Department Updates – July 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine Updates: July 2025 Events: The Pediatric Anesthesia Division held a Fellow Recognition Event on May 16, 2025, to honor Drs. Martina Barbic and Jonathan O’Doherty, who are completing their Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship…
Announcement: 2026 Anesthesia T32 training grant awardee – Arash Dabiri
We are pleased to announce this year’s recipient of the Anesthesia T32 Training Grant. After a thorough review of numerous outstanding applications, we are delighted to recognize Dr. Arash Dabiri as the 2026 awardee. The Anesthesia T32 Training Grant is designed to…
Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology – Philipp Lirk, MD, PhD
Philipp Lirk, MD, PhD Dr. Lirk joined the department on May 5th as a Professor to support our general OR, acute pain service, and research divisions. He joins us as the new Director of MHH Acute Pain Services. As Director…
Welcome to the Department of Anesthesiology – Dr. Zhongcong Xie, MD, PhD
Zhongcong Xie, MD, PhD Dr. Xie joined the department on May 1st as a Professor to support our general OR and obstetric anesthesia services and research divisions. As a physician scientist, he will serve as the Co-Director of the Center…
Research reveals “Big Picture” of Perioperative Organ Injury
A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, co-authored by Dr. Yafen Liang, Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Research, and Dr. Holger Eltzschig, Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School, has unveiled…
Celebrating Dr. Alparslan Turan’s UT System Faculty STARs Award!
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Alparslan Turan, Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School, has been selected as a recipient of the UT System Faculty STARs Award, receiving $250,000 in…
UTHealth Houston researchers investigate how proteins that help cells survive hypoxia might be used as therapy for heart and lung diseases
Scientists at UTHealth Houston, led by Dr. Holger Eltzschig, are studying how the body naturally adapts to low oxygen (hypoxia) to develop new treatments for heart and lung diseases. Backed by a $6.58 million, seven-year NIH grant, their research focuses…
Announcement: Dr. Yanyu Wang, Ph.D., promoted to Director Management Operations I
The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine is pleased to announce the promotion of Yanyu Wang, PhD, to the title of Director Management Operations DMO I. With the promotion, Dr. Wang will direct the administrative services of…
Link Between Heart Attack Severity and Circadian Rhythm Unveiled by UTHealth Houston Researchers
A new study from UTHealth Houston reveals why heart attacks can be more severe depending on the time of day—offering a potential path to time-targeted treatments. Published in Nature, the research found that the interaction between two proteins, BMAL1 (a…
New perioperative institute launches to make surgery safer
UTHealth Houston has established the Institute of Perioperative Medicine, a major research initiative aimed at improving surgical outcomes and reducing complications. The institute, involving McGovern Medical School and the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, will focus on preventing perioperative organ…