Global Health Members

Launch of the DAPM Global Health Pathway

September 10, 2023

The UCLA DAPM is excited to have created an educational global health pathway for its residents. As of July 2023, seven residents have joined the pathway and have already received their first lecture titled "Introduction to Global Health Equity in Anesthesia." 


Medical students group photo

Summer Research with Dr. Canales and Dr. Singh

September 8, 2023

Six medical students from schools across the country converged in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine at UCLA to embark on a summer research experience. 


CRNA River Rafting Trip

CRNA Kern River Rafting Trip

August 23, 2023

With 2 full days of rafting and camping overnight on the shores of the river, there was a lot of teambuilding as well as some peaceful downtime away from busy Los Angeles.


2023 DAPM Residency Graduation

2023 DAPM Residency Graduation

July 12, 2023

DAPM friends, family, and colleagues celebrated the graduation of the DAPM Residency Class of 2023 at Covel Commons on June 17.


DAPM Pride Dodger Night

DAPM at LA Pride Parade and Dodgers Pride Night 

July 11, 2023

DAPM had a strong showing at the LA Pride Parade and Pride Night at Dodgers Stadium. 


The First Friends of Oliver Fundraiser

The First Friends of Oliver Fundraiser

July 10, 2023

The inaugural Friends of Oliver fundraiser, held at Topgolf El Segundo on June 13, was a huge success! 


2023 CRNA Skills Day

Inaugural CRNA Skills Day

July 5, 2023

UCLA CRNAs, PSSTs, and faculty physicians had a fun and productive day of learning on May 20.


La Communidad

UCLA's La Comunidad Hosts Leadership Event

June 29, 2023

La Comunidad hosted a leadership panel and networking event on June 29, 2023 in the Neuroscience Building Auditorium at UCLA.


DAPM Awards

Olivia Vallejo Receives UCLA 2023 Outstanding Staff Award

June 21, 2023

Olivia Vallejo, DAPM JEDI Manager, received the prestigious Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award at the 2023 UCLA Staff Assembly Awards Ceremony on June 21.


Dr. Myo Bui Faculty Social

DAPM Faculty Social 2023

June 28, 2023

DAPM faculty gathered for delightful food and company on June 28. 
 


Selfie

DAPM at Euroanaesthesia 2023 in Scotland

June 16, 2023

Dr. Wingert, Dr. Cannesson, and Dr. Joosten participated in the Euroanaesthesia Congress in Glasgow, Scotland in early June. 


SCA 2023

DAPM Excellence at the SCA 2023 Annual Meeting

June 15, 2023

The Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) at UCLA had a phenomenal showing at the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) 2023 Annual Meeting on May 6-9 in Portland, OR. Several faculty, fellow, and resident physicians participated in the conference by presenting various topics or case reports, moderating sessions, helping lead workshops or problem-based learning discussions (PBLDs), and attending committee or governance meetings.


SOAP 2023 Annual Meeting

SOAP 2023

June 15, 2023

Resident physicians Brittany Burton, MD, MHS, MAS, CA-2, and Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, CA-2, and faculty anesthesiologists Catherine Cha, MD, Richard Hong, MD, and Cristianna Vallera, MD, represented the UCLA Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) at the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, on May 3-7, 2023.


DAPM in Clinic

Pediatric Anesthesiologists Begin Collaboration in Armenia

June 12, 2023

Dr. Ayad, Dr. Wilson, and Dr. Salazar traveled to Armenia to establish relationships with children's hospitals there.


DAPM Pride Brunch 2023

DAPM Pride Brunch 2023

June 12, 2023

The DAPM Handoff interviewed K. Elliott Higgins, MD, DAPM Director for Health and Well-Being, about Pride Month and the DAPM Venice Pride Brunch on June 3, 2023.


DAPM Shines at the CSA 2023 Annual Meeting

CSA 2023

June 6, 2023

For the past several decades, the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) at UCLA has had a strong presence within the California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA). DAPM physicians had another impressive showing at the CSA 2023 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, from April 27 to 30 this year.


Bioinformatics Retreat - Group Photo

Bioinformatics Annual Retreat 2023

May 10, 2023

The Division of Bioinformatics 2023 Annual Retreat brought the Informatics Team together in-person for a day of team bonding, recognition, and growth.


