Joseph P. Mathew, MD, MHSc, MBA, Jerry Reves, MD, Professor of Cardiac Anesthesiology, is a leading researcher in his field, focused on improving perioperative outcomes, particularly neurocognitive dysfunction, alterations in brain connectivity and occurrence of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery; and notably recognized for his leadership in perioperative echocardiography. For Dr. Mathew, the department’s strength lies in its people – its success lies in strategically investing in projects that will further strengthen the infrastructure and the pillars that the department was built upon: research, education and clinical care. His goals are deeply rooted in his vision to “change the face of anesthesiology” and create a department that will not be matched for another 100 years.
Dr. Mathew received his medical degree from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He went on to complete a residency in anesthesiology and a fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesiology at Yale University School of Medicine. In 1998, Dr. Mathew joined the faculty at Duke Anesthesiology and has since served as director of the Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), director of the Neurological Outcome Research Group and the Clinical Research Unit, chief of the Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Division, and executive vice chair of performance and operations within the department. Since being appointed chairman in March of 2015, Dr. Mathew has made significant advances in the field of pain management with the establishment of the Center for Translational Pain Medicine and the opening of a first-of-its-kind multispecialty pain practice, Duke Innovative Pain Therapies – both of which have a common core mission of transforming the way that painful conditions are diagnosed and treated, including the development of novel therapies to improve patient care. In a quest for Duke Anesthesiology to be the future of the perioperative specialty, Dr. Mathew helped carry to fruition a global collaboration, the Morpheus Consortium, and the opening of Duke Perioperative Pain Care, the first clinic in the nation that has the same team of pain specialists see patients before, during and after surgery with a focus on optimizing their functional recovery.
Dr. Mathew is an active physician-scientist funded by the National Institutes of Health for his ground breaking research on perioperative neurocognition and functional neuronal connectivity, particularly in the setting of cardiac surgery. He has published more than 200 manuscripts and book chapters and is the editor of the leading textbook on perioperative TEE. He is also the current president of the Association of Cardiac Anesthesiologists and was elected into the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research’s Academy of Research Mentors, a sign of Dr. Mathew’s strong commitment to investing in human capital and training future generations of leading researchers, clinicians and educators.