Research

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 two Centers: the Center for the Study of Itch & Sensory Disorders (CSISD), which is in partnership with the Department of Dermatology, and 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 three divisions and both centers.

Division of Basic Research (DBR)

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

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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Center for the Study of Itch & Sensory Disorders (CSISD)

This center seeks to understand the fundamental underlying mechanisms of itch and translate these findings into treatments for patients suffering from intractable itch.

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Latest News

Study targets kappa opioid receptor to develop more effective drugs for pain management

In a study published in Nature Communications in March 2023, researchers from the Center for Clinical Pharmacology unveil promising research in the development of more effective, less addictive, and safer pain management drugs.

WashU anesthesiologists present at Annual Patient Safety & Quality Symposium

On March 3, 2023, several clinicians and staff members from the Department of Anesthesiology presented at the 13th Annual Patient Safety & Quality Symposium.

Department ranks in top 3 in NIH research funding

According to the latest data compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ranked No. 3 among the nation’s top anesthesiology departments in terms of research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).