The IARS is committed to advancing the field of anesthesiology through a number of research and educational initiatives that benefit not only practicing anesthesiologists but also patients of all ages. We strive to provide you with the latest news through several education newsletters as well as the important updates on this page.

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Latest News

Metaverse and Anesthesia

A&A Latest IssueFEBRUARY 29, 2024

The current rate of technological innovation has never been experienced before in human history. Concepts of art, work, communication, business, and entertainment are inevitably being transformed, shaped by emerging technologies. Technological evolution is breaking down many barriers, even to the point of changing the way we perceive and experience reality. It has become possible to “go beyond the universe” or, to use the correct term, to enter the metaverse. Considered an advanced form of internet, the metaverse is actually a digital parallel world where any activity can take place, including those normally considered real. Although it is still in its infancy, the promises of metaverse are limitless. As anesthesiologists, we have no choice but to get involved and understand the potential of this new subject, both for the optimization of perioperative care and for its influence on our training and health systems planning.

Low Perfusion and Missed Diagnosis of Hypoxemia by Pulse Oximetry in Darkly Pigmented Skin: A Prospective Study

Early Goal-Directed Hemostatic Therapy for Severe Acute Bleeding Management in the Intensive Care Unit: A Narrative Review

 

March 2024 A&A Video Summary: Featured Articles

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

View this video summary covering three featured articles from the March 2024 issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

 

 

Advance Your Career and the Specialty!
Now Accepting Applications for 2024 IARS Mentored Research Awards!

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2024

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 IARS Mentored Research Awards (IMRA) through April 30, 2024! For more than 100 years, the core mission of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) has been to encourage, stimulate, and support anesthesia-related research projects that will improve patient care and advance the specialty. IARS established its Mentored Research Awards to help create future leaders and prepare applicants to obtain independent research funding. Up to four research projects will be selected in 2024, each with a maximum award of $175,000 payable over two years. IMRA applications may be in any area of investigation (clinical, translational, basic science), but must have ultimate relevance to the broad practice of anesthesiology and its subspecialties.

To learn more and view past successful IMRA research endeavors, visit iars.org/awards/IMRA.

 

Connect with IARS at the 18th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, March 3-7, 2024, in Singapore!

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) will be joining more than 40 international organizations exhibiting in the Global Anesthesia Village at the 18th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, March 3-7, 2024, in Singapore. This area of the exhibit hall is designed to demonstrate the unity of anesthesia and anesthesia-related organizations around the world, and includes an exciting mix of WFSA Regional Sections, Member Societies, and other organizations promoting safe anesthesia and surgery. If you are attending this conference, we hope you will stop by the IARS booth to share your ideas and let us know how we may better serve your needs. We will be raffling off one free year of membership to IARS as well as a free registration to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA, May 17-19, in Seattle, WA. We look forward to seeing you then!

IARS Exhibit Hours:

Monday, March 4
9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, March 6
9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, March 5
9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Learn more.

 

IARS Board Vice Chair Dr. Y.S. Prakash Named Vice Dean of Research at Mayo Clinic

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

IARS Emeritus Trustee Dr. Prakash

IARS Vice Chair Y.S. Prakash, MD, PhD

IARS Board Vice Chair Y.S. Prakash, MD, PhD, has been appointed as the Vice Dean of Research at Mayo Clinic, extending his roles as Associate Dean of Research, Midwest and Professor of Anesthesiology and Physiology and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering and his service to the research community. This new appointment reflects the increased focus on several administrative initiatives across the research spectrum at Mayo.

“Under his leadership of Research in the Midwest, Dr. Prakash has successfully led strategic and operational activities,” Dr. Vijay Shah, Kinney Executive Dean of Research, said. “Many have had the benefit of his guidance and expertise.”

Dr. Prakash’s dedication to the research community is vast and career-spanning. He was one of the only medical students to receive and maintain a major NIH Research Project Grant (R01) during medical school. Since completing anesthesiology residency at Mayo, Dr. Prakash has continually maintained NIH R01 funding.

In addition to his extensive service to IARS as Board Vice Chair, Chair of the Research & Education Awards Committee, Vice Chair of the Membership Committee and Journal Liaison to Anesthesia & Analgesia, Dr. Prakash is involved with several professional societies in anesthesiology, physiology and pulmonary medicine, including the Association of University Anesthesiologists, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Physiological Society and American Thoracic Society. He served as the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for AUA from 2016-2018, and as Chair of the ASA Committee on Research. He was Deputy Editor for the American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, from 2012-2015. He has served on multiple NIH and foundation grant review panels. From 2015-2020, he served as a standing member and then Chair for the NIH Lung Cellular Molecular Immunology (LCMI) study section.

Read More

 

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2013 IARS Mentored Research Award Recipient Interview: Sinziana Avramescu, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Study: Do Anesthetics Exacerbate Memory Deficits Following Traumatic Brain Injury?

