The 2025 Annual Meeting, presented by the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) and the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (SOCCA), took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, from March 20-23, 2025. Faculty, staff, and trainees—including the entire CA-1 class—attended, with two faculty members and two trainees presenting. The Annual Meeting serves as an evidence-based and clinically-oriented educational meeting aimed at improving competence and performance in anesthesiology, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.
“Attending IARS as a CA-1 was an incredible experience. It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many leaders in anesthesiology and to see the cutting-edge research shaping our field,” said CA-1, Julia Saak, MD. “The conference provided valuable learning opportunities beyond what we see in daily clinical practice, and it was inspiring to connect with faculty, researchers, and fellow trainees from across the country.”
Sunny Lou, MD, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, participated in the IARS Mentored Research Awards (IMRA) Update on Friday, March 21. Dr. Lou, who received the IARS Mentored Research Award in 2022, shared insights from her project, Personalized Medicine to Support Perioperative Transfusion. She discussed the development, validation, and implementation of a clinical decision support tool for surgical transfusion, focusing on human-centered design, EHR integration, and prospective validation.
Karam Atli, MD, a CA-3 resident, presented at the Scholars’ Program on Saturday, March 22. This program, designed for early-stage anesthesiology scholars, covers career development, publishing strategies, and networking opportunities. Dr. Atli presented her research on Intraoperative Electroencephalogram Suppression and PACU Delirium in Patients Participating in the THRIVE Clinical Trial. This study, part of the THRIVE multicenter randomized clinical trial, examines neurocognitive recovery after anesthesia and surgery. Given the impact of PACU delirium—complications, longer stays, and cognitive decline—her research explores whether the duration of intraoperative EEG suppression increases its risk. With a large, diverse patient cohort, the study could shape future prevention strategies.
Alex S. Evers, MD, the Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology and Professor of Internal Medicine and Developmental Biology, presented at the Mechanisms of Anesthesia (MAC) post-meeting conference on Sunday, March 23. His talk, Multiple Binding Sites Mediate Neurosteroid Action on GABA-A Receptors, explored how neurosteroids interact with GABA-A receptor ion channels, highlighting how different neurosteroid structures produce distinct effects. His findings offer valuable insights for developing selective drugs targeting GABA-A receptor subtypes, which play a crucial role in inhibitory synaptic activity in the brain.
On Sunday, March 23, nine finalists—selected from more than 1,000 abstracts submitted—presented their research at the prestigious Kosaka Best Abstracts Session. The session featured innovative work in three categories: basic science, clinical research, and research conducted by a scholar.
Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD, an ASAP Track Resident, was a finalist in the session and received the Top Basic Science Award for his project, NAD+ Augmentation and Senolytics as a Non-Opioid Analgesic for Treating Neuropathic Pain in Mice. His research examined the role of immunometabolism in neuropathic pain development, particularly the impact of cholesterol overload in myeloid cells due to aging and obesity. Dr. Yoshida and his team demonstrated that NAD depletion leads to myeloid senescence, which contributes to mechanical hypersensitivity in neuropathic pain models. By augmenting NAD levels and ablating senescent cells, they successfully reversed these effects.
“Presenting my research at the Kosaka Best Abstracts Session was an incredible opportunity to share our findings on NAD+ augmentation and senolytics as a potential non-opioid analgesic,” said Dr. Yoshida. “I am honored to receive the Top Basic Science Award and grateful for the chance to engage with fellow researchers who are equally passionate about advancing patient care in anesthesiology.”
The department hosted an alumni event at the Tropical Bar & Grill at the Hilton, where colleagues, friends, and alumni gathered to network and relax after a full day of sessions. This informal reception allowed attendees to reconnect, build new professional relationships, and discuss insights from the conference.
The 2025 IARS Annual Meeting was an enriching experience, fostering collaboration and innovation among anesthesiology researchers. The event not only showcased cutting-edge research but also provided a platform for meaningful dialogue and future collaborations. To learn more about the 2025 Annual Meeting and the research presented, visit meetings.iars.org.
