Research Opportunities

The Department of Anesthesiology offers a wide array of research opportunities and topics to foster residents’ research interests. This wide array of research opportunities allows residents to complete the ACGME-required academic project in an area of their interest.

Each resident must complete at least one academic assignment, usually occurring before the final 24 months of training, and it is encouraged that residents complete an academic assignment each year of training. Academic projects may include grand rounds presentations, preparation and publication of review articles, book chapters, manuals for teaching or clinical practice, or similar academic activities. Alternatively, a resident may elect to participate in one or more clinical or laboratory investigations.

The ACGME Residency Review Committee for Anesthesiology expects that the outcomes of resident investigations will be suitable for presentation at local, regional, or national scientific meetings and that many will result in peer-reviewed abstracts or manuscripts. A faculty supervisor must mentor each project and investigation. Dr. Mulaikal will work with each resident to organize the faculty mentor for each resident, whether it is an academic assignment or a more prolonged research assignment.

The department has expanded the research horizon at Columbia University Medical Center from basic science to clinical science to population science and outcomes research, so that there is enormous breadth and depth of research opportunities available. We rank consistently in the top echelons of departments in NIH funding, and have many NIH-funded physician scientist who are available to mentor our trainees. We have had an NIH T-32 training program for more than 20 years that funds four research fellows on an annual basis.

The type of project that a resident undertakes will, of course, depend on past experience, time, and future plans for the resident. The ABA/ACGME allows six months of research in the CA-3 year, and we encourage this but believe that if possible it is more valuable to undertake a further 12 months of fellowship research training to complete at least 18 months of training. We encourage resident research and fund residents to attend a national meeting if their abstract is accepted for presentation. Our residents have been very successful and have garnered many awards in resident research competitions at annual meetings of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Association of University Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia Research Society, and the New York State Society Post-Graduate Assembly.

Each year, the department sponsors an academic evening to highlight resident/fellow/post-doctoral research during the year. A listing of departmental publications is available here.

In addition, we have an Apgar Scholars Program for residents who are interested in research and an academic career and are willing to commit two years to fellowship training.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Teresa Mulaikal, Program Director
tam36@cumc.columbia.edu

Dr. Ansgar Brambrink, Chair
amb2457@cumc.columbia.edu

Dr. Charles Emala, Vice Chair for Research
cwe5@cumc.columbia.edu