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Dr. Farshad M. Ahadian is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Medical Director of the UC San Diego Center for Pain Medicine. A board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist, he is internationally recognized for his expertise in interventional pain management, radiofrequency neurotomy, spinal diagnostics and therapeutics, neurostimulation, and medical acupuncture. Since assuming leadership of the Center for Pain Medicine in 2006, he has helped establish UC San Diego as a nationally recognized center for comprehensive pain care. His clinical and research interests focus on minimally invasive treatments for spinal disorders, neuromodulation, and multidisciplinary approaches to chronic pain management. Dr. Ahadian is actively involved in physician education, fellowship training, and clinical research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with complex pain conditions
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Brenton S. Alexander, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist and associate professor at UC San Diego. His research focuses on advancing perioperative care through innovations in regional anesthesia, pain management, and hemodynamic optimization. He has investigated novel approaches to improve postoperative analgesia and reduce opioid requirements, including novel regional techniques. His collaborative work has also advanced individualized fluid management and closed-loop hemodynamic systems to optimize tissue perfusion during high-risk surgery. Dr. Alexander integrates clinical trials, translational studies, and cohort analyses to evaluate anesthetic drug effects, enhance recovery pathways, and refine perioperative monitoring. His overarching goal is to develop patient-centered, precision-based strategies that improve outcomes, minimize complications, and accelerate recovery after surgery.
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Dr. Alyssa Brzenski is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia at UC San Diego. She is recognized for her leadership in pediatric perioperative care and for advancing the safety and quality of anesthesia services for infants, children, and adolescents. Her scholarly work includes collaborative multicenter research investigating perioperative outcomes and infectious disease risk in pediatric surgical populations, including contributions to national studies evaluating COVID-19 prevalence among pediatric anesthesia patients. In addition to her clinical and research responsibilities, Dr. Brzenski plays an important role in resident and fellow education and has been recognized among San Diego’s leading physicians in pediatric anesthesiology.
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Dr. Joel Castellanos is an Associate Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, a board-certified specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine, and Medical Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation at UC San Diego Health. His clinical practice focuses on restoring function and improving quality of life for patients with chronic pain and disability through multidisciplinary care. Dr. Castellanos has particular expertise in neuromodulation, spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, interventional spine procedures, regenerative medicine, and advanced pain therapies. His research interests include chronic pain management, rehabilitation outcomes, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke rehabilitation, and emerging approaches such as psychedelic-assisted therapies for pain conditions.
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Dr. Rekha Chandrabose is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego whose academic work combines clinical anesthesiology with advocacy for physician well-being, diversity, equity, and professional development. Her research has examined topics including parental leave policies in graduate medical education, gender equity in medicine, representation of women in academic conferences, and professional culture within anesthesiology. Through scholarly publications and national collaborations, she has contributed to important discussions regarding workforce sustainability, physician support systems, and advancement of women in medicine. Dr. Chandrabose is also recognized as one of San Diego’s leading anesthesiologists and remains actively engaged in clinical care and medical education.
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Dr. Jeffrey L. Chen is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at UC San Diego. His clinical practice emphasizes comprehensive evaluation and treatment of chronic pain disorders through multidisciplinary and evidence-based approaches. As a faculty member within one of the nation’s leading academic pain programs, Dr. Chen contributes to the education of medical students, residents, and fellows while supporting clinical initiatives designed to improve pain outcomes. His work reflects the department’s broader mission of integrating innovative therapies, interventional techniques, and patient-centered care into modern pain medicine.
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Dr. Byron Fergerson serves as a faculty member within the UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology, where he contributes to the department’s clinical, educational, and research missions. His professional interests center on perioperative medicine, patient safety, quality improvement, and advancing evidence-based anesthetic care. Through collaborative work within the department’s clinical research programs, Dr. Fergerson supports efforts to optimize perioperative outcomes and improve healthcare delivery across diverse surgical populations.
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Dr. Timothy Furnish is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at UC San Diego. A nationally recognized pain specialist, his research explores innovative treatments for chronic pain, including neuromodulation, interventional therapies, and psychedelic-assisted medicine. Dr. Furnish has led and collaborated on clinical trials investigating novel therapies for phantom limb pain and other difficult-to-treat pain disorders. As division chief, he oversees one of the nation’s leading academic pain programs while continuing to advance research that bridges neuroscience, pharmacology, and patient-centered pain care.
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The Gabriel Laboratory in the Division of Perioperative Informatics at UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology pioneers the use of artificial intelligence to improve perioperative and pain‐medicine patient outcomes. The group integrates diverse data sources—including electronic health records, social determinants of health, omics (genomic, microbiome, metabolomic), imaging data, and unstructured clinical text—to develop predictive models for high‐risk states such as opioid addiction, persistent pain after surgery, and critical care outcomes . The team also works on frailty detection, operating room and surgery center efficiency, and risk stratification for surgical patients. A core objective is translating these models into clinical decision support tools that are transparent, fair, and reproducible. The lab is funded by Wellcome Leap, National Institutes of Health, and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. Dr. Gabriel is also an affiliate faculty member of the Jacobs Center for Health Innovation to integrate AI into preoperative workflows. Their work aims not just to predict but to improve care, optimize resources, and reduce harm.
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Dr. Ilfeld devotes his full professional effort (1.0 FTE) to clinical research, encompassing the entire spectrum from exploratory pilot studies to large, federally funded multicenter trials. His work spans all phases of investigation, from developing and evaluating novel analgesic devices and pharmacotherapies to definitive clinical trials. Ongoing projects address both acute and chronic pain, utilizing approaches such as ambulatory and inpatient continuous peripheral nerve blocks, liposomal bupivacaine, ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoneurolysis, percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation, auricular neuromodulation, and pulsed shortwave (radiofrequency) therapy.
