Dear Alumni and Friends,
It is my pleasure to write to you for the first time as head of the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine.
I joined WashU with a deep appreciation for what has long distinguished this department: science that has advanced our field, generations of physicians and scientists trained here, and excellence in patient care. That is the legacy of former chairs Alex Evers, MD, who built one of the nation’s premier anesthesiology departments, and Michael Avidan, MBBCh, who expanded its reach, strength, and impact.
What is equally powerful is the community that surrounds it.
Across the country and around the world, WashU Anesthesiology is represented by people who once walked these halls. Some lead academic programs and laboratories. Others shape the practice of medicine and deliver exceptional care in communities across the country. All carry the excellence of WashU Anesthesiology into their work.
What endures, however, is more than what we accomplish. It is the mentors who shaped us, the colleagues who became lifelong friends, and the relationships formed here that remain with us.
It is this foundation of excellence and community that we will build upon. We have the scientific strength to pursue questions that can change medicine, the clinical reach to rethink how and where we care for patients, and the opportunity to develop the next generation who will take our field places we cannot yet see.
Throughout this issue, you will see examples of how our community moves our field forward. A gift from one WashU family, the Browns, enabled Rob Gereau, PhD, the Dr. Seymour & Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology, to pursue an early idea for safer pain relief. That work generated the evidence for major NIH funding and ultimately launched a drug discovery program developing new treatments for chronic pain. Years later, the generosity that helped make that first step possible continues to move the science forward.
Our history gives us much to be proud of. Now, we will build on that foundation: reach higher, take on the questions that matter most, and extend the impact of WashU Anesthesiology in ways that will shape our field for generations to come.
I am proud to be part of this community and excited by all that we will accomplish together. Our alumni are, and always will be, an essential part of WashU Anesthesiology.
Warm regards,
Padma Gulur, MD
Alex S. Evers Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology
Head of the Department of Anesthesiology
WashU Medicine
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