Department of Anesthesiology

Dr. Rebecca S. Twersky is the Vice-Chair for Research. The section heads are appointed by the Department Chairman upon the recommendation of the departmental search committee and are responsible to the Chairman. Day-to-day operations of the research laboratories, their equipment and staffing, are the responsibilities of the section heads John Hartung, Ph.D., and Ira Kass, Ph.D.

Dr. Twersky serves as Chairperson of the department's Committee on Research and Publications. The committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing all research protocols and ensuring their compliance with all applicable regulations commensurate with the nature of the project and the subjects involved. After approval by this committee, the projects are submitted to the appropriate Institutional Review Committee.

Faculty mentors have been identified to work with the staff and advise on protocol development, grant applications and scientific presentation. During their senior year of training, residents are encouraged to participate in research projects that interest them.

The Anesthesia Research Laboratories are located on the third, sixth, and eighth floors of SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Collaboration with other laboratories in the university has been established as well as collaboration with anesthesiology departments of other universities. Currently, there are two full-time technicians on staff in the labs.

The in-vitro cerebral research laboratory is fully equipped to record extracellularly and intracellularly from brain cells in-vitro and to measure brain cell metabolite and ion levels. The laboratory has an American Heart Association grant to study the mechanism of anoxic brain damage.

Our in-vivo laboratory is fully equipped for small animal surgery. We have yet to secure outside funding for most projects conducted in this laboratory, but we have obtained funding for several investigations. As promising preliminary data become available, grant applications will be submitted for additional outside funds. Current investigations employ a rat model of focal ischemic stroke that enables us to test the cerebral protective effects of anesthetics and other pharmaceuticals.

Our in-vitro cardiac research laboratory is fully equipped to perform isolated heart studies via the Langendorff method to determine the effect of anesthetics and other agents on cardiac function and to determine their mechanisms of action. We have received some outside funding for this research, and as we continue to publish in this area we will be applying for additional grant monies.

The following is a listing of research projects in which our faculty members are currently engaged:

Research projects for 2008 »

Alexandru Apostol, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology.
The effect of magnesium sulfate on neonatal outcome. Protocol in development.

Audrée A. Bendo, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
The effects of thiopental, propofol and etomidate on regional CBF in critically ill neurosurgical patients by means of laser Doppler flowmetry combined with a cerebrovascular monitoring system: Collaboration with Dr. Juan Botero and Department of Neurosurgery.

Jean Charchaflieh, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Mechanism of anesthetic protection of anoxic brain tissue in the rat hippocampal slice.
Collaboration with Ira Kass, Ph.D.

Joshua Greenspan, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Director, Pain Management Fellowship and Pain Management services
Impact of spinal cord stimulation on quality of life in patients with chronic refractory coronary angina (with Chairman, Dept of Cardiology, Long Island College Hospital).
Effect of spinal cord stimulation on chronic ischemic pain and functional ability in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Both protocols have received IRB approval at LICH.

Ira Kass, PhD
Professor of Anesthesiology and Director, Neurosurgical Anesthesia Laboratory.
Studies relating to the understanding of the cellular mechanisms which lead to anoxic and ischemic brain damage. Devising ways of interrupting the damaging pathways, by focusing on examination of the metabolic, ionic, and electrophysiologic changes during and after anoxia which may trigger the irreversible damage.
Funding: NIH Grant.

Helen V Lauro, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Studies related to pediatric anesthesia- Propofol infusion syndrome in pediatric patients undergoing MRI. Protocol in development.

Rebecca Twersky, MD
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology
Vice-Chair for Research
Preop Beta-Blocker Study- prospective survey of prophylactic perioperative beta-blockade use in clinical practice.
Implementation of perioperative beta-blockade therapy: a randomized, controlled trial. Collaboration with Dr. J Fiadjoe.

Lance Wagner, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Studies related to bloodless anesthesia. Clinical trial for oxygen as a blood substitute.
Protocol to be submitted to IRB.

Gerald Wolf, MD
Professor Emeritus, Dept of Anesthesiology
Research interest in the area of operating room fire safety. His research laboratory is located at the Albert Nerken School of Engineering of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Dr. Wolf's team is extending basic combustion science to the operating room setting. Active projects include endotracheal tube and surgical drape flammability of nitrous oxide, and the implication of volatile anesthetic agents in operating room fires.