2014 Annual Journal Symposium

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and its journal, Anesthesiology, announce the 23rd annual Journal Symposium to be held at the ASA Annual Meeting on October 14, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 2014 Journal Symposium will highlight up-and-coming and noteworthy concepts in anesthesia research and clinical practice. The Journal Symposium will feature the following moderators and speakers:

Jeanine Wiener-Kronish, M.D., Anesthetist-in-Chief, Massachusetts General Hospital, Henry Isaiah Dorr Professor, Harvard Medical School; and, Jean-Francois Pittet, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia, University of Alabama, Birmingham

1. Mechanistic basis for protective intraoperative mechanical ventilation

Marcos F. Vidal Melo, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Anesthetist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School

2. Intraoperative ventilation practices and quality improvement

Ana Fernandez-Bustamante, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine

3. Protective ventilation during general anesthesia: the PROVHILO Trial

Paolo Pelosi, M.D.

Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

There is increasing data documenting improved outcomes in surgical patients without preexisting lung injury, who are ventilated with protective ventilatory strategies. In a recent meta-analysis, patients without the acute respiratory distress syndrome receiving lower tidal volumes had a significantly lower incidence of pulmonary infection, hospital length of stay, lung injury, and mortality.¹  Intraoperative positive end-expiratory pressure settings could play a substantial role in preventing those postoperative complications.²  Data are still conflicting on the role of intraoperative Fio₂ on surgical site infection.³  Should all patients be ventilated with lower tidal volume, higher PEEP, and lower Fio₂? Should intraoperative tidal volume and plateau pressure become quality measures? How should anesthesiologists individualize mechanical ventilation in an increasingly complex patient population?

Three experts will introduce these topics for the first 90 minutes of the symposium, with 20 minute presentations and 10 minute discussions. The speakers will discuss the recent evidence for the effects of protective ventilation on postoperative outcomes in surgical patients, including the data from the PROVHILO international trial, and the issues with the implementation of protective ventilatory strategies into clinical practice.

We invite abstracts on this topic from all related fields: basic science, translational, clinical, and quality research. The top 8 abstracts will be presented orally during the second half of the symposium.

The authors of abstracts selected for the symposium will be offered an opportunity to submit their work to Anesthesiology for inclusion in an issue to be published in the spring of 2015.

The annual American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Award for Excellence in Research recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement in research that has or is likely to have an important impact on the practice of anesthesiology.

The individual’s work must represent a body of original, mature, and sustained contribution to the advancement of the science of anesthesiology. The nominee need not be a physician, an anesthesiologist, or a member of the ASA, but must be presently engaged in research related to anesthesiology, academically accomplished with peer-reviewed publications and funded research, and nominated in response to a call for nominations. The completed application must include the nominee’s current curriculum vitae, a letter of nomination, and a seconding letter from two individuals with an understanding of the research contributions of the individual.

The 2013 Award for Excellence in Research was presented to James C. Eisenach, M.D., at the ASA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, on Monday, October 14. Dr. Eisenach is a Professor at Wake Forest University, Department of Anesthesiology, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The deadline for nominations for the 2014 Excellence in Research Award is March 31, 2014. Please submit nominations or any questions regarding this award to George H. Kendall, Managing Editor, Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157; e-mail: managing-editor@anesthesiology.org.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Presidential Scholar Award recognizes colleagues who dedicate their formative careers to research.

The deadline for nominations for the 2014 Presidential Scholar Award is March 31, 2014. Anesthesiologists who are within 10 years of their first appointment to a department of anesthesiology, who are Board-certified in their country of practice, who are ASA members, and who are clinically active in anesthesia, intensive care, or pain medicine are eligible for the award. Nominees must be academically accomplished with peer-reviewed publications and funded research. Candidates should be nominated by their department chair or by the Committee on Research after review of the current year’s grant applicants of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. The nominee’s department chair should submit a letter of support and the nominee’s current curriculum vitae as well as one seconding letter from a senior faculty member. Only one nominee per department will be accepted.

The recipient of the 2013 Presidential Scholar Award was Sachin Kheterpal, M.D., M.B.A, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan, Department of Anesthesiology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, who received the award at the ASA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, on Monday, October 14, 2013.

Please submit nominations or any questions regarding this award to George H. Kendall, Managing Editor, Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157; e-mail: managing-editor@anesthesiology.org.

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research is accepting nominations for the 2014 FAER Mentoring Excellence in Research Award. The award recognizes an outstanding mentor in anesthesiology and the value of mentorship in the specialty. Each year, the FAER Academy of Research Mentors in Anesthesiology presents the award at the ASA annual meeting during the Celebration of Research.

The nomination deadline for the FAER Mentoring Excellence in Research Award is March 31, 2014.

Anesthesiologists who are actively engaged in anesthesiology mentorship and have a sustained record of mentoring anesthesiologists over time are eligible for the award. The award is based on the training experiences and successes of the nominee’s mentees, not on the mentor’s personal career achievements.

Anyone who is a mentee or a colleague of a successful anesthesiology mentor may submit a nomination. Nominators must have personal knowledge of the nominee’s mentoring efforts. Mentees should be actively involved in research, teaching, mentoring, or other leadership activities.

The recipient of the 2013 FAER Mentoring Excellence in Research award was Harriet W. Hopf, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair of Anesthesiology, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Utah.

Please submit a nomination form, three letters of recommendation, the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and a completed mentor table. Nomination forms and more information about the nomination process are available at FAER.org/mentor-award.

If you have questions about award nominations, contact Jody Clikeman, Program Coordinator, at 507-538-7884 or JodyClikeman@faer.org.

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research is seeking applications for research grants for its 2014 funding cycle. The application deadline all FAER research grants is February 15, 2014. Eligibility requirements and application information can be found online at FAER.org/research-grants.

FAER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES — Apply by February 15

• The Mentored Research Training Grant – Basic Science (MRTG-BS) is a 2-year $175,000 grant that provides funding for research and training in basic science research to faculty members who are within 10 years of having completed their core anesthesiology residency. Year one is funded up to $75,000. Year two is funded up to $100,000. The MRTG-BS requires 75 percent research time.

• The Mentored Research Training Grant – Clinical or Translational (MRTG-CT) is a 2-year $175,000 grant that provides funding for research and training in clinical or translational research to faculty members who are within 10 years of having completed their core anesthesiology residency. Year one is funded up to $75,000. Year two is funded up to $100,000. The MRTG-CT requires 75 percent research time.

• The Mentored Research Training Grant – Health Services Research (MRTG-HSR) is a 2-year $175,000 grant that provides funding for research and training in health services research to faculty members who are within 10 years of having completed their core anesthesiology residency. Year one is funded up to $75,000. Year two is funded up to $100,000. The MRTG-HSR requires 75 percent research time.

• The Research in Education Grant (REG) is a 2-year $100,000 grant available to faculty members of all ranks. Year one and year two are funded up to $50,000. The REG is focused on developing innovative techniques for anesthesia education. The REG requires 40 percent research time.

• The Research Fellowship Grant (RFG) is a 1-year $75,000 grant available to anesthesiology trainees after CA-1 year. The RFG is awarded in conjunction with clinical training in an anesthesiology residency or fellowship program. The REG requires 80 percent research time.

If you have questions about applying for a FAER research grant, contact Jody Clikeman, Program Coordinator, 507-538-7884 or JodyClikeman@faer.org.

To learn more about FAER research grants, visit FAER.org/research-grants.