The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Scientific Evaluation Committee is pleased to announce the APSF Grant recipients and named awards. The program’s objective is to stimulate and fund studies that will clearly improve patient safety and lead to prevention of mortality and morbidity resulting from anesthesia mishaps.
2024
Caoimhe Duffy, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Grant Title: Resilience Training to Prevent Intubation Harm: The One Safe Act-Airway Study
Award: 2024 APSF/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)
Amount: $300,000
Garrett Burnett, MD
Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Grant Title: Pulse Oximetry Accuracy and Skin Pigmentation in Congenital Heart Disease: A Prospective Observational Study
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $149,999
Matteo Parotto, MD, PhD
Anesthesia & Pain Management
University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital
Grant Title: EXtubation related complications – an international observational study To Understand the impact and BEst practices in the operating room and intensive care unit – the EXTUBE study
Award: APSF/American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) President’s Research Award
Amount: $149,999
Award: Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
2023
Meghan Michael, MD
Associate Professor of Neuroanesthesia in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Grant Title: A Structured Communication and Team Training Program to Improve Perioperative Patient Safety
Award: 2023 APSF/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)
Amount: $300,000
Annery Garcia-Marcinkiewicz, MD, MSCE
Anesthesiology & Critical Care
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania
Grant Title: Nasotracheal Intubation with Videolaryngoscopy versus Direct Laryngoscopy in Infants (NasoVISI) Trial
Award: APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Amount: $149,119
Peter Schulman, MD
Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
Oregon Health & Science University
Grant Title: Electromagnetic Interference with an Underbody Dispersive Electrode in Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Undergoing Surgery
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $150,000
Award: Ellison C. “Jeep” Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
2022
Stephen Choi MD, FRCPC, MSc
Perioperative Brain Health Centre
University of Toronto
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Grant Title: Redesigning the surgical pathway: optimizing PReOperative assessMent in anesthesia clinic for adulT surgical patients (PROMoTE)
Award: APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Amount: $150,000
Vesela Kovacheva, MD PhD
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Mass General Brigham
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Grant Title: Development of Novel Machine Learning Tool to Predict Risk for Severe Maternal Morbidity and Optimize Anesthesiology Resources
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $149,998
Award: Ellison C. “Jeep” Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
Paloma Toledo, MD, MPH
Department of Anesthesiology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Grant Title: Iron Deficiency Anemia: Developing and Implementing an Intervention to Treat this Preventable Cause of Maternal Morbidity
Amount: $149,592
2021
Jonathan M. Tan, MD, MPH, MBI, CMQ
Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC)
Grant Title: The Impact of Air Pollution and Neighborhood-Level Risk Factors on Pediatric Perioperative Respiratory Adverse Events
Award: 2021 APSF/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)
Amount: $300,000
Karen Domino, MD, MPH
Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Research
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
University of Washington
Grant Title: Development and Testing of a Trigger Tool to Identify Cases at Risk of Adverse Events in Non-Operating Room Anesthesia (NORA)
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $144,879
Award: Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
May Pian-Smith, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Grant Title: Trust between surgeons and anesthesiologists: Developing and implementing a qualitative method to identify keys to relationship and teamwork success
Award: APSF/ASA Presidents Research Award
Amount: $149,601
2020
Brian Bensadigh, MD, MBA
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, CA
Grant Title: Perioperative Patient Safety Curriculum for Anesthesia Trainees
Award: 2020 Patient Safety Movement Foundation and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Patient Safety Curriculum Award (PSCA)
Amount: $100,000
Timothy G. Gaulton, M.D., M.Sc.
