Anesthesiology Research

Overview

The CU Department of Anesthesiology Research Division is ranked in the top 15 U.S. anesthesiology research departments that receive funding through extramural grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD) and various non-profit foundations. Research is a vital component of the department’s mission, elevating the ability to further evidence-based clinical care. Our nationally-ranked and nationally-funded research programs focus on understanding the mechanisms of neurological and heart disease, pain and anesthetic toxicity. 

We have a mix of basic scientists and clinical anesthesiologists working together to address important clinical/translational research questions. Our primary investigators are highly collaborative and their research programs are at the forefront of science and attract significant funding.

Facts & Figures

Research Expertise

Current research is focused on basic and translational science related to anesthesia disciplines. Faculty research expertise includes:

• Anesthetic mechanisms of action
• Synaptic plasticity due to anesthetic exposure and pain
• Cannabinoid toxicology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Opioid toxicology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Neurovascular disease, vascular dementia, cerebral ischemia
• Immunology
• Energy metabolism, mitochondrial metabolism
• mTOR pathway
• Novel interventions to improve patient outcomes in perioperative medicine
• Circadian and light elicited protein Period 2 (PER2) in anesthesia
  

Research Collaborations

The Anschutz Medical Campus was designed to facilitate research collaborations. Many anesthesiology faculty collaborate extensively with other CU Anschutz departments, labs and programs. 

Faculty affiliations include (but are not limited to): 

• Neuronal Injury Program
• Flow Cytometry Shared Resource within the University of Colorado Cancer Center
• School of Bioengineering
• Combat Scholar Program
• iC42
  

Contact Us

If you have questions about a Department of Anesthesiology research program, investigator or lab, please contact:

Department of Anesthesiology – Research Division
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
12801 E. 17th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045 | Mail Stop 8130
Email: ANES_Communications@CUAnschutz.edu