Funding Your Research Program–There is More Than One Fish in The SeaBy Christina Pabelick, MD We hope all of you had a great summer! As we are getting closer to the AUA meeting in March 2026, the SAB team is making arrangements for a panel discussion entitled “Funding your research program – there is more than one fish in the sea” (which is also the title of this SAB Winter Newsletter). For this timely panel discussion that will focus on diversifying research and funding strategies, we have engaged some wonderful, experienced speakers and hope to have a lively session with significant audience engagement and interactions. Another focus point will be how SAB can contribute to providing the tools for a successful career for growing the new generation of physician-scientists. As stated previously, there is a growing number of medical students and clinician scientists striving to make a difference within our specialty through their research, education, and innovation efforts. SAB should take the lead in guiding them through the necessary processes to enter anesthesia/perioperative medicine training programs, obtain their first faculty positions, and set themselves on a path to success and professional satisfaction. We are excited to initiate a new effort during the pre-program meeting at AUA, where we will introduce current NIH T32 Directors to present and discuss the current funding environment, and approaches to keep our pipelines robust and engaged. This effort is led by Dr. Mintz from Johns Hopkins University. All of us are inspired by colleagues and even trainees who are making all the difference in anesthesia research. In an effort to highlight physician-scientists within our area from whom we can learn, the Winter Newsletter showcases Dr. Brant Wagener from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Dr Wagener is part of our SAB team. Here is his lab introduction: “The primary, global question that our lab seeks to answer is “how does acute critical illness become chronic critical illness?” When patients become severely critically ill in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), there is ~25% mortality. Of the 75% that survive their stay in the ICU, ~50% will die in the next 1-2 years. Additionally, there is post-ICU cognitive dysfunction that occurs as a result of critical illness, regardless of mortality during the next two years. This mortality and morbidity are costly to patients in terms of their ability to take care of their families and to society in terms of health-care costs, days of work missed, and other burdens. We seek to understand why patients who survive acute critical illness have ongoing morbidity and mortality that severely impair their life and society at-large. Our lab uses a variety of patient biosamples along with clinical data and basic science research to answer these and related questions. First, we are funded by an RF1 from NIA to study how bacterial pneumonia after traumatic brain injury leads to cognitive dysfunction. We hypothesize that amyloids are generated in the lung after pneumonia that traverse to the brain or metastasize in a “prion-like” manner. Second, we are examining infection-independent lung injury that occurs after bacterial pneumonia has been treated. The amyloids that are generated in the lung are cytotoxic and can cause end-organ injury independent of the original infection. Finally, we have created a multiinstitutional group named PRIME-AI (Perioperative Research for Intelligent Modeling and Evaluation with AI) Group, consisting of 5 other institutions, that is externally validating our initial machine learning algorithm to detect unplanned care escalations after PACU discharge.” To learn even more about the Wagener lab, please visit his lab website at www.uab.edu/medicine/anesthesiology/research/labs/wagener-lab. Another initiative the AUA SAB has been working on is to provide the membership with updates regarding the current funding situation and highlights the continued successes of physician-scientists in Anesthesiology. The update below has been provided by Dr. Nicholas Douville, a SAB member from the University of Michigan. Spotlight on Anesthesiology Research: Thriving Amid Turbulence A Surge in Funding, But Shadows Loom Yet, volatility defines the climate. NIH's overall FY2025 budget flatlined at $48.6 billion under a continuing resolution, with a 69% slash to the 21st Century Cures Innovation Account (from $1.1 billion to $127 million). Paylines have plummeted: competing grants funded at just 10-15% (down from 20% in 2024), stalling clinical trials and training. Delays in obligating appropriated funds have also idled projects. For Anesthesiology, this exacerbates a shrinking physician-scientist pipeline: only 26% of R-series grants go to MDs, per a 2022-2024 analysis, with women and early-career faculty underrepresented. Policy ripples compound these woes. Cancellations targeting "non-priority" areas - like climate-health and health disparities research - jeopardize many studies. As one anonymous NIH staffer noted, "Valuable research is lost yearly with odds of winning grants halved since 2024.” Navigating the Storm: Strategies for Resilience Diversification is also key: 40% of top departments now blend NIH with private (e.g., IARS Mentored Awards) and industry sources. Collaborative hubs - like University of Michigan’s Center for Consciousness Science, led by AUA Past President George Mashour, MD, PhD - pool resources for multi-PI grants, boosting success rates. Looking ahead, FY2026 proposals demand bold pivots that emphasize alignment with NIH’s changing priorities, which include chronic diseases. For example, AUA member Eric Sun, an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University, received funding to investigate postoperative outcomes in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias undergoing surgery, with the goal of developing personalized risk assessment models and evidence-based guidelines to optimize clinical decision-making, reduce complications, and enhance overall health outcomes for this vulnerable population. In this crucible, AUA members exemplify grit. This resilience shines in AUA-supported mentorship programs, which have empowered early-career investigators to refine grant proposals, secure foundation funding as bridges, and elevate funding portfolios, fostering a culture of perseverance that has driven sustained academic productivity and breakthroughs in perioperative medicine. A big thank you to the AUA leadership and to all of you, the AUA membership, for continuing to actively push for academic anesthesiology and perioperative medicine research at personal, institutional, national and international levels. As a field, we are uniquely positioned to remain strong during these interesting times, and AUA and the SAB are here to help and encourage everyone. Author
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