Research News

The cover story of the March 2025 issue featured a simulator-based training program for health care professionals to practice a rare surgical emergency airway management procedure for high-risk patients.

Our department earned the #6 spot among all NIH-funded anesthesiology departments in the nation, up from #15 in 2023.

Funding from the University of Pittsburgh Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) will be used to further develop the "One-Pass Epidural Needle" (OPEN), a device aimed at enhancing the safety and efficiency of spinal cord stimulator lead placement procedures.

Dr. Trent Emerick teamed up with Swanson researchers Xinyan (Tracy) Cui and Kevin Woeppel to create a chronic pain solution that lasts longer than a nerve block, but has fewer risks and side effects than a permanent implant.

Ajay D. Wasan, MD, MSc, MA, has been invited to serve on the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health. His term will extend through July 31, 2028.

Trent D. Emerick, MD, MBA, FASA, was featured in Pain Medicine News for his insights on research from an Australian multidisciplinary pain service highlighting the successful integration of a psychology-based, internet-delivered intervention into routine pain management care.

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (MSARF) program offers medical students the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge anesthesiology research under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Trent D. Emerick, MD, MBA, FASA, and other Pitt innovators participated in the University’s first signing day for startups, an event created to spotlight scientists who are driving downfield to commercialize their research.

The award supports Dr. Alter’s project, “SharpFocus Stimulation to Treat Fibromyalgia Pain in Women,” which aims to address the pressing need for novel, noninvasive therapies for fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that disproportionately affects women.

Dr. Lin’s project supports the expansion of a surgical airway simulation workshop from Passavant to other UPMC hospitals to inform the development of MediSimScale, a toolkit that will streamline the process for scaling simulation training by collecting efficacy and dissemination outcome data.