The Department of Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has a long tradition of innovation. This creative impulse has kept the Vanderbilt Anesthesiology Department in the vanguard of clinical discovery, basic science research, and translational application of new knowledge throughout perioperative medicine.
Anesthesiology is a dynamic and rapidly evolving medical specialty. Although the operating room anesthetic of today would be familiar to an anesthesiologist from 20 or 40 years ago, our technology has improved, and our scope of practice has expanded dramatically to incorporate the full arc of perioperative medicine. Simultaneously, the economic and regulatory landscape within which we care for our patients has been fundamentally changing beneath our feet for a generation.
Vanderbilt Anesthesiology has the intellectual agility to maintain equilibrium and thrive in this unstable environment. We get the right people onto the team, create the right systems of practice to provide optimum patient care, and develop innovative technology to improve the capabilities of our clinicians. We train the future leaders of perioperative medicine in research, clinical innovation and patient care, and we put those skills into practice every day.
Our department is characterized by optimism, excitement, talent, and a commitment to work together to improve our knowledge and the care we provide to our patients. We welcome individuals at all levels who share this commitment and our passion for creating the best perioperative science and medicine.
Warren S. Sandberg, MD, PhD
Chair, Department of Anesthesiology
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Chief of Staff, Vanderbilt University Hospital
Professor of Anesthesiology, Surgery and Biomedical Informatics
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Department Achievements
The Department of Anesthesiology is delighted to announce the election of our new 2025-2026 chief residents: Paul Francois, MD, Ian Funk, MD, and Faith Genereux, MD. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming our new chiefs!
Loren Smith, MD, PhD, has been awarded the prestigious VA Merit Award for her grant titled, Acute Kidney Injury-Associated Delirium After Cardiac Surgery in Veterans. This clinical study aims to investigate the intricate relationships between intraoperative inflammation, acute kidney injury, and delirium in veterans undergoing cardiac surgery, thereby contributing to new insights and advancements in veteran healthcare.
Congratulations to Dr. Shravani Durbhakula on receiving the 2025 ASRA Pain Medicine Excellence in Education Award! This prestigious honor recognizes her outstanding contributions to innovative educational content in the field of pain medicine.
We are proud to announce that the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has been ranked fifth in the nation in NIH research funding. Click here to read more.
After serving as the Interim Division Chief of Pain Medicine since November 2023, the Department of Anesthesiology is happy to announce that Amanda Toye, MD, has accepted the role of Division Chief of Pain Medicine. Dr. Toye is an assistant professor and the clinical service chief of Comprehensive Pain Service.
The Department of Anesthesiology is happy to announce that Jeana Havidich, MD, has been appointed as the Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology. Dr. Havidich is an associate professor and assistant vice chair of Quality, Safety and Outcomes (Pediatrics). She's been with the Department since October 2023 when she joined as an associate professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology.
Congratulations to Mias Pretorius, MBChB, MSCI, for being selected as the new VAPIR Associate Director for Quality Improvement and Safety.