The 33rd Annual Academic Evening at Duke Anesthesiology displayed a multitude of scholarly endeavors and scientific acumen, showcasing an unmatched total of 107 abstracts. As the pinnacle of the department’s research pursuits, more than 170 junior-level investigators and faculty gathered for this special event in Duke’s Great Hall on May 20 to share the results of their research discoveries, spanning diverse areas of study including basic and translational science, clinical research, and quality improvement projects.
“The work being presented here represents the effort of a lot of people; chief among them, of course, we recognize the tremendous work on the part of our presenters, who are also representing the contributions of their mentors, other faculty, trainees, students, statisticians, data scientists, research staff, and sometimes even patients who are willing to do something extra because they think it’s important,” says Dr. Anne Cherry, program co-chair.
In a solemn tradition, Dr. Miriam Treggiari, program co-chair and vice chair for research, reverently rang the bell belonging to the late Dr. David S. Warner, marking the beginning of the presentations. This poignant gesture serves as a heartfelt tribute to Warner's enduring legacy, recognizing his pivotal role as a mentor and his profound contributions to basic science and clinical research within the department. “We remember Bill Maixner and Dave Warner, whose passion for science and for this department was absolutely contagious,” adds Cherry. “The bell we use to mark time during this event was Dr. Warner’s, and many of us in this room still expect to see him smiling every time we hear it ring.”
The David S. Warner Award is one of three awards honoring esteemed legacies at Duke Anesthesiology. The Dick Smith Award for clinical fellow research honors Smith, who was a highly regarded statistician; he made significant contributions to the department’s ability and reputation in conducting high-level science with unrivaled ethical and moral standards. The Bill White Award for resident research honors White, who was involved in the design, data management, and statistical analysis of biomedical studies in both observational and clinical trials. Dr. Jake Thomas received first place in this category for his project titled, “Modulation of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome Changes by the APOE Mimetic Peptide CN-105.”
“I'm very grateful to have been a part of the anesthesiology department's Academic Evening and for the mentorship from Drs. Berger and Devinney throughout my time here,” says Thomas. “It has been incredible to see the evolution of perioperative neurocognitive research and I'm eager to see how this research progresses as the research infrastructure continues to grow.”
Dr. Michael Gropper, chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California San Francisco, was selected to serve as this year’s guest judge. In this role, he received the honor of reviewing the work and presiding over the selection of the award winners in each of the five categories.
“I had such an inspiring visit at Duke. They should all be proud of the outstanding department that they’ve built, and seeing it firsthand makes me more optimistic about the future,” says Gropper, who is internationally known for his work in improving outcomes in critically ill patients and has spearheaded successful efforts to reduce hospital-acquired harms in the ICU and operating room.
Three decades later, the mission of Academic Evening remains constant; to propel forward the field of anesthesia, critical care and pain management, ultimately enhancing the care of our patients.
“I am thrilled to see the incredible depth and breadth of research showcased at this Academic Evening. The collaborations and the groundbreaking work presented here not only demonstrate our dedication to academic excellence but also highlight the significant impact our institution has had over the past 33 years,” asserts Treggiari. “It is truly inspiring to witness the multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation that has been the hallmark of this flagship event, and I am proud to be a part of a department committed to driving meaningful advancements in research.”
A special note of gratitude to the diligent *moderators and the **Abstract Review Committee who played an invaluable role in ensuring the quality and rigor of the research presented at Academic Evening.
*Drs. Atilio Barbeito, Melissa Bauer, Andrey Bortsov, Anne Cherry, Lisa Einhorn, Heath Gasier, Michael Gropper, Edmund Jooste, Luiz Maracaja, Katherine Martucci, Richard Moon, Marie-Louise Meng, Sundar Krishnan, Kevin Vorenkamp, Karthik Raghunathan, Michael Kent, Shad Smith, Huaxin Sheng, Annemarie Thompson, and Ian Welsby.
**Drs. Satya Achanta, Omar Al-Qudsi, Bryan Chow, Sara Feldman, Heath Gasier, Kamrouz Ghadimi, Michael “Luke” James, Edmund Jooste, Michael Kent, Negmeldeen Mamoun, Katherine Martucci, Marie-Louise Meng, Richard Moon, Tetsu Ohnuma, Angela Pollak, Jaime Privratsky, Mara Serbanescu, and Katherine Sun.
VIEW THE ACADEMIC EVENING PHOTO GALLERY
2025 Academic Evening Award Winners:
Post Doctoral Research (David S. Warner Award)
1st Place: Tyler Reeks, PhD - "Preoperative PCC Microstructural Damage is Linked to Default Mode Network Dysconnectivity and Postoperative Delirium" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Devinney
2nd Place: Mohamed Elebasy, MBBCh - "Sex Matters: A Female-Specific Metabolic Signature Independent of Aging in A Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mara A. Serbanescu
3rd Place: Lihong Dang, PhD - "Inflammasome Activation Drives Post-Cardiac Arrest Immunosuppression Via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Wei Yang
Clinical Fellow Research (Dick Smith Award)
1st Place: George Cortina, MD, PhD - "Local Anesthetic–Excipient Nanoparticles Designed with Hybrid Machine Learning and Molecular Dynamics Models Provide Extended Postoperative Pain Analgesia in Mice" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Reker
2nd Place: Sherma Yu, MD - "Right Ventricular Pressure-Strain Derived Global Myocardial Work in Patients Undergoing Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alina Nicoara
3rd Place: Heather Acuff, MD, PhD - "A Retrospective Study of Associations between Antepartum Psychiatric Medications and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Patients with Mood and Anxiety Disorders" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marie-Louise Meng
Resident Research (Bill White Award)
1st Place: Jake Thomas, MD - "Modulation of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Changes in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteome by the APOE Mimetic Peptide CN-105" | Faculty Mentors: Drs. Miles Berger & Michael Devinney
Graduate/Medical Student Research
1st Place: Noah Timko, MPH - "The ApoE Mimetic Peptide CN-105 in Older Surgical Patients: The MARBLE Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Trial" | Faculty Mentors: Drs. Miles Berger & Michael Devinney
2nd Place: Jamarc Simon, BA - "The Relationship of Perioperative Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokine Levels with Postoperative Delirium" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Devinney
Undergraduate Student Research
1st Place: Meg Hardesty, BA - "Combined Pecto-Intercostal Fascial Plane and Rectus Sheath Blocks vs Local Infiltration for Pain Management Following Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Einhorn
2nd Place: Elena Webber, BS - "Synaptosomal Neurotransmission and Bioenergetics are Impacted by Repeated HBO2 Exposure in Mice" | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heath Gasier