DAPM Showcases Academic Excellence at IARS/SOCCA 2025

UCLA Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Showcases Academic Excellence at IARS/SOCCA 2025

By Theodora Wingert, MD

March 20–23, 2025 | Honolulu, Hawaii

The UCLA Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine (DAPM) had a remarkable showing at the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) and Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (SOCCA) 2025 Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii. From thought-provoking panels to impactful oral presentations, UCLA faculty, fellow physicians, resident physicians, and medical students made significant contributions to the scientific dialogue, advancing the fields of anesthesiology, critical care, and perioperative medicine.

Spotlight on Invited Speakers and Thought Leaders

UCLA faculty members delivered several invited lectures and moderated high-impact sessions across key themes of leadership, innovation, and equity.

Lindsay Brown, MD, delivered a compelling presentation, “Addressing Disparities in Research Representation,” as part of the featured panel, “Generation Z Anesthesiology: An Evidence-Based Look at Transformations in The Workforce, Leadership, and Closing the Gender Gap Parity in Anesthesiology,” moderated by UCLA faculty Lisa Lee, MD, Annery Garcia-Marcinkiewicz, MD (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), and Kimberly Blasius, MD (Wake Forest University School of Medicine). Theodora Wingert, MD, also contributed to the panel, offering a data-driven approach in her talk, “Evidence-based Practices and Data Analytics for Well-Being in the Gen Z Era.” This session was highlighted in The IARS Daily Dose in an article titled “Giving Anesthesia More Rizz: Addressing the Gender Gap in Anesthesia As Gen Z Enters the Field.”

Dr. Wingert gave another invited talk during a session entitled, “Making the Leap from Server to Bedside: How Do We Implement AI/ML into Research and Clinical Practice?” This panel, “Using the Force – Applying Artificial Intelligence Effectively in Research and Clinical Practice,” highlighted the promise and pitfalls of integrating machine learning into modern perioperative workflows. Hannah Lonsdale, MBChB (Vanderbilt University Medical Center) moderated this session. Kelly Michaelsen, MD, PhD (University of Washington) discussed approaches to using traditional statistics versus AI, and Thomas Hemmerling, MD (McGill University), discussed how to publish high-quality research using AI. This session was also highlighted in The IARS Daily Dose.

Vadim Gudzenko, MD, captivated audiences with his clinical insights during the session “Double Trouble: A Totally Uncontroversial Guide to Biventricular Temporary Circulatory Support.” This session was also highlighted in The IARS Daily Dose. 

Christine Nguyen-Buckley, MD, contributed her expertise on “The Past, Present, and Future of Kidney Transplants” during a dedicated organ transplantation panel. 

Rising Stars in Clinical Research and Education

UCLA’s early-career investigators made their mark through competitive oral abstracts, mini oral presentations, and e-posters, reflecting the department’s commitment to academic mentorship and rigorous scientific training.

The work of resident physician Sohee Kwon, MD, MPH, was selected for the prestigious Kosaka Best Abstracts Session. Dr. Kwon presented findings from a large intraoperative cohort study on the “Inaccuracy of Non-Invasive Cuff-Based Blood Pressure Measurements During Intraoperative Hypotension.”

Resident physician Sungsoo Kim, MD, PhD, delivered a mini oral presentation on “Machine Learning Models for Predicting New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Following Isolated CABG,” underscoring the department’s investment in AI-based perioperative risk modeling.

Fellow physician Emma Huebner, MD, presented twice: a mini oral presentation on “MRI Changes as Markers of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Heart Transplant Patients” and a poster on perioperative CPR outcomes, reflecting her growing leadership in complex cardiac critical care.

Other featured resident and fellow presenters included:

• Jennifer Nam, MD, MBA, who presented an educational initiative to improve adherence to quantitative neuromuscular blockade monitoring guidelines.
• Varina Clark Onwunyi, MD, who delivered an oral abstract on a fascinating electrophysiology case titled “Change of Pace: A Complex Case of Inappropriate Rate Modulation of a Leadless Pacemaker.”
• Stephanie Lam, DO, MS, who presented an e-poster on a meta-analysis of adult preprocedural fasting and aspiration risk.

Innovation in Data Science and Signal Processing

Ravi Pal, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD, DAPM Professor and Chair, presented two signal processing studies, contributing to the emerging domain of waveform-based predictive analytics. His posters covered the following topics:

• “Real-Time Featurization of Arterial Blood Pressure and Photoplethysmography Waveforms Using an Automated Signal Processing Tool”
• “Arterial Blood Pressure Waveform Feature Library for Developing Machine Learning Models to Predict Hypotension”

These projects reflected ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations in computer science and clinical anesthesiology within UCLA DAPM.

Educational Advancements and Faculty Leadership

Brannon Altenhofen, MD, showcased a novel framework for perioperative POCUS education, highlighting UCLA’s commitment to hands-on faculty development.

Faculty members Joseph Meltzer, MD, Marisa Hernandez-Morgan, MD, MPP, MA, and Cecilia Canales, MD, MPH, provided mentorship and guidance throughout the meeting, while Robert Whittington, MD, moderated two neuroscience poster sessions.

UCLA’s trainees also took center stage at the poster sessions, including UCLA DAPM Critical Care Fellow Physicians June Tong, MD, Nicole Shalit, MD,, and Andrew Lin, MD, as well as UCLA medical students Joshua Smith, Lauren Weber, Derek Pan, and Raimel Brooks.

Finally, at the SOCCA 2025 Annual Meeting, the panel “ECMO: Beyond Cannulas, Flow, or Patient Selection” featured expert presentations by Vadim Gudzenko, MD, and Joseph Meltzer, MD, and Anahat Dhillon, MD (USC). These were also featured in The IARS Daily Dose.

UCLA DAPM’s presence at IARS/SOCCA 2025 exemplified the department’s academic vitality, collaborative spirit, and leadership. Congratulations to all presenters and participants for representing UCLA with distinction on the international stage.

For continued reading, please read the following articles featured during the meeting: