Basic and Translational Research

Dr. Benveniste is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale. She received her Bachelors degree in Mathematics & Physics from Katedralskolen, Denmark, and went on to study at the University of Copenhagen, where she received her MD in 1989 and PhD (Doctor Medicinae) in 1991. As a Research Fellow, she trained in high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at Duke University Medical Center with Dr. G. Allen Johnson and developed techniques for brain imaging focused on neurodegenerative disease processes, including Alzheimer’s Disease. She went on to pursue her internship training in Family Medicine and her residency in Anesthesiology also at Duke University. Dr. Benveniste joined the faculty of Duke University's department of Anesthesiology in 1996, where she continued her work in developing diagnostic MRI based platforms for early detection of AD.

In 2001 Dr. Benveniste joined the department of Anesthesiology at Stony Book Medical Center as faculty and set up a preclinical MRI facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory; PET technology was integrated into her work to measure the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of psychoactive compounds and anesthetic drugs. In 2015, Dr. Benveniste’s laboratory became involved with studies of the ‘glymphatic pathway’ which is a novel peri-vascular based system in the central nervous system involved in brain waste removal. Dr. Benveniste has received national and international recognition for her work. In November of 2016, Benveniste moved to Yale University, where she joined the Department of Anesthesiology and is expanding her research program in understanding how the glymphatic system and cerebrospinal fluid transport is affected in neurodegenerative disease states and aging.

Dr. Philip Effraim is Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale New Haven Hospital. He received both his medical degree and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2011. Following his residency at the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Effraim continued his training at Yale as a fellow in Regional Anesthesia. In 2017, Dr. Effraim officially joined the Yale University School of Medicine faculty as Assistant Professor. His research interests are focused on investigating mechanisms of pain and novel pain treatments.

Paul M. Heerdt is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Heerdt earned his MD from the University of Tennessee in 1982 followed by a PhD in cardiovascular pharmacology in 1985. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and then a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesia at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

Following clinical training, Dr. Heerdt remained on the faculty at Washington University for several years before moving to Cornell University in 1992. At Cornell, he was a faculty member in the departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology and also maintained an appointment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center. In 2016 Dr. Heerdt moved to Yale where he has been conducting clinical and basic science research with a particular emphasis on developing collaborative opportunities for residents, fellows, and junior faculty. He serves on several committees within the Yale School of Medicine and lectures in the medical student pharmacology curriculum. Outside of Yale, Dr. Heerdt is active in the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.