Drs. Brittany Burton and Cristianna Vallera

Brittany Burton, MD, MHS, MAS, and Cristianna Vallera, MD, Awarded 2023 SOAP Diversity & Inclusivity Mentored Grant

April 30, 2023

Congratulations to CA-3 resident physician Brittany Burton, MD, MAS, MHS, and mentor Cristianna Vallera, MD, on receiving the 2023 SOAP Diversity & Inclusivity Mentored Grant for their proposal, “Machine Learning Approaches to Predict Postpartum Hemorrhage for Cesarean Delivery!"


Selma Calmes, MD

Dr. Selma Calmes, Polio Survivor, Shares Her Story at IARS 2023

April 26, 2023

Dr. Calmes, Retired Clinical Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at UCLA and Retired Chief of Anesthesiology of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, gave a moving account of her own experience with childhood polio and adult post-polio syndrome during the IARS 2023 Annual Meeting.


DAPM Administrative Professionals Day 2023

Administrative Professionals Day 2023

April 26, 2023

The contributions of our administrative staff ensure that our department runs efficiently, that our faculty and staff receive the support they need, and that we are able to excel in all of our core missions — education, research, community engagement, and clinical care. We thank them for their tireless efforts and commitment to excellence.


ASRA 2023

ASRA Pain Medicine Meeting 2023

April 20-22, 2023

Several trainees and faculty members from the Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesiology Division presented their research and case reports at the 48th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting in Hollywood, Florida.


Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, at California Medical Association Legislation Day

Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, Participates in California Medical Association Legislative Advocacy Day

April 19, 2023

CA-2 resident physician Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, met with several California legislators on priority health care issues in anesthesiology at California Medical Association's 9th annual Legislative Advocacy Day.


DAPM at engagement and retention workshop

DAPM Administrative Managers Attend Engagement and Retention Workshop

April 18, 2023

DAPM Administrative Managers Olivia Vallejo, Carla Gonzalez, Elizabeth Paray, and Lucelva Mendez, as well as Chief Administrative Officer Stephanie Fisher, MA, learned about new tools, resources, and research-based best practices for enhancing departmental onboarding practices at the Engagement and Retention Workshop.


SEA-HVO Fellowship Winners 2023

Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, Awarded SEA-HVO Fellowship

April 16, 2023

CA-2 resident physician Jordan Francke, MD, MPH, was awarded the SEA-HVO Traveling Fellowship for international medical education at the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA) Spring Meeting in Seattle.


UCLA DAPM at SOCCA 2023

SOCCA, SATA, and IARS Annual Meetings 2023

April 14-15, 2023

Resident, fellow, and attending physicians of the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) at UCLA traveled to Denver, Colorado, to attend the 2023 Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (SOCCA), Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (SATA), and International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Annual Meetings.


Brent D. Ershoff, MD, MS

Brent Ershoff, MD, MS: Intraoperative hydromorphone decreases postoperative pain: an instrumental variable analysis

April 12, 2023

Using an instrumental variable analysis treating hydromorphone presentation dose (i.e. 2mg versus 1mg vial) as the instrumental variable, Brent Ershoff, MD, MS, shows that increased intraoperative hydromorphone administration causes decreased postoperative pain.


AMG Conference 2023 leadership

2023 AMG Leadership Conference

April 10, 2023

Quenesha Caballero and Carla Gonzalez participated in professional development workshops and watched keynote speeches from UCLA leaders at the 2023 UCLA Administrative Management Group (AMG) Leadership Conference.


Judi A. Turner, MD, PhD

Judi Turner, MD, PhD, Appointed Assistant Designated Institutional Official, UCLA Graduate Medical Education

April 6, 2023

As Assistant DIO, Dr. Turner will develop and cultivate an inclusive culture of teaching excellence and professional development within the community of GME trainees and faculty at UCLA. Congratulations Dr. Turner!


DAPM Womxn's Symposium 2023

The 2023 DAPM Annual Womxn’s Symposium: Womxn as Educators

April 3, 2023

Jennifer Lucero, MD, MA, DAPM Vice Chair for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), and Olivia Vallejo, JEDI Administrative Manager, co-hosted this year's DAPM Womxn's Panel featuring many DAPM leaders in education. The discussion focused on the central roles that women play in education—as both teachers and students in academic medicine, and as members of families and our society at large.


