EDUCATION
GUEST JUDGE
Propelling the Field of Anesthesia Forward
T
he 33rd Annual Academic Evening at Duke Anesthesiology displayed a multitude of scholarly endeavors and scientific acumen, showcasing an unmatched total of 107 abstracts. As the pinnacle of the department’s research pursuits, more than 170 junior-level investigators and faculty gathered for this special event in Duke’s Great Hall on May 20 to share the results of their research discoveries, spanning diverse areas of study including basic and translational science, clinical research, and quality improvement projects. “The work being presented here represents the effort of a lot of people; chief among them, of course, we recognize the tremendous work on the part of our presenters, who are also representing the contributions of their mentors, other faculty, trainees, students, statisticians, data scientists, research staff, and sometimes even patients who are willing to do something extra because they think it’s important,” says Dr. Anne Cherry, program co-chair. In a solemn tradition, Dr. Miriam Treggiari, program co-chair and vice chair for research, reverently rang the bell belonging to the late Dr. David S. Warner, marking the beginning of presentations throughout the evening. This poignant gesture serves as a heartfelt tribute to Warner’s enduring legacy, recognizing his pivotal role as a mentor and his profound contributions to basic science and clinical research. “His passion for science and for this department was absolutely contagious. Many of us in this room still expect to see him smiling every time we hear that bell ring,” adds Cherry.
Dr. Michael Gropper Chair, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care University of California, San Francisco
The David S. Warner Award is one of three awards honoring esteemed legacies at Duke Anesthesiology. The Dick Smith Award for clinical fellow research honors Smith, who was a highly regarded statistician; he made significant contributions to the department’s ability and reputation in conducting high-level science with unrivaled ethical and moral standards. The Bill White Award for resident research honors White, who was involved in the design, data management, and statistical analysis of biomedical studies in both observational and clinical trials. Dr. Jake Thomas received first place in this category for his project titled, “Modulation of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome Changes by the APOE Mimetic Peptide CN-105.” “I’m very grateful to have been a part of the anesthesiology department’s Academic Evening and for the mentorship from Drs. Berger and Devinney throughout my time here,” says Thomas. “It has been incredible to see the evolution of perioperative neurocognitive research and I’m eager to see how this research progresses as the research infrastructure continues to grow.” Dr. Michael Gropper, chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California San Francisco, was selected to serve as this year’s guest judge. In this role, he received the honor of reviewing the work and presiding over the selection of the award winners in each of the five categories. “I had such an inspiring visit at Duke. They should all be proud of the outstanding department that they’ve built, and seeing it firsthand makes me more optimistic about the future,” says Gropper, who is internationally known for his
2025 ACADEMIC EVENING AWARD WINNERS: Post Doc Basic Science Research (David S. Warner Award)
1st Place: Tyler Reekes, PhD - “Preoperative PCC Microstructural Damage is Linked to Default Mode Network Dysconnectivity and Postoperative Delirium” Mentor: Dr. Michael Devinney 2nd Place: Mohamed Elebasy, MBBCh - “Sex Matters: A Female-Specific Metabolic Signature Independent of Aging in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease” / Mentor: Dr. Mara Serbanescu 3rd Place: Lihong Dang, PhD - “Inflammasome Activation Drives PostCardiac Arrest Immunosuppression via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis” / Mentor: Dr. Wei Yang
Clinical Fellow Research (Dick Smith Award)
1st Place: George Cortina, MD, PhD - “Local Anesthetic– Excipient Nanoparticles Designed with Hybrid Machine Learning
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and Molecular Dynamics Models Provide Extended Postoperative Pain Analgesia in Mice” / Mentor: Dr. Daniel Reker 2nd Place: Sherma Yu, MD - “Right Ventricular Pressure-Strain Derived Global Myocardial Work in Patients Undergoing Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation” Mentor: Dr. Alina Nicoara 3rd Place: Heather Acuff, MD, PhD - “A Retrospective Study of Associations Between Antepartum Psychiatric Medications and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Patients with Mood and Anxiety Disorders” Mentor: Dr. Marie-Louise Meng
Resident Research (Bill White Award)
1st Place: Jake Thomas, MD - “Modulation of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Changes in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome by the APOE Mimetic Peptide CN-105” Mentors: Drs. Miles Berger & Michael Devinney