Thank you for taking a few minutes to go through this report. This year the report highlights a few areas in our department, with the usual detailed information placed as appendices. Please share with colleagues in your department, so they too can celebrate the successes of our colleagues as well as hopefully understand this diverse department a little better.
Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Annual Report 2017
Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Seminar: Dr. Zheng Xie, M.D., Ph.D.
Time: Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 11:00 AM.
Venue: IRC 5 lecture hall.
Title: Anesthetic Mechanisms: From molecules to humans
Dr. Zheng , M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
University of Chicago.
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Tens of millions of patients worldwide, from newborn to elderly, receive anesthesia each year. The mechanisms of Anesthetics remain largely unresolved despite significant progress over the past several decades. Recently, evidence has been uncovered suggesting that anesthetics are neurotoxic to the developing brain in animals and possibly in humans. In 2016, the FDA issued a warning about the potential long-term risks to cognitive functions in children who receive multiple or prolonged anesthesia during their early life (<3 year of age or during the third trimester of pregnancy of their mothers). Anesthetics may also cause significant deterioration in the cognitive functions of elderly patients. It is critically important for us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of anesthetic effects and related toxicities. My main research goal is to deepen our understanding of anesthetic mechanisms at the molecular level, in animal and human studies. We showed, using electrophysiological and molecular techniques, that anesthetics inhibit neurotransmitter release by interacting with neurotransmitter release machinery in neurons and chromaffin/PC-12 cells. Recently we found that drugs which elevate intracellular cAMP and/or block adenosine receptors could facilitate emergence from isoflurane and propofol anesthesia in rats. In a recent human trial, we reported that caffeine facilitates isoflurane anesthesia emergence in healthy volunteers. Our goal is to translate the current basic research findings to future clinical use in humans. Other ongoing studies involve anesthetic effects in autistic animal models and drugs which can reduce anesthetic induced neurotoxicity in the developing brain.
Representative publications:
Xie Z, Currie KPM and Fox AP: Etomidate elevates intracellular calcium levels and promotes catecholamine secretion in bovine chromaffin cells. J Physiol. (London) 560.3: 677-690 2004. http://jp.physoc.org/content/560/3/677.full?sid=ef6f9266-c409-49ce-ae35-e3a638e97a56
Xie Z, Herring BE and Fox AP: Excitatory and inhibitory actions of isoflurane in bovine chromaffin cells. J Neurophysiol. 96: 3042-3050 2006. http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/00571.2006v1
Herring BE, Xie Z, Marks J and Fox AP : Isoflurane inhibits the neurotransmitter release machinery via an interaction with syntaxin 1A. J Neurophysiol. 102: 1265 – 1273, 2009. http://jn.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/102/2/1265.pdf
Herring BE, McMillan K, Fox AP and Xie Z: Etomidate and Propofol Inhibit The Neurotransmitter Release Machinery at Different Sites. J Physiol. (London) 589.5, 1103-1115, 2011. http://jp.physoc.org/content/589/5/1103.full.pdf+html?sid=19d7919e-d643-4b4e-9202-6bb6d51e015b.
Xie Z, McMillan K, Wang, Q and Fox, AP: Interaction of anesthetics with SNARE proteins identified with RNAi. J Neurophysiol. 109:758-767, 2013. http://jn.physiology.org/content/109/3/758.full.pdf+html?sid=9a365e95-6050-496e-8312-cd5d358cfbe1
Wang Q, Fong R, Mason P, Fox AP and Xie Z: Caffeine Accelerates Recovery from General Anesthesia. J Neurophysiol. 111: 1331-1340, 2014 http://jn.physiology.org/content/jn/111/6/1331.full.pdf
Research Day 2018 Guest Lecture – Dr Steven Schafer
The 2018 Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Research Day 2018 Guest Lecture is available here
“Clinical Pharmacology – A Journey from Michael Jackson to TensorFlow”
Steven L. Shafer, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University
Adjunct Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF
Dr. Shafer’s professional interests are the clinical pharmacology of intravenous anesthetic drugs, opioids and hypnotics used in anesthetic practice. However, his real passion is not the drugs themselves, but rather the mathematical models that characterize drug behavior. These include conventional pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models, inverse models (used to drive target controlled infusion systems), Bayesian models (used to handle model uncertainty), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models of drug interaction, models of receptor function that help elucidate mechanisms of drug action, and models that relate drug response to “in silico” pharmacogenetics.
APT Department Seminar: Pascal Bernatchez
Dr. Pascal Bernatchez
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
New pharmacological options for heritable aortopathies and muscle disorders: old dog, new tricks?
Genetic aortopathies and muscular dystrophies are two seemingly unrelated groups of diseases with poor management options. Our laboratory has recently shown that cardiovascular medications that target the LDL-cholesterol synthesis pathways and the vasculature, particularly the endothelium, offer untapped therapeutic potential for patients afflicted by these conditions. Using classic and molecular pharmacology principles, we study how these medications mediate their unexpected effects and whether better treatments can be translated to the clinic.
Time: Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 11:00am
Location: Room B151 of School of Population and Public Health (2206 East Mall, UBC)
Hosts: Dr. Pascal Bernatchez pascal.bernatchez@ubc.ca
All are welcome!
Research Day 2018 Keynote speaker: Dr Steven Shafer
Dr. Steven Shafer
Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Stanford University
Clinical Pharmacology: From Michael Jackson to Tensor Flow
Dr. Shafer’s professional interests are the clinical pharmacology of intravenous anesthetic drugs, opioids and hypnotics used in anesthetic practice. However, his real passion is not the drugs themselves, but rather the mathematical models that characterize drug behavior. These include conventional pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models, inverse models (used to drive target controlled infusion systems), Bayesian models (used to handle model uncertainty), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models of drug interaction, models of receptor function that help elucidate mechanisms of drug action, and models that relate drug response to “in silico” pharmacogenetics.