DAPM at SPA 2023

SPA-AAP Pediatric Anesthesiology 2023 Meeting

March 31 – April 2, 2023

At this year’s Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Meeting, DAPM members learned about cutting-edge research within the field of pediatric anesthesiology while also exploring the city of in Austin, Texas.


Alfentanil

Alfentanil (1976-2023)

April 2, 2023

Mansi Sheth, MD, composed this obituary as a heartfelt farewell to the discontinued medication Alfentanil.


Johnathan L. Pregler, MD

Johnathan Pregler, MD, FASA: The Revenue Sky Is Falling – Are Hospitals the Safety Net?

April 2023

This ASA Monitor article by Johnathan Pregler, MD, FASA, & others covers the recent evolution of economic forces within anesthesiology.


Anesthesia Tech Day 2023

Anesthesia Tech Day 2023

March 31, 2023

Today is Anesthesia Tech Day!  We celebrate our Patient Specialty Services Techs as integral members of the anesthesia patient care team. Your contributions are invaluable to the success of DAPM and the overall care of patients at UCLA Health.


DNA

Study by Park, Liang, and Umar Using Electronic Remodeling Featured in Pulmonary Hypertension News

March 27, 2023

A study by John Park, MD, PhD, Justine Liang, MD, MS, and Soban Umar, MD, PhD on "Electrical Remodeling in Right Ventricular Failure Due to Pulmonary Hypertension: Unraveling Novel Therapeutic Targets" was covered in Pulmonary Hypertension News and highlighted in ASA Monitor TODAY.


DAPM Residents at LA Marathon 2023

UCLA Anesthesiology Resident Physicians Run 2023 LA Marathon

March 19, 2023

Congratulations to Daniella Goñi, MD, Michael LoBasso, MD, Oliver Drewry, MD, and Adela Perez, MD, on conquering the 2023 LA Marathon!


Row of posters at the DAPM Scientific Evening 2023

The 15th Annual DAPM Scientific Evening

March 14, 2023

Our research & clinical trainees showcased research posters and oral presentations at the 2023 DAPM Scientific Evening. Congratulations to all the presenters on your research accomplishments and thank you to our organizers and judges for supporting this event!


DAPM Chief Residents 2023-2024

2023-2024 DAPM Chief Residents Selected

March 10, 2023

We are pleased to introduce our 2023-2024 Chief Residents: Sara Arastoo, MD, Chase Barker, MD, Mariana Gomez, MD, MBA, and Jennifer Nam, MD, MBA. Congratulations, and we look forward to your leadership!


J. Shin, Grogan, Lee, Liew, Umar, D. Shin, Hoftman

J. Shin, Grogan, Lee, Liew, Umar, D. Shin, Hoftman: A novel negative pressure isolation device reduces aerosol exposure: A randomized controlled trial

March 6, 2023

The SLACC device protects physicians from infection during airway management. The design for the device was developed by a UCLA team including John Shin, MD, Tristan Grogan, MS, Jason Lee, MD, Elaine Liew, MD, Soban Umar, MD, PhD, Dong Ho Shin, & Nir Hoftman, MD, and will be available for open access.


Catherine Cha, MD

Catherine Cha, MD, Appointed Interim Chief, Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology

March 6, 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Cha on her new role as Interim Chief, Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology!


Good Morning Matterhorn by Zhuang Fang, MD, MPH

"The UCLA Beat" Features Photo and Poem by Zhuang Fang, MD, MPH

March 3, 2023

Artwork by Zhuang Fang, MD, MPH, was selected to be featured in the 2022-2023 edition of The UCLA Beat, the UCLA DGSOM journal of literary and artistic expression. Dr. Fang's photograph (depicted to the right) is entitled "Good Morning, Matterhorn," and his poem is called "Rhythm."


DAPM Resident Physicians on a 5k run

Resident Physicians Conquer Fitness Challenge

February 28, 2023

The UCLA DAPM Resident Wellness Committee hosted a Fitness Challenge over the month of February. From snowboarding at Big Bear Mountain to lifting weights while on 24-hour call, the challenge was a major success in promoting wellness and building connections amongst the resident physicians.


Park, Liang, Umar

John Park, MD, PhD, Justine Liang, MD, MS, and Soban Umar, MD, PhD: Electrical Remodeling in Right Ventricular Failure Due to Pulmonary Hypertension: Unraveling Novel Therapeutic Targets

February 27, 2023

In this paper from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Drs. Park, Liang, and Umar explore the underlying mechanism of electrical remodeling in right ventricular failure due to pulmonary hypertension.


