Bio
I am a neuroanesthesiologist and translational human neuroscientist. Clinically, I care for patients undergoing brain and spine surgery, and have an interest in optimizing anesthesia care (and postoperative cognitive outcomes) for older surgical patients.
My research team studies mechanisms of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (such as delirium) in older adults, the relationship between anesthetic brain sensitivity (as measured by EEG) and preclinical/prodromal age-related changes in brain structure and function, and mechanisms by which the APOE4 allele leads to increased Alzheimer's Disease risk and neurocognitive decline. Together with collaborators, we use a transdisciplinary approach combining molecular/cellular assays (including ELISAs, proteomics, metabolomics, and flow cytometry) on pre- and post-operative CSF and plasma samples from older surgical surgical patients, functional and structural MRI neuroimaging, pre- and intra-operative EEG recordings, genetics (and epigenetics), and pre and postoperative delirium screening and cognitive testing. Overall, our hope is that the combination of these different methods will allow us to obtain insights into the mechanisms of perioperative neurocognitive disorders that could not be obtained by any single method alone.
Our group values diversity and mentorship, and we are happy to talk with prospective undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral students with an interest in our work.