Bio
Dr. Rebecca A. Aslakson is an Associate Professor at Stanford University with appointments in both the Department of Primary Care & Population Health in the Palliative Care Section and the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine where she serves as Division Chief of Critical Care Anesthesia. With a Summa Cum Laude B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, an MD from Harvard Medical School?MIT, and an MSci degree with Distinction from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, Dr. Aslakson completed anesthesia residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and surgical critical care fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was on faculty from 2008-2017. In 2013, Dr. Aslakson obtained her PhD in Clinical Investigations from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with her dissertation concerning integration of palliative care in intensive care units. Triple boarded in anesthesia, surgical critical care, and palliative medicine, Dr. Aslakson is an active researcher and clinician; her goal is to improve delivery of effective and equitable palliative care, particularly to perioperative and critically ill populations. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers, invited editorials, and book chapters and received competitive funding from funders such as AHRQ, PCORI, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, and the National Palliative Care Research Society. Dr. Aslakson serves on national committees for professional societies including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). Dr. Aslakson has received national awards including the 2015 AAHPM Early Career Investigator Award and the 2014 ASA Presidential Scholar Award. Dr. Aslakson clinically attends at the Stanford University Medical Center in the M4 and E2 Intensive Care Units and on the inpatient palliative care clinical service. She lives in Palo Alto, CA with her husband and two sons.
Clinical Focus
- Palliative care
- Critical care
- Anesthesia
Academic Appointments
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Associate Professor - Med Center Line, Medicine - Primary Care and Population Health
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Associate Professor - Med Center Line, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
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Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
Administrative Appointments
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Division Chief of Critical Care Anesthesia, Division of Amesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine (2019 - Present)
Honors & Awards
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Grenvik Family Award for Ethics, Society of Critical Care Medicine (2019)
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Distinguished Alumni Award, The Johns Hopkins University (2017)
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Presidential Citation, The Society of Critical Care Medicine (2017)
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Presidential Citation, The Society of Critical Care Medicine (2016)
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"40 under 40" National Leader, The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2015)
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Early Career Investigator Award, The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2015)
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Presidential Scholar Award, The American Society of Anesthesiologists (2014)
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Speaker Award, The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2014)
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Clinician Scientist Award, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2013)
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Outstanding New Educational Program Award, Institute for Educational Excellence (2013)
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"Best in Baltimore" - Palliative Medicine, Baltimore Magazine (2011)
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Young Investigator Speaker, Society of Critical Care Medicine - Anesthesiology Section (2011)
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Excellence in Teaching in Surgical Critical Care, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Surgical Critical Care Fellowship (2008)
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Hospitalist Award, Newton Wellesley Hospital (2004)
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Top Surgical Intern, Department of Surgery - Newton Wellesley Hospital (2004)
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Goerge Mitchell Scholarship, The US-Ireland Alliance (2000)
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Graduate Student, International Achievement Summit (2000)
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Barry Goldwater Scholarship, US Government (1997)
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Arthur Holly Compton Scholarship, Washington University in St. Louis (1994)
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National Science Scholarship, US Government (1994)
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Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship, US Government (1994)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Committee Chair, National Research Committee - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2018 - Present)
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Committee Chair, Committee on Palliative Medicine - American Society of Anesthesiologists (2018 - Present)
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Member, Scientific Review Committee - Society of Critical Care Medicine (2016 - Present)
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Nationally-Elected Member of Nominations Committee, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2016 - 2018)
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Vice Chair, Committee on Palliative Medicine - American Society of Anesthesiologists (2016 - 2018)
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Member, Committee on Excellence in Research - American Society of Anesthesiologists (2014 - 2017)
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Member, National Research Committee - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2013 - 2018)
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International Expert Guidelines Update Committee - Family Centered Care in the ICU, Society of Critical Care Medicine (2013 - 2017)
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Member, Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (2010 - Present)
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Member, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (2010 - Present)
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Member, International Anesthesia Research Society (2010 - Present)
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Member, Society of Critical Care Medicine (2006 - Present)
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Member, American Society of Anesthesiologists (2004 - Present)
Professional Education
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Board Certification: Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiology (2010)
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Board Certification: Critical Care Medicine, American Board of Anesthesiology (2008)
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Board Certification: Anesthesia, American Board of Anesthesiology (2008)
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Fellowship:The Johns Hopkins Hospital Adult Critical Care Fellowship (2008) MD
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Residency:Massachusetts General Hospital Anesthesiology Residency (2007) MA
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Internship:Newton-Wellesley Hospital Transitional Year (2004) MA
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Medical Education:Harvard Medical School (2003) MA
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PhD, The Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, Clinical Investigations (2013)
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MD, Harvard Medical School - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health, Sciences, and Technology Program, Boston, MA, Medicine (2003)
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MSci, The University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, Biomedical Sciences (2001)
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BA, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, Biology (major), Mathematics (minor) (1998)