Dr. Richard Smiley (left) and Dr. Hugh Hemmings at the 2006 Anesthesiology Research Expo
Faculty from the Department of Anesthesiology displayed their research at the second annual Anesthesiology Research Expo, a weeklong presentation that culminated with a special guest lecture and celebration on March 2. Twenty-one poster projects decorated the halls of the anesthesiology department, showcasing studies from Weill Cornell faculty in wide-ranging topics that included analgesia, pain management and surveys of practices among physicians.
"Our research expo provides exposure for the department's diverse research activities in clinical and basic research to faculty, residents and medical students," said Dr. Hugh Hemmings Jr., professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology and vice chair for research in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell. "Medical students interested in a career in anesthesiology have the opportunity to meet our research faculty and sample the current areas of research in the department."
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Dr. Kane Pryor with medical student Aisha Baqai
The event featured a lecture entitled "The Fault Lies Not in Our Stars but in Ourselves: Pharmacogenetics in Pregnancy and Anesthesia" and was delivered by Dr. Richard Smiley, professor of clinical anesthesiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of obstetric anesthesia at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. Dr. Smiley discussed four studies outlining how differences in genotype affect responses to pharmaceuticals in obstetric patients, and more specific to anesthesia, how genotype (a single nucleotide polymorphism) affects opioid receptor sensitivity.
The Anesthesiology Research Expo underscores the broad research interests of the Department of Anesthesiology and its continued dedication to advances in patient care.
"Research is essential to the continued development of improved drugs and approaches that are crucial to the practice of anesthesiology," Dr. Hemmings said. "This annual event celebrates the important contributions from our department to this development."
Dr. Richard Smiley delivers a special guest lecture to attendees, including Dr. John Savarese (far left), chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology, and Dr. Sudhir Diwan, director of the Division of Pain Management.
Photos by Weill Cornell Art & Photo.