First EXIT Procedure at UCLA

February 26, 2023

In January 2023, a large multidisciplinary team performed the first full-scale ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure in the Main Operating Room (OR) of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.


Belle Benanzea-Fontem, MD

Belle Benanzea-Fontem, MD Selected as SCA DEI Junior Resident Scholar

February 22, 2023

Belle Benanzea-Fontem, MD, CA-1 Resident Physician, was awarded the 2023 Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Junior Resident Scholar Grant by the Society for Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA). Congratulations Dr. Benanzea-Fontem!


PLTW at El Segundo High School

Ultrasound exams in the high school library: Project Lead the Way inspires tomorrow’s medical students

February 21, 2023

UCLA Health featured DAPM's collaboration with Project Lead the Way, directed by Sophia Poorsattar, MD, in bringing biomedical curriculum to Los Angeles-area high schools.


Rajesh Kumar, PhD

Rajesh Kumar, PhD, Awarded New R21 Grant

February 6, 2023

Rajesh Kumar, PhD, has been awarded a new NIH/NINDS R21 Grant entitled, "Brain Metabolites, Brain Antioxidant, and Cerebral Blood Flow Deficits in Single Ventricle Heart Disease."


Women Physicians Day

Emily Methangkool, MD, MPH: Women Physicians Day, 2023 — We Have More Work To Do, but Also a Lot To Celebrate!

February 3, 2023

For Women Physicians Day, we celebrate the trailblazing women in medicine that make up DAPM! Check out this piece by Emily Methangkool, MD, MPH, about celebrating progress for women physicians in anesthesia while recognizing the work that is still needed.


DAPM members at the ECMO Symposium 2023

ECMO Symposium 2023

January 28, 2023

The inaugural UCLA ECMO Symposium was a huge success! Dr. Vadim Gudzenko and Dr. Marisa Hernandez-Morgan co-directed the event with cardiac surgeon Dr. Peyman Benharash and ECMO Coordinator Weiting Chen.


Physician Anesthesiologists Week 2023

Physician Anesthesiologists Week 2023

January 29 - February 4, 2023

For this Physician Anesthesiologists Week, we are proud to celebrate the dedicated and skilled anesthesiologists that make up DAPM! Physician anesthesiologists are the guardians of patient safety before, during, and after surgery. To all our physicians: thank you for all that you do and have a wonderful Physician Anesthesiologists Week!


Jennifer Lucero, MD, MA

Jennifer Lucero, MD, MA: Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Efforts in Anesthesiology

January 27, 2023

Jennifer Lucero, MD, MA, DAPM Vice Chair for JEDI, is featured in the ASA "Pathways to Anesthesiology" series. In her video, Dr. Lucero discusses Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Efforts in Anesthesiology.


Global Health Equity Ask the Expert

Beti Asnake, MD: Global Health Equity Ask the Expert

January 26, 2023

In this Open Anesthesia podcast, Beti Anake, MD, MS, DAPM Director of Global Health Initiatives, sits down with Dr. Tirunesh Busha, one of three pediatric anesthesiologists in Ethiopia.


Celebrating National CRNA Week

National CRNA Week 2023

January 22 - 28, 2023

Our team of over 50 CRNAs play a vital role in providing safe and effective anesthesia care to our patients, as well as participate in policy development, quality improvement, education, and more. We at UCLA wish our amazing nurse anesthestists a happy National CRNA Week!


Zachary Paquette, MD

Zachary Paquette, MD: Ulnar-Distribution Phantom Limb Pain After Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block

January 16, 2023

Phantom limb pain has historically been a major barrier to recovery for patients after amputation. Here, Zachary Paquette, MD, CA-2 Resident Physician, analyzes "a case of ulnar-distribution phantom limb pain following an upper-extremity amputation despite the use of interscalene blockade."


Maggy G. Riad, MD

Maggy Riad, MD, Appointed Expert Reviewer for Medical Board of California

January 13, 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Riad on joining the Medical Board of California as an Expert Reviewer!


Emily Methangkool Photo Congratulations to Dr. Methangkool for Outstanding Service Award!

