This article has been reprinted in its entirety from the October issue of the journal Anesthesiology, Volume 129, Issue No. 4.
EACH year, the American Society of Anesthesiologists Award for Excellence in Research recognizes a single individual for his or her outstanding achievements in research that have or are likely to have an important impact on the practice of anesthesiology. The requirements for this award can be fulfilled in many ways, but the ideal recipient will have one leg deeply embedded in science and the other in clinical care, recognizing that clinical practice informs research while research solves clinical problems and drives innovation. Dr. Beverley Orser, the recipient of the 2018 Excellence in Research Award, epitomizes the qualities of an ideal recipient. She has immersed herself in the fundamental science of ion channel biology and has applied it to gain an understanding of central problems in anesthesiology practice. Simultaneously, she...