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Grant Title: Mapping the Epidemiology of Perioperative Driving Safety and Behavior
Award: 2020 APSF/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)
Amount: $300,000
Sheila Riazi, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto
Grant Title: A Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Test for Malignant Hyperthermia
Award: APSF/ASA Presidents Research Award
Amount: $137,449
Award: Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
Scott Segal, MD, MHCM
Thomas H. Irving Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Grant Title: Development of Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict Difficult Airway Management
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $150,000
2019
Alexander Arriaga, MD, MPH, ScD
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Grant Title: Increasing the Frequency of Debriefing After Perioperative Crises: Altering Trajectories that Impact Provider Burnout and Wellness
Award: 2019 APSF/FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG)
Amount: $300,000
Arnoley Abcejo, MD
Mayo Clinic Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Grant Title: Neurocognitive Dysfunction after Anesthesia in Patients with Recent Concussion
Award: APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Amount: $150,000
Award: Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Amount: $5,000
Matthias Walz, MD
UMass Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Grant Title: Older Adult Safety in Surgery (OASIS) – Can a Preoperative Walking Prescription Bolstered by Pedometer and Remote Physical Therapist Coaching Improve Stamina and Mobility in Frail Older Adult Surgical Patients?
Award: APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Amount: $144,185
Nicholas Davis, MD
Columbia University Department of Anesthesiology
Grant Title: Ultrasound evaluation of gastric emptying time in neonates and infants
Award: APSF/ASA Presidents Research Award
Amount: $149,993
2018
John E. Fiadjoe, M.D.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Grant Title: The Videolaryngoscopy in Small Infants (VISI) Trial. A four-site study to evaluate the use of non-angulated video laryngoscopes to assess first-pass success in infants 12 months and under
$149,702
APSF/Medtronic Research Award
$5,000
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Randy W. Loftus, M.D.
University of Iowa Hospitals
Grant Title: Reducing Perioperative S. aureus Transmission via use of an Evidence-Based, Multimodal Program Continually Optimized by Innovative Surveillance (OR PathTrac)
$150,000
APSF/ASA Presidents’ Research Award
2017
Seth T. Herway, MD
University of California, San Diego
Grant Title: An insidious cause of postoperative weakness: Peripheral stores of neurouscular blocking agents caused by unrecognized extravasaton when injected distal to a NIBP cuff
$149,976
APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Michael A. Mazzeffi, MD, MPH
University of Maryland
Grant Title: High-flow nasal cannula oxygen in patients having anesthesia for endoscopy
$150,000
APSF/ASA Endowed Reserach Award
Daniel I. Sessler, MD
Department of Outcomes Research, Cleveland Clinic
Grant Title: A randomized, blinded trial of continuous postoperative hemodynamic and saturation monitoring
$150,000
APSF/Medtronic Research Award
Janet M. van Vlymen, MD
Queen’s University/Kingston, Ontario
Grant Title: Can healthcare-associated hepatitis C virus outbreaks occur when intravenous medication vials are accessed with clean needles and syringes for use in multiple patients?
$148,235
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
2016
Jean Wong, MD, FRCP
Toronto Western Hospital
Grant Title: Prevention of Delirium in Elderly with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
$149,000
APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr. MD Merit Award
Sallie J. Weaver, PhD
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Grant Title: Development and Evaluation of an Online Improvement Implementation Course for Anesthesiology Trainees
$148,374
APSF/ASA Endowed Resarch Award
Amanda R. Burden, MD
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Grant Title: Emergency manual use: A training program for the reader
$75,000 for each year of two year grant
APSF Safety Scientist Career Development Award (July 2016-June 2018)
Ankeet D. Udani, MD
Duke University
Grant Title: A comparison of two learining theories on emergency manual use: Classroom based experiential learning versus electronic-based self-directed learning
$75,000 for each year of two year grant
APSF Safety Scientist Career Development Award (July 2016-June 2018)
2015
Richard D. Urman, MD, MBA
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Grant Title: Using Emergency Manuals During Interprofessional Crisis Management: Are There Unintended Consequences?
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD, Merit Award
Quinn L. Johnson, MD, MBA
University of Missouri
Grant Title: Does Optimized General Anesthesia Care Reduce Postoperative Delerium in Older Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Repair?
APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Jodi D. Sherman, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
Grant Title: Environmengtal and Public Health Impactgs of Anesthesia Alternatives
2014
Scott C. Watkins,MD
Vanderbilt University
Grant Title: The Effect of Technical and Non-Technical Decision Support Tools on Team Performance in Simulated Pediatric Cases
APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Karthik Raghunathan, MD, MPH
Duke University Medical Center
Grant Title: Comparative Safety of Different Types of IV Fluids for Resuscitation in the OR and ICU: An Applied Pharmacologic Approach
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Karl Hammermeister, MD
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Grant Title: Neuromuscular Blockade and Perioperative Outcomes
APSF/Covidien Research Award
Deborah Culley, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Grant Title: Preoperative Cognitive Status in Elderly Surgical Patients: Feasibility of Routine Screening and Utility for Predicting Morbidity
Meghan B. Lane-Fall, MD, MSPH
Perlman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Grant Title: Handoffs and Transitons in Critical Care
$75,000 for each year of two year grant
APSF Safety Scientist Career Development Award (July 2014-June 2016)
Andrew Bowdle, MD, PhD
University of Washington School of Medicine
Grant Title: Study of the Implementation and Performance of the APSF Pre-anesthetic Induction Patient Safety (PIPS) Checklist
APSF Award based on Request for Proposal
2013
Leanne Groban, MD
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Grant Title: Does Preoperative Assessment of Nutritional Status, Mobility and Frailty Among Geriatric Patients Predict Early Postoperative Morbid Events?
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Noa Segall, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
Grant Title: Forgetting to Remember: Prospective Memory Error as an Unexplored Patient Safety Issue
APSF/ASA President’s Research Award
The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky, MD Research Award
Richard R. McNeer, MD, PhD
University of Miami
Grant Title: Investigation into the Reduction of Alarm/Listener Fatigue
APSF/Masimo Foundation Research Award
Lara Brewer, PhD
University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Grant Title: Reducing Postoperative Respiratory Events Through Low-Cost Detection and Prompting for Patient Self-Rescue
APSF/Covidien Research Award
2012
Miriam M. Treggiari, MD
University of Washington
Grant Title: Extubation Safety Quality Initiative Project-ESQIP
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD
Vanderbilt University
Grant Title: Enhancing Perioperative Safety Through the Determination of Intraoperative Predictors of Post-opertative Deterioration
APSF/Covidien Research Award
The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky Research Award
Vidya Chidambaran, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Grant Title: Opioid Safety in Children: Evaluation of Continuous Capnography Monitoring and Prediction of Susceptibility to Respiratory Depression
$75,000 for each year of two year grant
APSF Safety Scientist Career Development Award (July 2012-June 2014)
2011
Charles W. Hogue, Jr., MD
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Grant Title: Assessing Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation in the Head-up vs. Supine Position During General Anesthesia and its Relationship with Postoperative Neurocognitive Changes and Serum Biomarkers of Brain Injury
APSF Award/Request for Proposal to Study the Semi-Sitting Position and Cerebral Ischemia
Anne Miller, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Grant Title: Embedding Safety-Related Evidence-Based Protocols into Routine Practice
APSF/Covidien Research Award*
Andreas Taenzer, MD
Dartmouth Medical School
Grant Title: Examination of Respiratory Rate Monitoring as a Patient Surveillance Paameter for Inpatient Populations
APSF/ASA President’s Endowed Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Eric You-Ten, MD, PhD
University of Toronto
Grant Title: A Prospective Observational Study to Determine the Prognostic Value of Noninvasive Computed Tomography Coronary Angiogram for Cardiac Risk Stratification in Noncardiac Surgery-Role of the 320 Row Multidetector
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky MD Research Award
2010
Richard H. Blum, MD, MSE
Boston Children’s Hospital
Grant Title: Assessing Performance of First Year Anesthesia Residents to Ensure Minimum Competence
APSF/ASA President’s Endowed Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Ashraf S. Habib, MB, BCh
Duke University Medical Center
Grant Title: Computerized Surveillance of Opioid-Related Adverse Drug Events in the Postoperative Period
APSF/Covidien Research Award*
Stuart McCluskey, MD
University of Toronto
Grant Title: Virtual Anesthesia: An Online Simulation of Intraoperative Hemodynamic Management in Major Surgical Procedures
