The Neuroanesthesiology, Otolaryngology, and Offsite Anesthesiology Division has a strong record of academic excellence, boasting years of NIH-funded clinician scientists with expertise in neuroprotection, stroke, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and other related areas of research. The division championed the use of adenosine-induced transient asystole for intracranial aneurysm surgery and has been a leader in research on perioperative neurocognition
Dr. Michael “Luke” James is a professor of anesthesiology and neurology at Duke, where his work focuses on neurocritical care and neuroanesthesia. His research centers on translational approaches to develop therapies that improve outcomes for patients with acute forms of CNS injury, including stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury. Through his role in the Duke Clinical Research Institute, James bridges clinical insights with laboratory science to develop innovative strategies that move from bench to bedside and vice versa, advancing care for critical neurological conditions. Most recently he has worked with a variety of industry partners, often leveraging federal mechanisms to evaluate potential therapeutics in Phase 1, 2 or 3 clinical trials.
Dr. Leah Acker, the recipient of both the William L. Young Neuroscience Research Award and the John D. Michenfelder New Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care in the same year, is studying the effect of the heart and immune system on the brain and risk for postoperative delirium. Her research focuses on promoting healthy cognition after surgery by (a) studying neural mechanisms that support resilience, (b) exploring protective interactions between the brain, heart and immune system, and (c) developing neuromodulation techniques to promote brain recovery, particularly in older adults, and she has been funded by multiple NIH grants. Additionally, Acker was selected as Duke Anesthesiology’s 2023 DREAM Innovation Grant recipient for her project, “A Pilot Feasibility Study of Day-of-Surgery PeriOperative Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) Effects on Neurocognitive and Neuroinflammatory Trends (POTENT+).”
Additional researchers from the critical care division have projects focused in the neuroanesthesiology field, including Dr. Vijay Krishnamoorthy on “Mechanisms and Clinical Impact of Myocardial Injury Following Traumatic Brain Injury” and Dr. Michael Devinney on “The Associate of Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown with Sleep Apnea and Postoperative Delirium.”