Research
Research Mission
To improve patient care through basic science and clinical research, and to train future leaders in academic anesthesiology and pain medicine.
Overview
The Department of Anesthesiology is dedicated to the study of critical scientific questions that impact patient outcomes. The research faculty is composed of basic scientists, clinician-scientists, and clinicians. Areas of research excellence within the Department include mitochondrial disease, neurodegenerative disease, ischemia-reperfusion, the treatment and prevention of chronic pain, coagulation, quality measurement, and the impact of report cards on quality of care, and respiratory physiology. The Department is dedicated to the education of future basic and clinical scientists.
Although the Department recognizes that NIH ranking is only one of many metrics that can be used to assess the quality of a research program, it remains the gold standard. In 2021, the Department of Anesthesiology ranked 20th in NIH funding. Total NIH/federal funding was $4.12 million in FY2023 and $3.50 million in FY2024.
Over the last 24 months, members of the Department have published 144 peer-reviewed papers, case reports, and editorials. The Department has a core group of scientists and physician-scientists who have published extensively, including papers in JAMA, JAMA Surgery, JAMA Cardiology, JAMA Psychiatry, JAMA Network Open, NEJM, Health Affairs, Circulation, Pain, Lancet, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and Anesthesiology: Paul Brookes (h-index, 58), Robert Dworkin (h-index, 105), Michael Eaton (h-index, 25), Jennifer Gewandter (h-index, 33), Laurent Glance (h-index, 50), Gail Johnson (h-index, 91), and Andrew Wojtovich (h-index, 26).
Our Department has published a large number of highly-cited articles, including Core Outcome Measures for Chronic Pain Clinical Trials (4004 citations), Pharmacotherapy for Neuropathic Pain in Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (3900 citations), Mitochondrial HJ(+) Leak and ROS generation: An Odd Couple (562 citations), Patient Phenotyping in Clinical Trials of Chronic Pain Treatments: IMMPACT Recommendations (350 citations), Association Between Intraoperative Blood Transfusion and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery (661 citations), The Surgical Mortality Probability Model: Derivation and Validation of a Simple Risk Prediction Model for Noncardiac Surgery (449 citations), The Glamour and Gloom of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (1897 citations), and Tau Phosphorylation in Neuronal Cell Function and Dysfunction (756 citations).
Our publication history is shown below (list of publications over the past ten years.)
AREAS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
Our research centers on four areas of excellence: Basic Science, Pain, Outcomes, and Clinical Research.
Basic science research is centered on the study of mitochondrial function and is housed within the Mitochondrial Research and Innovation Group. The Johnson lab focuses on molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, the Wojtovich lab studies mitochondrial bioenergetics and reactive oxygen species generation, and the Brookes lab studies mechanisms of protection in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and anesthetic preconditioning (APC) and the role of mitochondria and metabolism in these processes.
In the Pain group, Dr. Dworkin leads the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks, and Pediatric Anesthesia Safety Initiative (ACTTION/PASI) public-private partnership with the FDA. His research focuses on the (1) methodologic aspects of analgesic clinical trials and (2) treatment and prevention of chronic and acute neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain. Dr. Jennifer Gewandter, is the PI of the University of Rochester Clinical Hub of the NIH-sponsored Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net). Her research focuses on optimizing the design, execution, and transparent dissemination of clinical trials for pain and peripheral neuropathy treatments. Dr. William’s research focuses on the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
In the Outcomes group, Dr. Glance’s work in health services research focuses on quality measurement, disparities, and health care reform. Dr. Lander’s research focuses on the optimization of older patients who need surgery. Dr. Smith’s research has focused on expanding the use of regional anesthesia to include the treatment of intractable malignant pain and complex traumatic injuries. Dr. Wu is investigating the use of echocardiography in structural heart interventions. Dr. Zollo’s research focuses on medical education and the study of non-technical skills related to perioperative outcomes. Dr. Wissler’s research focuses on efforts to improve the health of pregnant women and addressing health care disparities in this population. Dr. Wyrobek’s work has focused on enhanced recovery after LVAD implantation.
In the Clinical Research Group, Dr. Eaton’s research focuses on the interaction of cardiopulmonary bypass with human blood and the minimization of the adverse effects of this interaction. Dr. Nadler is collaborating on prospective randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of individualized perioperative anesthesia bundles and the impact of different anesthetic agents on cancer outcomes. Dr. Karan’s research focuses on sleep-disordered breathing. Dr. Papadakos has a long history of research on mechanical ventilation, ARDS, and lung physiology. Most recently, his work has focused on electronic distractions in medicine.