We are pleased to share that Grace Lim, MD, MSc, MBA, Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. Dr. Lim will also hold the title K.C. Wong Presidential Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology.
Dr. Lim joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2013 following completion of her anesthesiology residency and obstetric anesthesiology fellowship at Northwestern University. After over more than a decade at Pitt and UPMC, she rose through the academic ranks to Professor and served as Chief of the Division of Obstetric & Women’s Anesthesiology, leading anesthesiology services within our large, integrated academic health system.
Dr. Lim is a nationally recognized physician-scientist whose research focuses on maternal health, peripartum pain management, mental health, and perioperative outcomes. She has led research programs funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, including NIH R01-level funding, and has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals such as Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, JAMA Network Open, and the British Journal of Anaesthesia. Her work has informed national clinical guidelines and consensus statements shaping anesthesiology and maternal health practice.
An award-winning educator and mentor, Dr. Lim has played a central role in training the next generation of anesthesiology leaders and has held visiting professorships at academic medical centers across the United States. Her national and international reputation is further reflected in invited lectures and advisory service through global research networks and academic–industry collaborations focused on advancing maternal health and perioperative care. She has also provided national leadership through professional societies and scholarly service, including her current appointment as President-Elect of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology and as a Reviewing Editor for Anesthesiology.
Dr. Lim’s tenure at Pitt has been marked by a strong commitment to clinical excellence, quality improvement, and patient-centered care. Through her work, Dr. Lim has focused on building sustainable clinical and research programs that translate evidence into practice, improving patient outcomes while strengthening the institutions and teams that deliver care. Her leadership has advanced innovative approaches to perioperative and obstetric anesthesiology while strengthening Pitt’s national profile in maternal health research and education.
We are proud of Dr. Lim’s many contributions to our department and institution and look forward to her continued local and national impact as she assumes this important leadership role at the University of Utah.