Padma Gulur, MD, a physician-scientist and nationally recognized leader in pain management, has been named the head of the Department of Anesthesiology and the inaugural Alex S. Evers MD Distinguished Professor in Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her appointment begins Aug. 1.
Gulur comes to WashU Medicine from Duke University, where she is the interim chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and a professor of Anesthesiology and Population Health Sciences. She also is the director of pain management strategy and opioid surveillance for Duke University Health System. Her appointment was announced by David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine.
"Dr. Gulur has made transformative contributions to pain management and, by identifying opportunities to change the trajectory of pain outcomes for patients, has developed programs to ensure access to high-quality pain treatment while minimizing the risk of opioid misuse," said Perlmutter. "Under Dr. Gulur's leadership, WashU Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology - a global leader in clinical care, education, clinical and basic research applied to anesthesia, and critical care and pain medicine - has enormous potential to further advance patient care and the frontiers of medical science."
As a pain specialist, Gulur has developed methods to identify patients at risk for poor pain outcomes and developed interventions to improve pain management. She established two nationally adopted care models. One optimizes pain management after surgery and during hospital stays, when people are at high risk for opioid use, chronic pain and addiction. The other care model is a community-based program to identify at-risk patients early to prevent worsening pain and the need for more intensive pain treatments.
Gulur's early research as a physician-scientist resulted in patented technologies to ensure safer dispensing of opioids, thereby reducing the medications' risks. Her research program now focuses on alternative pain treatments that reduce an over reliance on opioids, such as green light therapy - a non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to manage pain.
"I am honored to lead the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine," said Gulur. "The department's strengths in clinical care, discovery and education, combined with WashU's deeply collaborative culture, create extraordinary opportunities for advancement. I look forward to working with the exceptional faculty, staff and trainees to further elevate our impact across all missions."
