Featured News Pediatric Anesthesiology

Dolores Njoku, MD, named Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology

Dolores Njoku, MD

It is our great pleasure to announce Dr. Dolores Njoku as the new Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology at Washington University and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH). In this important role, she will be endowed as the Wise Professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology. She will also be appointed as a Vice-Chair in the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Njoku will work closely with other senior leaders in the Anesthesiology Department, with Hospital and University leaders in SLCH, and with institutional leaders in BJC and Washington University School of Medicine broadly.

Dr. Njoku is currently an Associate Professor in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Pediatrics, and Pathology at Johns Hopkins University, where she has worked for over 20 years. She is an outstanding, world-renowned clinical and academic pediatric anesthesiologist. She is recognized internationally for her accomplishments in translational research in drug-induced, immune-mediated liver injury; her commitment to improving perioperative outcomes in pediatric Orthopedic surgery; her track record in developing the next generation of anesthesiologists through research and education platforms; and her contributions in building diverse, multi-disciplinary teams with a shared vision for equity, excellence, and collaboration. Dr. Njoku is currently expanding her research repertoire to include the immunological aspects of menopause and of biological sex in transgender males.

Dr. Njoku completed her residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology and pediatric critical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital and joined the Hopkins School of Medicine faculty in 1997. From 2007 to 2018, she served as program director for the pediatric anesthesiology fellowship program, where she trained more than 60 fellows and grew the programs from two to six fellows. Since then, she has served as the program director for the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellows Advanced Boot Camp that she developed in 2013 for mid-Atlantic fellows. She also founded an educational module for residents rotating in the pediatric anesthesiology operating rooms.

On the international stage, Dr. Njoku serves in several prominent leadership roles. She is currently the secretary of the Association of University Anesthesiologists, the premier international academic anesthesiology society. She is in succession to be the Association’s president. Dr. Njoku is on the Board of Directors and chairs the grants management committee of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, the primary foundation supported by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. She is also the director for the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology at the Society for Pediatric Anesthesiology’s first appointed mobile simulation center.

All members of the SLCH community are excited about Dr. Njoku taking the helm in Pediatric Anesthesiology and are committed to striving with her to accomplish our shared goals of excellence in clinical care and service of society; scientific advancement and knowledge generation; training tomorrow’s leaders; professional growth and development; and building a collaborative, diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Dolores Njoku to Washington University and to St. Louis Children’s Hospital with great enthusiasm!

Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology
Head of the Department of Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief, Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Trish Lollo, MPH
President, St. Louis Children’s Hospital