Emily Methangkool, MD, MPH, Discusses Considerations Around Non-OR Anesthesia on MedPage Today

January 13, 2023

In MedPage Today, Emily Methangkool, MD, MPH, was quoted in an article on patient safety concerns with the growing use of anesthesia care outside the operating room.


Drs. Danny Kim and Maxime Cannesson in front of their research poster

Sungsoo (Danny) Kim, MD, MS: STA 2023

January 11-14, 2023

Danny Kim, MD, MS, PhD candidate, and Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD, presented two oral and poster presentations at the Society for Technology in Anesthesia (STA) 2023 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.


Dane A. Saksa, MD

Dane Saksa, MD, MBA: Variability in Resource Utilization in the Evaluation and Management of Simple Febrile Seizures Inpatients in US Children’s Hospitals

January 1, 2023

In the January 2023 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, Dane Saksa, MD, MBA conducted a study to characterize resource utilization in the treatment of hospitalized patients with simple febrile seizure in US children's hospitals.


Fischer, Chapski, Soehalim, Grogan, Cai, Vondriska

Fischer, Chapski, Soehalim, Grogan, Cai, Vondriska: Longitudinal profiling in patients undergoing cardiac surgery reveals postoperative changes in DNA methylation

December 30, 2022

In Clinical Epigenetics, Matthew Fischer, MD, MS, Doug Chapski, PhD, Elizabeth Soehalim, Tristan Grogan, Hua Linda Cai, MD, PhD, and Thomas Vondriska, PhD identified postoperative changes in DNA methylation after cardiac surgery.


Surgeons operating on patient in Guatemala

DAPM Takes on Global Health

December 26, 2022

DAPM's global health efforts over the past year have ranged from providing medical care for low-income communities around the world to the launch of a new health equity curriculum for resident physicians.


Maggy G. Riad, MD

Maggy Riad, MD: Anticholinergic Syndrome: An Under Diagnosed Harmful Condition In The Perioperative And ICU Settings

December 16, 2022

In the first issue of the latest EC Pharmacology And Toxicology volume, Maggy Riad, MD, describes the incidence of anticholinergic syndrome in the perioperative and ICU settings, which often goes underdiagnosed.


2023 AHA Fellowship Awardees

AHA Fellowships 2023: Adrian Arrieta, PhD, Natalie Gehred, Lejla Medzikovic, PhD

December 13, 2022

Congratulations to Adrian Arrieta, PhD and Natalie Gehred from the Vondriska Lab and Lejla Medzikovic, PhD from the Eghbali Lab on receiving AHA Fellowships!


DAPM NIH Fellowship Roster

NIH Fellowships 2022: Laila Aryan and Doug Chapski, PhD

December 6, 2022

Congratulations to Laila Aryan, PhD candidate in the Eghbali Lab, and Doug Chapski, PhD from the Vondriska Lab for being awarded NIH Fellowship Awards!


DAPG Retreat 2022

DAPG Retreat 2022

December 3, 2022

UCLA DAPM faculty members hit the ropes for the 2022 Department of Anesthesiology Practice Group (DAPG) Retreat!


Cover of Dr. Lubin's Textbook

Lorraine Lubin, MD: Congenital Heart Disease in Pediatric and Adult Patients

December 2, 2022

Lorraine Lubin, MD served as an editor for a new textbook, Congenital Heart Disease in Pediatric and Adult Patients: Anesthetic and Perioperative Management. In collaboration with other experts in in pediatric anesthesia, cardiology, and cardiac surgery, Dr. Lubin's work describes surgical interventions and anesthesia plans for a wide range of conditions.


Soban Umar, MD, PhD and Somanshu Banerjee, PhD

Banerjee, Zargari, Medzikovic, Russino, Mikhael, Grogan, Rahman, Eghbali and Umar: Intralipid® improves left ventricular function in rats with lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxaemia by a Src-STAT3-mediated mechanism

December 1, 2022

Somanshu Banerjee, PhD, Soban Umar, MD, PhD, and others investigate the role of Intralipid® in sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction.


DAPM Team in Guatemala

Guatemalan mission: UCLA Health surgical team provides life-changing care

November 30, 2022

Reza Borna, MD led a UCLA Health team, including Joseph Meltzer, MD, Maryte Gylys, MD, MBA, Sergey Progushev, MD, Brianna Ortbals, MSN, CRNA, Pauline Rioux, CRNA, to Guatemala to provide over 50 surgeries to patients in need.


