News
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.
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!"
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.
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 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, 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 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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!
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.
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 (1976-2023)
April 2, 2023
Mansi Sheth, MD, composed this obituary as a heartfelt farewell to the discontinued medication Alfentanil.
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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: 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, 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!
"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."
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.
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 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!
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, 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."
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.
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
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: 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.
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.
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: 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 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, 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.
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 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: 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.
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 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.
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!
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
December 3, 2022
UCLA DAPM faculty members hit the ropes for the 2022 Department of Anesthesiology Practice Group (DAPG) Retreat!
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.
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.
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: 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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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 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 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, 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
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, 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.
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 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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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 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 Appointed Director, Orthopedic Anesthesiology Services
October 11, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Naim on her new role!
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 Appointed Director, Division of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology
October 3, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Moreland on her new role!
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 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. 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.