Holger K. Eltzschig Receives 2026 ASA Excellence in Research Award
Holger K. Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished University Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, has received the 2026 American Society of Anesthesiologists Excellence in Research Award. The award recognizes more than two decades of discoveries aimed at preventing organ injury and improving outcomes for surgical patients. It is considered one of the society’s most prestigious research honors.
Eltzschig described the recognition as “the most humbling and the most prestigious research award that I’ve received in my whole career,” noting its particular meaning because it affirms the relevance of his work to anesthesiology and perioperative medicine.
His research has focused on hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), proteins that help cells adapt to low oxygen levels and also regulate inflammation and protect tissues during acute injury. These findings have implications for complications affecting the lungs, kidneys, and heart. What began as basic laboratory research has progressed to clinical trials. A phase II study of 448 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) suggested that activating HIF pathways reduced disease severity, especially in cases of severe oxygen deprivation. A phase III trial is now underway for ARDS caused by a broader range of infections.
Eltzschig credits the collaborative environment at UTHealth Houston, including the Center for Outcomes Research within the Institute of Perioperative Medicine, with helping translate laboratory discoveries into patient studies. Since becoming department chair in 2016, he has strengthened the department’s research programs and serves as founding director of the Institute of Perioperative Medicine. He has mentored more than 60 scientists and physician-scientists, including 30 who later received NIH funding, and has published more than 340 peer-reviewed papers cited over 44,000 times.
Looking ahead, his team hopes to investigate whether HIF activators can help prevent or reduce acute kidney injury and heart damage associated with surgery. “The hope is that HIF activators can be used for different types of organ injury prevention,” Eltzschig said. “If we can find novel approaches to prevent these types of organ injury, it would be incredibly beneficial to our patient population and highly impactful.”
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