Jordan Francke, MD, MPH

Jordan Francke, MD, MPH: Uncuffing the Legacy of Arthur Guedel's Cuffed Endotracheal Tube

November 28, 2022

Dr. Francke, CA-2 Resident Physician, traces the invention of the modern cuffed endotracheal tube through history in this essay for the California Society of Anesthesiologists' (CSA) History of Anesthesia Essay Contest.


Dr. Van de Wiele at the reception with Drs. Vondriska and Whittington

Barbara Van de Wiele, MD Recognized at DGSOM Dean's Reception

November 21, 2022

Dr. Barbara Van de Wiele was recognized at a DGSOM Reception hosted by Dean Steven Dubinett, MD for completing her 2021 fellowship in the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program.


Drs. Moon, Zywicki, Barker, and Shin

California Anesthesiology Medical Student Symposium 2022

November 19, 2022

Chase Barker, MD, Jane Moon, MD, John Shin, MD, and Micaela Zywicki, MD advised medical students interested in pursuing anesthesiology at CAMSS 2022 at UC Irvine. They participated in a variety of activities throughout the symposium: from leading workshops on airway management to presenting keynote speeches and panels.


DAPM Members Elected to AUA 2022

DAPM Faculty Elected to the Association of University Anesthesiologists

November 18, 2022

Congratulations to Drs. Matthew Fischer, Jason Lee, Emily Methangkool, Jane Moon, Sophia Poorsattar, and Louis Saddic on your election to AUA!


Marisa E. Hernandez-Morgan, MD, MPP, MA

Hernandez-Morgan, Stypula, Fischer, Grogan, Neelankavil: Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Disparities in Access to and Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

November 16, 2022

Marisa Hernandez-Morgan, MD, MA published a paper examining the effects of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion within cardiac surgery along with co-authors Christine Stypula, MD, Matthew Fischer, MD, MS, Tristan Grogan & Jacques Neelankavil, MD.


Betelehem Asnake, MD, MS

New health equity curriculum for anesthesiology residents offers tools to provide more equitable patient care

November 16, 2022

Betelehem Asnake, MD, MS, UCLA DAPM Director of Global Health Initiatives, led the development of a new curriculum on topics in health equity, which launched at DAPM in October 2022. She hopes the curriculum will fill long-standing gaps in medical education and equip residents with the tools they need to provide equitable health care for all patients.


David Boldt, MD, MS

David Boldt, MD, MS Appointed Chief, Division of Trauma and Adult Multi Specialty Anesthesiology

November 14, 2022

Congratulations to Dr. Boldt on his new role as the inaugural Chief, Division of Trauma and Adult Multi Specialty Anesthesiology!


Patricia Nwajuaku, MD, MPH

Patricia Nwajuaku, MD, MPH Appointed Medical Director for Clinical Operations, Quality, Safety and Education, Martin Luther King Hospital

November 8, 2022

Patricia Nwajuaku, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, has been appointed as the Medical Director for Clinical Operations, Quality, Safety and Education, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital Operating Room, in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at UCLA.


Sungsoo (Danny) Kim, MD, PhD

Sungsoo (Danny) Kim, MD, MS: Deep Learning Methods for Biomedical Image Analysis & Modeling

November 5, 2022

Dr. Kim, CA-1 Anesthesiology Resident, was invited to present at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) in Texas. Dr. Kim's talk covered his research on the "Application of deep learning for real-time non-invasive continuous monitoring for enhanced peripheral oxygen saturation in intensive care unit (ICU) and operating room (OR)."


DAPM Fellow Retreat 2022

DAPM Fellow Retreat 2022

November 4, 2022

Our Fellow Physicians enjoyed a social hour, presentation about department resources, and swag bags at the DAPM Fellow Retreat held at Wolfsglen in Westwood!


J. Prince Neelankavil, MD

J. Prince Neelankavil, MD, Tristan Grogan: Association Between Preoperative Hemodialysis Timing and Postoperative Mortality in Patients With End-stage Kidney Disease

November 3, 2022

J. Prince Neelankavil, MD, Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, and Tristan Grogan, Principal Statistician at UCLA Health, published an article in JAMA along with former Fellow Physician, Vikram Fielding-Singh, MD, JD.


