Simon Haroutounian, PhD has graciously agreed to serve as the interim Chief of the Division of Clinical and Translational Research (DoCTR). In this role, Dr. Haroutounian will be responsible for mentoring trainees and junior and mid-level faculty in clinical and translational research, promoting collaborative efforts both within the Department and across the WU School of Medicine (WUSM), and continuing the forward momentum of the Division’s reputation. Dr. Haroutounian will also oversee strategic planning for the Division’s research enterprise, along with fostering an environment for academic growth, innovation, and productivity.
Dr. Haroutounian is currently Associate Professor with tenure, having joined the Department in 2014 as an Assistant Professor. He is also an Honorary Associate Professor of Anesthesiology in the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark, as well as being an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. When he came to WUSM, Dr. Haroutounian brought with him a unique background in clinical pharmacology and pain research. He received his BSc and MSc in Pharmacy from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He subsequently worked as a Clinical Pharmacist in the Intensive Care Unit of Sheba Medical Center, and later in the Pain Relief Unit of Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, while pursuing his PhD in Pharmaceutical Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During this period he completed a Fulbright Doctoral Fellowship in Pain Outcomes Research in the Department of Pharmacotherapy within the School of Pharmacy at the University of Utah. It is worth noting that the University of Utah has one of the best postgraduate training programs in clinical pharmacy in the country. After earning his PhD, Dr. Haroutounian spent two and a half years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Danish Pain Research Center at Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark.
Upon arriving at WUSM, Dr. Haroutounian quickly established himself as an outstanding investigator, a collegial collaborator, a first-class educator and mentor, a compassionate clinician in his role as a pain pharmacist, and a talented leader. In addition to securing an impressive funding record – including a substantial NIH R01 award – Dr. Haroutounian has taken on numerous additional leadership roles, including serving as Section Chief of Clinical Research for the WU Pain Center, and as Pharmacology Course Director at WUSM. For this latter role Dr. Haroutounian received the WUSM Distinguished Service Teaching Award in 2016. He was also awarded the prestigious Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellowship. Dr. Haroutounian is widely published, has a number of editorial and committee responsibilities, and is frequently invited to speak both nationally and internationally about his research. He has truly established himself as one of the rising stars of our Department.
This Division Chief role is a crucial one for the Department, and we are most appreciative that Dr. Haroutounian has accepted to serve in this interim role.
Michael Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown of Anesthesiology
Head of Department of Anesthesiology