Research News

The featured article by Drs. Keith Vogt, et al. explores how three sedative drugs—propofol, dexmedetomidine, and fentanyl—affect memory and pain perception in healthy young adults.

The work will be led by PI Dr. Senthil Sadhasivam and includes multidisciplinary co-investigators from the University of Pittsburgh, Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The events took place on May 15–16, 2025, continuing a longstanding tradition of honoring the legacy of Peter Safar, MD, founding chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and his wife, Eva.

With more than 200 attendees from across the region, the event was a celebration of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in pain research, showcasing basic and clinical scientific work from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University.

Dr. Alter’s funded project aims to develop a wearable, noninvasive brain stimulation device that delivers real-time transcranial electrical stimulation to the motor cortex while patients with knee OA are walking.

The poster “Patient-Driven Opioid-Free Approach to Cancer Surgery,” presented by Heather Margonari, DNP, FNP-BC, won first place in the poster competition at the Advancements in Translational Science for Pain Management in Cancer Care Symposium, held at MD Anderson Cancer Center on May 9, 2025.

David Julius, PhD, 2021 Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, will give the Keynote Presentation “Gut Feelings: Probing Mechanisms of Visceral Pain” at the first Pain Day on May 7, 2025, an event co-organized by department investigators.

The project, led by principal investigator Keith M. Vogt, MD, PhD, FASA, aims to uncover the brain mechanisms underlying auriculotherapy’s effects on chronic low back pain.

An A&A Practice article bridges the fields of anesthesiology and pediatric chronic pain management by demonstrating how an anesthetic agent traditionally used for sedation and induction can be repurposed for analgesia in complex pain syndromes.

The ELEVATE Summit, co-chaired by Grace Lim, MD, MSc, and held January 25-26, 2025, at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, convened leading experts, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates to address critical issues in women’s pain management and anesthesia care.