A core mission of our department is to generate new knowledge that will advance the understanding and practice of anesthesiology.

The Department of Anesthesiology is heavily funded by grants and consistently ranks among the top five nationally in NIH funding.

Our research efforts are organized into three primary divisions*: the Division of Basic Research (DBR), the Washington University Pain Center (WUPC), and the Division of Clinical & Translational Research (DoCTR), and one Center: the Center for Clinical Pharmacology (CCP), a collaborative partnership with the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.

* Research projects for students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows are currently available in all divisions & the CCP.

Number 2 NIH funding
researcher working in lab

Division of Basic Research (DBR)

The Division of Basic Research (DBR) explores fundamental scientific questions relevant to medicine and anesthesiology.


Tiffany Osborn, MD, and Shawn Reynolds, Physician's Assistant reviewing data

Division of Clinical and Translational Research (DoCTR)

The Division of Clinical & Translational Research is the home for patient-oriented research in the Department of Anesthesiology.


research lab equipment

Washington University Pain Center (WUPC)

A multidisciplinary center that combines basic research, clinical research, clinical pain management and education in an organized, interactive group of dedicated researchers and clinicians.


Center for Clinical Pharmacology

Center for Clinical Pharmacology

The Department of Anesthesiology and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis established this center which is focused on human-oriented research with the goal of improving the use of current and new therapeutics and diagnostics. 


Latest News

Revolutionizing Clinical Pain Research: A Shift Toward Patient-centered Engagement

Revolutionizing Clinical Pain Research: A Shift Toward Patient-centered Engagement (Links to an external site)

The Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT), including Simon Haroutounian, PhD, MSc, and Katie Holzer, PhD, LCSW, brought together a diverse group of participants from academia, industry, funding and regulatory agencies, and people with lived experience (PWLE) of pain, to developed recommendations for advancing patient engagement in clinical pain research.
Pradhan elected to the American Headache Society Board of Directors­­

Pradhan elected to the American Headache Society Board of Directors­­

Amynah Pradhan, PhD, director of the Center for Clinical Pharmacology (CCP), has been selected as a Member-at-Large on the American Headache Society (AHS) Board of Directors for the 2024-2026 term.­­ AHS is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by migraine and other headache disorders, and collaborates with healthcare professionals, physicians, and advocates to advance research and […]