We are proud to offer a one-year (extendable to two years) Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health Research Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE) Program within the Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health at Stanford. As one of the premier and most academically productive divisions in the country, this unique opportunity provides expert guidance and support from internationally recognized academic leaders in Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health – leaders who are extremely passionate about patient care, research, mentorship, education, and advocacy.

Researchers from our group have been instrumental in advancing maternal and peripartum care for many decades, having developed new protocols and approaches for preventing and managing postpartum hemorrhage, enhanced methods to manage mothers’ pain during labor and after cesarean delivery, improved knowledge of how drugs behave in the peripartum setting, and designed instruments to measure recovery after childbirth (https://med.stanford.edu/obanes/research.html).

Our faculty has expertise in all aspects of research from basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiological, as well as PK/PD, systematic reviews/meta-analysis, Delphi, and QI/QA methodology. Our research covers the full breadth of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health, and we have an impressive record of mentorship and launching academic careers. Our Division of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health has won multiple research awards, including many best research studies and best trainee research awards at the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) annual meetings. Faculty members have received multiple research grants, including K and R01 NIH awards, mentored grants (e.g., FAER, SOAP, MCHRI), and industry funding. The Chief of the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Dr. Bateman) is a renowned “big data” obstetric anesthesiology and perinatal pharmacology researcher.

Our faculty has served in multiple leadership positions within the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), SOAP, and the California Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA). We are committed to outreach, with faculty participating in multiple trips per year to teach POCUS; or with Kybele, an organization dedicated to helping women in resource-poor underserved environments. We have expertise in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), with Drs. Ortner and Padilla possessing cardiac and critical care training and certifications in this modality. We have expertise in simulation – Stanford University School of Medicine appointed the first Associate Dean of Immersive Education in the country (Dr. David Gaba, a pioneer of medical simulation), and our faculty helped create the first truly multidisciplinary team-based obstetric simulation course (OBSim - founded in 2002). We are leaders in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), with a co-founder of National Latina/o/x Physician Day (Dr. Padilla) and Dr. Dominique Arce, a national leader in DEIJ.

Silicon Valley and Stanford represent a fertile environment for motivated individuals. Stanford is a hotbed of innovation and the epicenter of Silicon Valley, with collaboration as a foundational element of the culture here. There are several Nobel prize winners at the University (most recently Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi 2022) as well as innovators such as Dr. Norman Shumway (heart transplant) and founders of entities such as Cisco, Yahoo, Google, etc.

Given the history, culture, support, and expertise here, non-clinical time for the ACE trainee can be extremely productive, with research and scholarship projects centered on and adapted around the interests of the applicant. The ACE trainee is required to work a minimum of two days per week in the operating room, although the opportunity exists to do extra clinical work for additional remuneration. We accept 1-2 qualified individuals each year. All applicants must have a strong commitment to research or other endeavors within the domain of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health. Flexibility in the curriculum is allowed and encouraged, and the program can be structured to suit the individual’s needs.

Application Process: If you are interested in applying to be an Obstetric Anesthesiology and Maternal Health Research trainee at Stanford Anesthesia, please contact Dr. Brendan Carvalho at bcarvalho@stanford.edu. Please send your CV and a brief letter of interest explaining why you are interested in this opportunity and what you would like to achieve from the program.