Dr. Ziv presenting on workplace culture at BSIR 2022

Keren Ziv, MD: Our Workplace Culture: Why Does it Matter?

November 3, 2022

Keren Ziv, MD was invited to speak at the British Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting held in Glasgow, Scotland from November 2-4, 2022. This was her second invited lecture on physician wellness this year.


ASA Sign

ASA 2022 Highlights

November 2, 2022

The UCLA Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) had a strong presence at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting, which was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from October 21-25. Read on for a recap of the conference and department social!


UCLA anesthesiologist advising high school students

ABC7 News Segment: Project Lead the Way

October 31, 2022

ABC7 News spotlighted UCLA anesthesiologists in their recent site visit to El Segundo High School as part of Project Lead The Way.


Park Award ASA

John Park, MD, PhD, Awarded in ASA Residents' Research Essay Contest

October 24, 2022

John Park, MD, PhD was awarded the Second Place distinction in the 2022 Residents' Research Essay Contest at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2022 for his manuscript, "LOXL Inhibition Improves Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension." Congratulations Dr. Park!


Kyle Scranton, BS and Lejla Medzikovic, PhD

Kyle Scranton, BS and Lejla Medzikovic, PhD Earn Poster Prizes at UCLA Cardiovascular Research Theme Symposium 2022

October 21, 2022

Congratulations to Kyle Scranton, BS and Lejla Medzikovic, PhD for earning the top poster prizes at the UCLA Cardiovascular Research Theme Symposium!


Drs. Higgins, Lee, and Lucero

DAPM Faculty at Grand Rounds: Montefiore-Einstein, Wake Forest, BIDMC

October 19, 2022

Drs. K. Elliot Higgins III , Lisa Lee, and Jennifer Lucero have recently been invited to conduct Grand Rounds presentations at several prestigious health centers on topics including short acting spinals, machine learning, and aversive racism.


Residents at the DAPM Resident Retreat 2022

DAPM Resident Retreat 2022

October 14-16, 2022

The DAPM Resident Physicians spent the weekend in Hermosa Beach for the 2022 Resident Retreat! Special shoutout to the clinicians who generously volunteered to cover the residents' shifts.


Rajesh Kumar, PhD

Researchers say brain images plus artificial intelligence may diagnose sleep apnea faster than current methods

October 12, 2022

New UCLA research suggests that a combination of brain imaging data and machine learning can accurately diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.


Jack C. Buckley, MD

Jack Buckley, MD: Intra-Operative Management of External Ventriculostomy Drains

October 12, 2022

Dr. Buckley was interviewed for the SNACC Fellows' and Residents' podcast on the management of ventriculostomies.


Natale Naim, MD

Natale Naim, MD Appointed Director, Orthopedic Anesthesiology Services

October 11, 2022

Congratulations to Dr. Naim on her new role!


K. Elliot Higgins, MD

K. Elliot Higgins III, MD Presents Grand Rounts at Montefiore-Einstein Anesthesiology

October 6, 2022

Dr. K. Elliot Higgins gave a presentation on short acting spinals and evidence for optimizing ambulatory management at the Montefiore-Einstein Anesthesiology Grand Rounds on September 30, 2022. 


Natalie Moreland, MD

Natalie Moreland, MD Appointed Director, Division of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology

October 3, 2022

Congratulations to Dr. Moreland on her new role!


Nicolas Massaly, PhD

Nicolas Massaly, PhD Joins Research Faculty

October 3, 2022

We welcome Nicolas Massaly, PhD to the UCLA Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology!


Dr. Jennifer Lucero speaking at the White Coat Ceremony for DGSOM Class of 2026

Dr. Jennifer Lucero Presents Keynote Address at UCLA White Coat Ceremony

September 23, 2022

Dr. Jennifer Lucero, Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UCLA DAPM, shared a powerful personal story of resilience and perseverance to welcome students into the medical profession.


Drs. Eghbali & Ruffenach

Drs. Gregoire Ruffenach & Mansoureh Eghbali: RNA-Binding Protein That Orchestrates Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

August 22, 2022

In Circulation, research led by Dr. Gregoire Ruffenach in the laboratory of Dr. Mansoureh Eghbali identifies a fundamental new class of molecules that may be therapeutic targets in pulmonary artery hypertension.