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Anesthesia • June 10, 2024
Sara Neves, MD, Program Director for the BIDMC Anesthesia Residency Program, received a two-year grant (50,000/year) from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) for her study, “Developing Automaticity in Invasive Procedures: Novel Application of an Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) Simulator. This innovative study will test VR-based training against mannequin- based training for invasive procedures such as venous line placements to see if it can shorten the learning curve for trainees. Since these procedures can have adverse events for patients effective training is important. Mannequin training makes it difficult to simulate the stress and patient variability in the clinical environment, while VR based training is more flexible. The study will randomize first-year anesthesia residents into two groups, VR training and mannequin training, and evaluate the performance to determine if VR training is superior, equal or less effective.
Jessica Cassavaugh, MD, PhD, has received a two-year grant ($80,000/year) from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) for her study “Estrogen, Inflammation and Metabolic Health; Estrogen Dependent Signaling is Protective in Metabolic Disease.” This study will investigate the impact of estrogen on the progression of metabolic disorders, particular metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD is linked to increased mortality, particularly among intensive care patients, and is becoming the primary reason for liver transplantation. Aging women face a higher risk of MASLD-associated cardiovascular disease, and this study will investigate the interplay between estrogen and the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a recognized mediator of steatosis, as it relates to inflammation and metabolic strain. The results will provide the foundation for future research into MASLD and possible targets for interventions to prevent this condition.
