AUA Highlights: New Members, Leadership, and the 2027 Annual Meeting
We are pleased to share that several members of our department have been nominated to become members of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA), an organization dedicated to advancing excellence in academic anesthesiology through mentorship, inclusivity, and professional development. Newly…
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…
Study finds air purifiers do not reduce surgical infection risk
Published in Anesthesiology, the trial tested whether filtering airborne bacteria lowers infection risk. Researchers installed active air-purification systems (which filtered air and eliminated contaminants) in 34 of 68 operating rooms for four-week periods, while the other rooms received identical inactive…
Researchers harness the heart’s natural defense against heart attack damage
A review published recently in Nature Reviews Cardiology, led by Holger Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and director of the Institute of Perioperative Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, focuses on hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). These proteins act as the…
Fellowship Program Director of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Fellowship Program Announcement
The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Sin Yeong An as the new Fellowship Program Director of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Fellowship Program….
Departmental Grand Rounds by Jim Rathmell, MD, Editor in Chief of Anesthesiology
The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School welcomed James P. Rathmell, MD, for Grand Rounds on career development, mentorship, and learning from adversity. Dr. Rathmell is the Leroy D. Vandam Distinguished Professor of Anesthesia…
UTHealth Houston Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology Earns 2026 SOAP Center of Excellence Recertification
We are thrilled to share that the UTHealth Houston Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology, in partnership with The Women’s Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, has officially been re-accredited as a Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Center of Excellence…
UTHealth Houston Recruits Circadian Liver Researcher Dongyin Guan, PhD
The Institute of Perioperative Medicine and the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School have recruited Dongyin Guan, PhD, as an Associate Professor. His recruitment is supported by a $400,000 UT System Faculty STARs Award…
$2.8M NIA Grant Targets Cognitive Decline After Surgery
UTHealth Houston researchers have been awarded a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative to identify biomarkers and mechanisms of perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) in older adults. PND includes postoperative delirium, delayed neurocognitive recovery,…
2026 Department Promotions
The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine is pleased to share that eight faculty members have been approved for promotion by the McGovern Medical School Faculty Academic Promotions and Tenure Committee (FAPTC), effective Sept. 1, 2026. The Department’s…