS is a T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. She earned her medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and has trained in neuroscience research at Wake Forest University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research focuses on the neuroinflammatory mechanisms underlying postoperative delirium, cognitive decline in older adults, and perioperative brain health, with interests in immune profiling and biomarker discovery to improve outcomes for aging surgical patients. Dr. Phoenix is committed to a career as a physician scientist and hopes to advance perioperative and acute care neuroscience while helping shape the future of academic medicine through scientific discovery, mentorship, and compassionate patient care.

Sara Timerga Nemani, BSc, MSc, MPH

Lecturer, Department of Anesthesia, Wollo University;
Senior Anesthetist, Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital;
Dessie, Ethiopia

Ms. Sara Timerga Nemani is a dedicated anesthetist with a strong background in clinical anesthesia, research, and medical education. She currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Anesthesia at Wollo University and as a Senior Anesthetist at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, where she plays a critical role in the care of surgical and critically ill patients.

Ms. Nemani earned her BSc in Anesthesia from Jimma University, followed by an MSc in Advanced Clinical Anesthesia from Addis Ababa University, and an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Wollo University. She is deeply involved in academic and operational research, with multiple peer-reviewed publications focusing on perioperative care, pain management, critical care outcomes, and spinal anesthesia techniques.

In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, she engages volunteers with community and global initiatives, including serving as a peer reviewer and application reader for international programs. Her research contributions have been recognized with the Female Anesthesia Research Award by the Ethiopian Association of Anesthetists.

Jarna Shah, MD

Subcommittee Journal Liaison

Social Media Editor, Anesthesia & Analgesia;
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR

Dr. Jarna Shah received her Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her medical degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She then completed her fellowship in interventional pain management at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2020, Dr. Shah joined the faculty at UAMS, where she serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology. She primarily focuses on multimodal pain management using minimally invasive procedures, spinal cord stimulation, and vertebral augmentation. Her specific research interests include neuromodulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, obstetric related chronic pain, and medical education.

Ceasar Sy, MD, DPBA, FPSA

Senior Staff Specialist
Southern Philippines Medical Center
Davao City, Philippines

Timur Yurttas, MD

Senior Physician in Anesthesiology,
HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen,
Switzerland

Dr. Timur Yurttas is a Senior Physician in Anesthesiology at HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Switzerland, with clinical and research interests centered on perioperative medicine. His work focuses on the optimization of cardiovascular risk in surgical patients and the improvement of postoperative pulmonary outcomes, with particular emphasis on advanced ventilation techniques, including Flow-Controlled Ventilation (FCV). In addition to his clinical and research responsibilities, Dr. Yurttas is actively involved in medical education, regularly supervising and mentoring residents and early-career researchers.

As a Principal Investigator, he leads clinical trials investigating pharmacological strategies to mitigate perioperative cardiovascular risk. He is recognized for his expertise in the clinical application of FCV and contributes to the Protective Ventilation (PROVE) Network, a collaborative research initiative within the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC). Dr. Yurttas currently coordinates the Protective Ventilation with Flow-Controlled Ventilation (PROFLOW) study series, which explores the implementation of FCV across various surgical settings with the aim of informing evidence-based advancements in perioperative ventilation strategies.