News

Drs. Sean Farris and Brad Taylor Serve on BCAR Steering Committee
Sean P. Farris, PhD, and Bradley K. Taylor, PhD, are serving on the Steering Committee for Bridging Connections in Addiction Research.
Dr. Tara Knizner Appointed Assistant Chief Anesthesiologist for UPP East Anesthesiology Division
As Assistant Site Chief, Dr. Knizner will coordinate anesthesia services at the UPP East Anesthesiology Division sites, back up the Site Chief in managing the daily OR schedules, and serve as a department clinical liaison. She will also serve on all medical staff committees and have significant…
Dr. Sean Farris Named Review Editor for Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience and Frontiers in Genetics and Neurogenomics
Sean P. Farris, PhD, was recently named a review editor for the journals Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, which publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research aiming to identify key molecules underlying the structure, design, and function of the brain across all levels, and Frontiers in…
Dr. Jacques Chelly to Receive Funding to Establish Heron Therapeutics Center of Excellence
Principal Investigator Jacques E. Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA, will receive funding to establish a Center of Excellence with Heron Therapeutics. This multidisciplinary center will be dedicated to education and research related to perioperative pain management with a special focus on non-opioid…
Dr. Trent Emerick Chosen for UPMC Physician Excellence Award
Trent D. Emerick, MD, MBA, was recognized for his exceptional contributions to clinical work and patient care at UPMC.
Dr. Andrea Ibarra to Receive BMSF Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program Award
Andrea J. Ibarra, MD, MS, was selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program with a two-year award in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements and promise as a community-oriented clinical…
Dr. Brian Gierl Receives Surgicorps Tony Demos Award
Congratulations to Brian Gierl, MD, who received the Tony Demos Award from Surgicorps International, an organization that provides free surgical and medical care to people in need in developing countries and coordinates international mission tips with volunteers from our department. The…

Department Launches Novel Resident Innovation Track For Clinician-Inventors
The PIT Track combines executive-style, multidisciplinary, team-based coursework with up to six months of dedicated research time - all integrated into our top-ranked, four-year Anesthesiology Residency Program.
PLoS ONE Article by Dr. Ben Alter, et al. Featured in the Press
“Hierarchical Clustering by Patient-Reported Pain Distribution Alone Identifies Distinct Chronic Pain Subgroups Differing by Pain Intensity, Quality, and Clinical Outcomes” was recently published in PLoS One and featured in several news publications.
Dr. Ted Sakai Assumes SATA Presidency on August 1, 2021
Ted Sakai, MD, PhD, MHA, FASA, assumed the position of President of the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesiologists on August 1, 2021.
Dr. Gregg Homanics Named Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience - Methods and Model Organisms Specialty Chief Editor
Congratulations to Gregg E. Homanics, PhD, who was recently named a Specialty Chief Editor for the section Methods and Model Organisms for the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience.
Dr. Trent Emerick to Present as Part of Live ASRA Webinar
On August 10, 2021, Trent D. Emerick, MD, MBA, will present the lecture “Pharmacology of Buprenorphine” from 7-8pm as part of ASRA’s live webinar “Hot Topics Club: Incorporating the Multi-Society Buprenorphine Guidelines Into Your Practice.”
New E-magazine Nexus Launched
Today we launched Nexus, an e-magazine showcasing the latest news, contributions, accomplishments, and events from our department.
Research from Xu and Tang Labs Published in High-Impact Journal PNAS
A paper from the labs of Yan Xu, PhD, and Pei Tang, PhD, in partnership with collaborators at Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, and Shanghai Jiaotong University, was published this month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.