UNC Anesthesiology Research

We believe the majority of time during a residency must be devoted to clinical training and education if one is to achieve the strong foundations in techniques, acute medical care, general medicine, and pediatrics. The department does, however, encourage residents to initiate and participate in clinical research projects during the four years of clinical training. This experience sharpens one's ability to review critically and understand published reports of research.

Residents interested in basic research have the option of extending their training period by six months to one year or by participating in the Clinical Scientist Track of the CA-3 year. Our department has a significant investment in well-equipped research facilities which are staffed by experienced technicians. Residents pursuing research endeavors can expect strong support from faculty, particularly in areas of pharmacology and physiology.

The Neurochemistry Section of the Department of Anesthesiology is conceived as a basic science support group to aid residents and faculty in pursuit of the answers to clinical questions and research opportunities. A strong core of basic scientists bring a wide range of expertise in animal models of disease, the neurochemical bases of CNS responses to drugs (anesthetics, analgesics, and psychoactive agents), normal neuronal mechanisms, and statistical planning and evaluation. They and their colleagues possess experience in the measurement of neural activity drug levels, neurotransmitters, neuromodulatory peptides, and genomic influences on neuronal sensitivity to anesthetics and drugs. The basic science research faculty along with clinical faculty mentors will structure the Clinical Scientist Track for resident participants and thus provide daily supervision and assistance in their prospective research projects. This alliance of basic science research faculty and clinical faculty mentors facilitates the generation of basic research protocols and contributes to the resolution of faculty research initiatives. In addition, this balanced approach to departmental research facilitates protocol preparation and searches for funding sources by faculty investigators.