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Sinziana Avramescu, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Anesthesiologist,
Executive Director, Department of Anesthesia, and
Secretary of the Medical Staff Association,
Humber River Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

At the age of 17, Sinziana Avramescu, MD, PhD, FRCPC, was involved in a car crash as a pedestrian and was sent unconscious to the ICU. While recovering from a traumatic brain injury, she became fascinated that all the tests said her brain was normal but she was not yet functioning at her previous capacity. This was the moment she decided to become a “brain scientist” to unravel this disconnect and help others experiencing traumatic brain injury. She did just that, dedicating her medical career to studying perioperative brain health. This passion and perseverance eventually led her to be recognized with the IARS Mentored Research Award in 2013 for her research addressing the question, “Do Anesthetics Exacerbate Memory Deficits Following Traumatic Brain Injury?” A senior resident in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto at the time, Dr. Avramescu’s overarching goal of this research program was to gain a better understanding of the debilitating consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to develop an informed pharmacological strategy to prevent post-traumatic memory deficits. The findings from this research provided the first proof-of-concept evidence that α5GABAARs are novel targets for pharmacologic treatment of persistent cognitive deficits induced by traumatic brain injury.

This motivated Dr. Avramescu and her mentor, Dr. Beverley Orser and collaborator and colleague, Dr. Stephen Choi, to co-found the Perioperative Brain Health Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the first of its kind to focus on bringing together patients, healthcare professionals and researchers to design and implement novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for perioperative brain dysfunction.

In 2018, Dr. Avramescu moved to a community anesthesia practice at Humber River Hospital in Toronto, where she serves as the Executive Director in the Department of Anesthesia. She continues to be resolutely dedicated to furthering the knowledge around perioperative brain health, establishing the first perioperative research unit at Humber River Hospital. The unit and her hospital now partner with several academic centers across Canada, and serve as a research site for multi-center clinical trials. In her interview, Dr. Avramescu shares her research journey, her continued efforts to discover breakthroughs in the treatment of traumatic brain injury and how the IMRA helped her to be successful as a researcher, clinician and educator.

Read More

 

Register by March 11 for the Best Rates! 2024 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA – May 17-19!

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Join us for the 2024 Annual Meeting, presented by IARS and SOCCA in Seattle, to connect with colleagues and share fantastic educational content, scientific exchanges, and networking opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you in-person at the Hyatt Regency Seattle Hotel. Register now to take advantage of the lowest early-registration rates! Rates increase on March 12, 2024.

For those unable to join in person, on demand session recordings will be available for purchase following the live meeting. In-person registration rates include this offer as well.

View the full program!

Upcoming Deadlines

Attendee Housing Block: Discounted rates available until April 19, 2024
Early-Registration Rates: Available through March 11, 2024

Learn more.

 

Upcoming Webinar: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Predict Intensive Care Unit Indices and Outcomes on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Register Today!

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are gaining traction in medicine and have been used to perform some tasks as well or better than well-trained physicians. This forward-looking webinar will differentiate myth from fact regarding AI/ML as prediction and clinical indicator tools in the intensive care unit (ICU) and operative setting. Discover how AI/ML can be used to predict patients at risk of needing ICU admission after PACU discharge as well as how you might predict cerebral perfusion pressure for patients with, or at risk, of increased intracranial pressure. You will leave this webinar with practical implementation considerations for the use of AI/ML in the clinical setting.

Moderator: Andrew B. Barker, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Presenters

Fact and Myth about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning on the ICU and OR
Ryan L. Melvin, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Birmingham, AL

Machine Learning Predicts Unplanned Care Escalations for Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Patients During the Perioperative Period
Andrew B. Barker, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

AI/ML to Predict Cerebral Autoregulation Using a Transcranial Doppler Robot and Big Data
Emily Wasson, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Practical Implementation Considerations for AI/ML in the Perioperative Setting
Matthew Zapf, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN

View the 2024 webinar schedule.

 

View Recordings from Previous Webinars

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Missed a previous webinar? IARS full members can access a valuable library of recordings from previous webinars from 2021, 2022 and 2023. Plus, take advantage of opportunities to claim Enduring Material CME credits.

Learn more and access this valuable learning today!

 

Session Videos from the 2023 Annual Meeting Available

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

IARS full members can now access session recordings from 2023 Annual Meetings as well as a video library from the 2018-2022 meetings.

Additionally, full members may claim CME credit from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Annual Meetings.

Access this forward-looking education today!

 

Discover Anesthesia Community Activities on the Events Calendar

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

View meetings and events from the IARS and the anesthesia community on the Anesthesia Community Events Calendar. If you have a meeting or event you would like to include on this calendar, email [email protected]. Please include the date, time, location and website URL for the meeting or event.

 

OpenAnesthesia and Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology Fellows Webinar Series

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Sarah Nizamuddin, MD, presents “Iron Deficiency Anemia in Parturients: Implications, Disparities and Outcomes.”

 

OpenAnesthesia and Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Ask the Expert

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

OpenAnesthesia Section Editor Dr. Aditee Ambardekar and Dr. Concetta Lupa discuss pediatric anesthesiology fellowships.

More OA Education

 

FAER NAM Fellowship Applications are Open!

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) is accepting applications for the first ever FAER NAM Fellowship through April 30, 2024. This endowed National Academy of Medicine (NAM) anesthesiology fellowship offers the opportunity to experience and participate in evidence-based healthcare or public health studies that improve the care and access to care of patients in domestic and global health care systems. Visit FAER’s website for more information and to apply!

Learn more & apply!