Brian Bateman named new chair of Anesthesiology Department

Brian Bateman, MD, one of the nation’s foremost experts on the use of pain medication during pregnancy, has been appointed chair of Stanford Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine.

Bateman assumed the new role Oct. 15, having most recently served as the chief of obstetric anesthesia and vice chair for faculty development in anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was also an associate professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

“As a gifted clinician-scientist and prominent health care leader, Dr. Bateman is uniquely qualified to further elevate our nationally recognized department of anesthesiology,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine. “We are delighted have him at Stanford, bringing along with him years of experience in promoting diversity and faculty development.”

Bateman, who is also a professor in the department, has published extensively on the use of opioids during pregnancy and its consequences, the safety of cardiovascular medications in pregnancy, predictors of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, and medication safety in the perioperative period. He serves as chair of the Food and Drug Administration’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Product Advisory Committee.

Throughout his career Bateman has prioritized recruitment of diverse faculty and the mentorship of junior faculty members, especially women and people from groups underrepresented in medicine, Minor said. Bateman has also contributed to national health policy through various advisory roles with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Joint Commission, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I’m very excited about this new opportunity to lead what is clearly one of the best anesthesiology departments in the world,” Bateman said. “It has tremendous depth and excellence in all areas of the academic mission, from clinical care to innovation and research. My role will be to further build from this position of strength and excellence.”

A personal connection

Bateman’s interest in obstetrics began during medical school when his wife, Stephanie White-Bateman, MD, gave birth to twin boys in the hospital where he was conducting his clinical rounds.

“We were in medical school together at Columbia University,” Bateman said. “I was doing my obstetrics rotation while my wife was a patient. I was experiencing the family perspective while training.”

Bateman, who grew up in Florida, received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in religious studies and a medical degree from Columbia University. He also has a master’s in epidemiology from the Harvard University School of Public Health. His wife, a psychiatrist, will work at Stanford as well. The couple’s sons are now 17 years old.

Ronald Pearl, MD, PhD, the Dr. Richard K. and Erika N. Richards Professor, chaired the anesthesiology department from 1999 until Bateman assumed the role.

 “I want to recognize the brilliance, vision and dedication of Ronald Pearl,” Minor said. “His exemplary leadership for the past two decades transformed the department into one of the premier programs in the world.”