Marcin Wasowicz, MD
University of Toronto
Grant Title: The Association Between Platelet Inhibition (Functon) and Periopeartive Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Post-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Patients Undergoing Non-cardiac surgery Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery
APSF/Eisai Research Award
Guy L. Weinberg, MD
University of Illinois
Grant Title: Developing an Educational Tool for Managing Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky MD Research Award
2009
Ehab S. Farag, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Grant Title: Effects of Lactated Ringer’s Solution versus Albumin and Alpha-2 Agonist Brimonidine versus Placebo on Intraocular Pressure During Prone Spine Surgery
APSF/Eisai Research Award
Randolph H. Hastings, MD, PhD
Veterans Administration, San Diego, CA
Grant Title: Educational Value of an Adjustable and Life-Like Laryngoscopy Simulator
APSF/Covidien Research Award*
Randy W. Loftus, MD
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Grant Title: Assessment of Routine Intraoperative Horizontal Transmission of Potentially Pathogenic Bacterial Organisms and Associated Morbidity and Mortality
APSF/Anesthesia Healthcare Partners Research Award
Anahi Perlas, MD
University of Toronto
Grant Title: Gastric Ultrasonography: A Noninvasive Tool to Determine Gastric Volume
APSF/ASA President’s Endowed Research Award
The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky MD Research Award
Daniel Raemer, PhD
Harvard Medical School
Grant Title: Challenging Others in the Operating Room: Testing an Educational Patient Safety Initiative for Anesthesia Faculty
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Dwayne R. Westenskow, PhD
University of Utah
Grant Title: User Interface to Prevent Intravenous Infusion Pump Errors
Cardinal Health Foundation Research Award
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
2008
Asokumar Buvanendran, MD
Rush University Medical Center
Grant Title: Patients after Minor Surgery with Monitored Anesthesia Care: Is it Safe to Drive?
Thomas J. Ebert, MD, PhD
Medical College of Wisconsin
Grant Title: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Adverse Perioperative Outcomes
APSF/ASA Endowed Research Award
Zeev Friedman, MD
University of Toronto
Grant Title: Evaluation of an Anatomically Guided, Logically Formulated Airway Measure to Predict Difficult Intubations
Benjamikn A. Kohl, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Grant Title: Identifying a Novel Mechanism for Perioperative Hyperglycemia in Cardiac Surgery: A Role for Incretins
APSF/Merck and Company Research Award*
Jacqueline M. Leung, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Grant Title: Pathophysiology of Postoperative Delirium
APSF/Anesthesia Healthcare Partners Research Award
David J. Murray, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
Grant Title: Web-based Program for Ultrasound Training
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
Mark D. Rollins, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Grant Title: Supplemental Oxygen: A Reduction in Pulse Oximetry Sensitivity or an Increased Margin of Safety?
Cardinal Health Foundation Research Award
2007
Kirk Hogan, MD, JD
University of Wisconsin
Grant Title: Anesthetic and Surgical Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease in Adult Children of Patients with Alzeheimer’s Disease
APSF/Anesthesia Healthcare Partners Research Award
Karen J. Roetman, MD
Virginia Mason Medical Center
Grant Title: Safety of Postoperative Opioid Analgesia in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What are the Risks and How can the Risks be Safely Managed?
Cardinal Health Foundation Research Award
Jenny W. Rudolph, PhD
Boston University School of Public Health
Grant Title: Does a Standardized Electronic Protocol for Anesthesia Handoffs Improve Information Transfer to Reduce the Potential for Adverse Events?
Jason Slagle
Vanderbilt University
Grant Title: The Impact of Performance-Shaping Factors on Anesthesia Care Task Distribution, Vigilance, Workload and Non-routine Events
Greg Stratmann, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Grant Title: Effectiveness of Three Clinically Applicable Strategies to Improve the Safety of Neonatal Anesthesia Neonatal Anesthesia
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
2006
Martin J. London, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Grant Title: Perioperative Pharmacologic Prophylaxis for Cardiovascular Events in the Department of Veterans Affairs: A Pharmacoepidemiologic Pilot Project
APSF/Anesthesia Healthcare Partners Research Award
Melanie C. Wright, PhD
Duke University Medical Center
Grant Title: Objective Measures of Performance in Simulated Anesthesia: A Comparison of Novices and Experts
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., MD Merit Award
*partial support of a fully funded named grant