Time: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 6:15pm
Location: Paetzold Auditorium (Jim Pattison Pavilion- Vancouver General Hospital)
Hosts: Dr. Don Griesdale donald.griesdale@ubc.ca Dr. Pascal Bernatchez pascal.bernatchez@ubc.ca
Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill Visiting Professor Lecture – Video
The Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill Visiting Professor Lecture is available here
“Local anesthetics – old drugs with a bright future”
Philipp Lirk, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Attending Anesthesiologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill was one of the first female anesthesiologists in Western Canada in the 1950s. She earned a reputation for taking on difficult cases and became a key figure in developing obstetric anesthesia in BC. After a long career devoted to clinical care, Dr. Hugill was determined to support anesthesia research, which she said she was always interested in but unable to pursue herself. Motivated to facilitate collaborative research between anesthesiologists and pharmacologists, Dr. Hugill left a bequest to the Faculty of Medicine upon her death in 2012, adding to her previous 1991 gift that was matched by the BC Government to establish an endowed Chair in Anesthesia.
Dr. Philipp Lirk obtained his MD from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. After a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he trained in Anesthesia & Critical Care in Innsbruck, and completed an MSc at the University of Cardiff (UK). In 2010, Dr. Lirk was appointed to the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, where he served as Head of Regional Anesthesia. In 2015, he earned a PhD at the University of Amsterdam with work on the pharmacology of local anesthetics. In 2017, Dr. Lirk moved to Boston to work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and currently divides his time between research on local anesthetics and anesthesia care for orthopedics & trauma. He is an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Anaesthesiology; member of the European Society of Anaesthesiology’s Scientific Subcommittee on Regional Anesthesia; and member of the PROSPECT Working group of the European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy.
Dr Roanne Preston reappointed as Head of Anesthesiology Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Announcement:
We would like to congratulate Dr Roanne Preston on being reappointed in her role as the head of Anesthesiology Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Dr Preston has demonstrated strong leadership in fostering excellence and innovation in education, research and health care. We are very pleased that she will continue in her role to June 30th, 2022.
2017/18 Annual Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill Visiting Professor Lecture
The UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics
is proud to announce the 2017/18 annual
Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill Visiting Professor Lecture
“Local anesthetics – old drugs with a bright future”
Philipp Lirk, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School
Attending Anesthesiologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 6:00 pm
Vancouver General Hospital, Jimmy Pattison Pavilion, Third Floor, Room JPPN 3414
910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
A reception with light refreshments will be held prior to the lecture at 5:30 pm (JPPN 3336).
Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill was one of the first female anesthesiologists in Western Canada in the 1950s. She earned a reputation for taking on difficult cases and became a key figure in developing obstetric anesthesia in BC. After a long career devoted to clinical care, Dr. Hugill was determined to support anesthesia research, which she said she was always interested in but unable to pursue herself. Motivated to facilitate collaborative research between anesthesiologists and pharmacologists, Dr. Hugill left a bequest to the Faculty of Medicine upon her death in 2012, adding to her previous 1991 gift that was matched by the BC Government to establish an endowed Chair in Anesthesia.
Dr. Philipp Lirk obtained his MD from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. After a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he trained in Anesthesia & Critical Care in Innsbruck, and completed an MSc at the University of Cardiff (UK). In 2010, Dr. Lirk was appointed to the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, where he served as Head of Regional Anesthesia. In 2015, he earned a PhD at the University of Amsterdam with work on the pharmacology of local anesthetics. In 2017, Dr. Lirk moved to Boston to work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and currently divides his time between research on local anesthetics and anesthesia care for orthopedics & trauma. He is an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Anaesthesiology; member of the European Society of Anaesthesiology’s Scientific Subcommittee on Regional Anesthesia; and member of the PROSPECT Working group of the European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy.
Host: Dr. Stephan Schwarz, UBC Dr. Jean Templeton Hugill Chair in Anesthesia.
This lecture will be broadcasted live to various hospital sites, including the following:
NRGH 2053, RJH CA 011, VGH 1914, UHNBC 5030, RH 1763, LGH 2506, and RCH 017.
How to attend remotely: Note: Use a computer. Mobile devices (smart phones, tablets) are not supported.
1. Web browser: In Chrome browser, go to http://meet.vc.ubc.ca and enter the 5 digit conference/bridge ID, 30303. For instructions and troubleshooting, see the Web Browser User Guide. 2. Skype for Business: enter 30303@vc.ubc.ca to join the meeting. Note: Your personal Skype is not compatible with Skype for Business. Refer to the troubleshooting guide. 3. Telephone (Audio-bridge): Dial the toll-free phone number, 1-844-521-0666, followed by the 5 digit ID (30303), followed by #.
Dr. Andrew Horne appointed as the Program Director, Vancouver Summer Program
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Andrew Horne as Program Director, Vancouver Summer Program, UBC Faculty of Medicine (FOM) for a three-year period, effective March 1, 2018.
Dr. Horne earned his honours bachelor’s degree in pharmacology and doctorate in physiology from UBC. He is a Senior Instructor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. As instructor and director of the department’s VSP course package, he has been involved with the Faculty of Medicine’s Vancouver Summer Program since its inception in 2014. He brings expert knowledge and a wealth of experience to the role of Program Director, VSP, where he will ensure alignment of the program’s activities with the strategic priorities and plan of the Faculty of Medicine. Working closely with the FoM VSP leadership team, he will develop appropriate and sound guidelines, policies and procedures, regularly review the program to enhance course package content and identify strategic opportunities, and provide overall program oversight of the quality of the international student experience.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Andrew Horne to his new role in the UBC Faculty of Medicine.