2026 Annual Meeting
Discovery, Mentorship and Adaptive Learning in an Evolving Healthcare Environment
Friday, March 27, 2026 to Sunday, March 29, 2026
The University of Washington Husky Union Building (HUB) – Seattle, Washington
(4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195 – Directions)
Key Dates to Add to your Calendar:
- Abstracts will be open for submission: July 2025 – November 2, 2025
- Lodging Opens: July 2025
- Registration Opens: October 2025
- Deadline to book your lodging: February 24, 2026 (or when block sells out)
- Annual Meeting: Friday, March 27, 2026 to Sunday, March 29, 2026
We look forward to seeing you in Seattle!
Registration Fees
- AUA Members = $350.00
- Non-Members = $400.00
- Non-Member Trainee = $150.00
- President's Reception Guest = $55.00
Agenda
Discovery, Mentorship and Adaptive Learning in an Evolving Healthcare Environment
Friday, March 27, 2026
Pre-Meeting Event: Fundamentals of Professional Mentoring
11:00AM - 3:00PM
Harriet W. Hopf, MD
Susan Martinelli, MD, FASA
Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD, MBA
This training program will give mentors the basic skills to serve as an effective mentor and is geared toward individuals who are currently mentors and would like to improve their mentoring effectiveness. This program is not specific to research mentoring, although research mentors may gain important insights about the process of mentoring in general. We encourage all AUA members to take advantage of this opportunity as you all serve as mentors in at least one capacity. There is no additional fee to participate, but advance registration is required.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Sessions to include: Keynote, Panels, Awards, Poster Sessions and Annual Member Reception and Dinner.
This year's Annual Member Reception and Dinner will be held at the Burke Museum with private access to their galleries.
Breakfast
7:00AM - 8:00AM
President's Welcome Address
8:00AM - 8:15AM
Dolores B. Njoku, MD
Keynote: Don't Stop Believin': Navigating the Mid-Career Science Journey
8:15AM - 9:15AM
Julie Bastarache, MD
Professor of Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology; Assistant Vice President for Clinical & Translational Scientist Development; Director, Edge for Scholars; Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine; Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Educational Advisory Board Panel: The Evolution of Medical Education
9:15AM - 10:15AM
Moderator: Arna Banerjee
Elizabeth "Lisa" Sinz
Larry Chu
EAB Awards Presentation (Education Research Award; Education Innovation Award)
10:15AM - 10:30AM
Break and Discussion Time
10:30AM - 11:00AM
Host Program
11:00AM - 12:30PM
The Art of Healing: Poetic Inquiry and Creative Methodologies in Medicine
Heidi van Rooyen, PhD
William H. Foege Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Global Health, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, University of Washington
This presentation explores poetic inquiry and other arts-based methods as transformative approaches to healing, research, and social justice in medicine. Drawing from Arts, Power, and Health: Critical Arts-Based Methods for Global Health, I position poetic inquiry as both a form of research and a political response—a means of attending to pain, inequality, and care through creative expression. Arts-based programs in medicine engage participants’ innate creativity to alleviate suffering, foster empathy, and strengthen connection. By integrating poetry, music, performance, and storytelling into medical education and practice, such approaches revitalize relationships between clinicians and patients, enrich institutional cultures, and open new ways of knowing. This talk invites reflection on how the arts can help medicine listen differently, act ethically, and care more deeply.
An overview of Microsoft's Philanthropic AI for Health Program and the Promise and Peril of AI in Healthcare
William B. Weeks, MD, PhD, MBA
Director, AI for Health, AI for Good Lab, Microsoft
At the conclusion of this presentation learners will:
- Appreciate how the AI for Good Lab works with partners to use AI to address the world’s biggest challenges in healthcare.
- Understand how AI can be applied to improve health and healthcare, worldwide, and particularly for the underserved and vulnerable.
- Articulate the challenges inherent in applying AI in healthcare settings.
Lunch and Networking
12:30PM - 1:00PM
Poster Session
1:00PM - 2:00PM
Oral Abstract Presentations
2:00PM - 2:45PM
SAB Awards Presentation (Top Abstracts)
2:45PM - 3:00PM
Scientific Advisory Board Panel: Funding Your Research Program: There's More Than One Fish in the Sea
3:00PM - 4:15PM
3:00PM - 3:20PM: Federal Funding
3:20PM - 3:40PM: Industry Funding
3:40PM - 4:00PM: Foundations Funding
4:00PM - 4:15PM: Other Funding
LAB Awards Presentation (Mentoring Award; IDEAL Award)
4:15PM - 4:30PM
MEB Awards Presentation (Lifetime Achievement Award; Active Member of the Year; Rising Star – Associate Member of the Year Award)
4:30PM - 4:45PM
Membership Reception, Dinner & Night at the Burke Museum
6:00PM - 9:00PM
There is no additional fee for AUA members to participate. Guest tickets available for $55 each.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Sessions to include: Keynote, Panel and Annual Business Meeting.
Women in Academic Anesthesiology Breakfast Presentation
7:00AM - 8:00AM
All are invited, but please RSVP for headcount with your registration.
Breakfast
7:15AM - 8:15AM
President's Session: Getting to Outcomes: The Accreditation, Teaching and Learning Triad
8:15AM - 9:15AM
Elisa Crouse, MD, MS, FACOG
Senior Vice President for Institutional and Program Accreditation at the ACGME
Leadership Advisory Board Panel: Why Mentorship, Coaching, and Sponsorship Matter to Your Academic Career
9:15AM - 10:15AM
Moderator: Ted Sakai, MD, PhD, MHA, FASA
Robert Whittington, MD
Zarah Antongiorgi, MD
Joseph Szokol, MD, JD, MBA
Break
10:15AM - 10:45AM
Business Meeting and Open Discussion
10:45AM - 11:15AM
Moderator: Dolores B. Njoku, MD
Lodging Information
The AUA has secured discounted lodging for the 2026 AUA Annual Meeting. You can now make your reservations.
Graduate by Hilton Seattle
4507 Brooklyn Ave NE
Seattle, WA, 98105
(Directions to HUB on Google Maps)
Guest Room Rates: Starting from $199 plus tax
Group Block Closes: February 24, 2026
Book your reservations online here.
Call for Abstracts
The AUA Annual Meeting focuses on academic anesthesiology and accepts scientific abstract submissions. AUA submissions are eligible for Abstract Award presentations, Top Oral Abstract presentation, or as posters to be viewed in person during the AUA meeting.
Note: The AUA Annual Meeting does not accept medically challenging case reports.
Deadlines
July 2025: Abstract site opens
December 3, 2025: Abstract submissions due, 11:59 p.m. EST
January 2026: Abstract submitters receive submission status notification
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