Anesthesia Research

Yale University and Yale-New Haven Medical Center are among the premier research and training institutions in the country. As part of this rich tradition, the areas of research interest in the department of Anesthesiology encompass both “traditional” areas of anesthesia research, and new areas of science and medicine. Expanding and enhancing the research mission in the department is one of the top priorities in Anesthesia at Yale.

Our research program encompasses clinical, translational and basic areas of investigation.  It ranges from neuroscience and cellular and molecular biology and tissue engineering to clinical and translational research.  Under the direction of Dr. Laura Niklason, Vice Chair for Research, this program offers an ideal platform for training the next generation of physician scholars in anesthesiology.

The following projects are occurring in the investigational stages:

• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain
• Electroanalgesia for Musculoskeletal Paina nd Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Sub-Anesthetic IV Infusions of NMDA Antagnoists for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

Paul Barash MD –

As one of the world’s leaders in cardiac anesthesia and clinical research, Dr. Barash is currently conducting research in two areas: (1) peri-operative cardiovascular anesthesia and (2) healthcare delivery. In particular working with Dr. John Elefteriades (Chief Cardiac Surgery), he is utilizing intra-operative echocardiographic imaging techniques to elucidate the mechanical properties of thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Robert LaMotte PhD –

Dr. LaMotte is focused on Experiments on the perception and mechanisms of itch. He uses psychophysical methods in humans to measure the pruritic and nociceptive sensations and altered sensory states produced by the application of pruritic substances to the skin.

Chao Ma PhD –

Dr. Chao Ma is a new research faculty member studying the antigen-specific immune mechanisms of chronic pain. He also investigates the mechanisms of hyper-excitability in primary sensory neurons after injury or inflammation of the peripheral nervous system.

Laura Niklason MD, PhD –

Dr. Niklason’s laboratory is involved in cardiovascular and lung regenerative medicine. Employing both stem cells and differentiated cells, along with biomimetic culture environments, Niklason’s group is developing replacement tissues for various therapeutic purposes.

Albert Perrino MD –

Dr. Perrino is a cardiac anesthesiologist who is using ultrasound to evaluate cardiac performance of obese patients during laproscopic surgery. In addition, he is working with members of the Psychology Department at the VA on issues related to addiction and brain imaging.

Wanda Popescu MD –

Dr. Popescu’s most recent work has been focused on describing a syndrome of diastolic dysfunction (not previously hemodynamically evident) presenting for obesity surgery. Her ongoing work is to see if this diastolic dysfunction is reversible after bariatric weight loss surgery.

Ramani Ramachandran MD –

Dr. Ramachandran’s work utilizes functional MRI imaging (fMRI) to improve our understanding of the central effects of anesthesia. In collaboration with the Magnetic Resonance Research Center we have been studying healthy ASA I volunteers under various types of anesthesia to determine the impact on brain blood flow and metabolism.

Haleh Sadaat MD –

Working in the area of complementary medicine, Dr. Sadaat is evaluating the utility of hypnosis in the peri-operative setting for alleviation of anxiety and pain. Dr. Sadaat has observed statistically significant reductions in anxiety/distress prior to, as well as inside the operating room using complementary interventions.

Robert Schonberger MD –

Dr. Schonberger is a junior faculty member who is conducting clinical trials relating peri-operative hypertension to complications and outcomes in cardiac and other high-risk surgical patients.

Kirk Shelley MD –

Working as a team with Dr. Silverman, Dr. Shelley utilizes advanced signal processing techniques to extract physiological and patient volume status information from minimally invasive monitors, such as the IV pressure waveform and the pulse oximeter plethysmograph.

David Silverman MD –

In collaboration with Dr. Shelley and with Dr. Stackenfeld at the Pierce Institute, Dr. Silverman is studying the autonomic control of microvasculature and local blood flow. He is also evaluating the clinical utility of a novel temperature probe that can assess central brain temperature.