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Dr. Erik Kistler is a physician-scientist and professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care as well as director of Intensive Care Research and an attending anesthesiologist at the VA San Diego. His clinical and scientific work focuses on inflammation, shock, and microcirculatory dysfunction, with the overarching goal of translating laboratory discoveries into therapies that improve outcomes for critically ill patients. He maintains an active laboratory program while working clinically in the intensive care unit and operating room, allowing him to move insights bidirectionally between bench and bedside. Dr. Kistler’s research has contributed to identification of a fundamental mechanism of cell injury termed “autodigestion,” in which uncontrolled protease activity drives inflammation, shock, and multi-organ failure. His lab studies proteolysis in vascular dysfunction, sepsis, and trauma, including development of anti-proteolytic treatments for hemorrhagic shock, analysis of proteomic signatures in critically ill patients, and investigation of gut-mediated hemodynamic instability. He has authored dozens of publications spanning critical care medicine, sepsis biology, and intensive care physiology and has been independently funded since early in his faculty career.
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Dr. Brian Lemkuil is a UC San Diego anesthesiologist and clinical researcher whose work focuses on perioperative medicine, anesthetic pharmacology, and strategies to improve surgical outcomes. His academic efforts emphasize optimizing anesthetic techniques, enhancing patient safety, and advancing evidence-based perioperative care. Through clinical investigation and educational leadership, he contributes to the department’s mission of improving outcomes across a broad range of surgical populations.
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The Lerman Lab, led by Dr. Imanuel Lerman, is at the cutting edge of bioelectronic medicine research, focusing on innovative approaches to detect and treat inflammation through advanced technologies. The lab is pioneering the development of closed-loop systems that integrate focused ultrasound, autonomic neurography (ANG), and artificial intelligence to monitor and manage inflammatory conditions and inflammatory mediated chronic pain. With a commitment to non-invasive therapies, the Lerman Lab is dedicated to improving clinical outcomes, leveraging a collaborative approach with industry partners and integrating state-of-the-art biosensors and cloud platforms into their research with the aim to improve patients lives and health-span. -
Albert Y. Leung, M.D., is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. He is the founding Director of the Center for Pain and Headache Research at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and a Research Scientist for the Veteran Medical Research Foundation. He is the lead author in the INS-NANS Expert Review and Recommendation paper for TMS in Pain and Headache Treatment.
He receives funding from DOD, VA Office of Research and Development and NIH for his research projects focusing on the mechanisms and effectiveness of non-invasive brain and peripheral stimulation and incorporating machine learning for nerve functional restoration and headache/pain relief. He founded the first Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) clinical unit for pain and headache treatment in the VA healthcare system over a decade ago. He now directs the Center for TMS at the VASDHS
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Dr. Alvaro Macias is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego recognized for excellence in clinical anesthesiology and perioperative patient care. He has been repeatedly acknowledged by his peers as a leading physician in San Diego. Dr. Macias contributes to the department’s educational and research programs while maintaining a strong commitment to patient-centered care. His work supports ongoing efforts to improve perioperative safety, quality, and outcomes through evidence-based clinical practice.
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- Dr. Angela Meier is a board-certified anesthesiologist and intensivist who bridges clinical expertise with laboratory research.
- The Meier Lab investigates how anesthetics, sedatives, and novel immune-modulating nanoparticles influence immune responses, both in vitro and in the context of infections such as severe pneumonia and sepsis
- Dr. Meier’s clinical research interests are deeply integrated with her medical practice, encompassing mechanical ventilation, ECMO, sepsis, leadership in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and critical care for patients with lung and heart transplantation
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Dr. Newman is a clinical pain psychologist and researcher in the Department of Anesthesiology whose work primarily focuses on chronic pain disparities and intervention development with underserved communities. She is a recipient of the K99/R00 Career Development Award from the NIH/NIMHD, supporting her research in developing and assessing one of the first culturally-adapted psychological interventions for chronic pain among Indigenous adults. Her research is conducted in partnership with the Portland Area Indian Health Services – Yakama Service Unit -using a community‑based participatory research framework. Dr. Newman’s overarching goal is to reduce pain disparities and improve health equity by developing effective, accessible, and sustainable pain treatments tailored to each community’s needs.
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- Principal Investigator, Online Physical Therapy Videos, UC San Diego, 2020-Present - Created a series of online physical therapy videos to treat the most commonly encountered painful conditions in EDs and outpatient clinics. Studying patient and provider satisfaction.
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Principal Investigator, Teachability of the Erector Spinae, UC San Diego, 2020-Present -Assessment of the use of QR codes for the use of home instructional discharge videos
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Principal Investigator, Ultrasound Guided Nerve Block Curriculum, UC San Diego 2025 - Created a nerve block curriculum for emergency medicine residents and implemented QR codes in the ED for point-of-care reference.
- Principal Investigator, Improving ED Migraine Management, UC San Diego 2025 - Principal Investigator on a project to improve emergency department migraine management using novel CGRP analogs by developing an EPIC order set for standardized, evidence-based treatment.
- Sub-Investigator, phase 1 clinical trial 2024-2025, 10% funding, 2025-2026 - NIH/NIAAA R44 AA024905. $1,600,000 2024-2025 Nezavist, A Novel Molecule for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder
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Dr. Piyush Patel is a member of the UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology’s clinical research faculty. His academic interests focus on advancing perioperative care, improving patient outcomes, and contributing to collaborative clinical research initiatives. Through his involvement in education, patient care, and departmental research programs, Dr. Patel supports the development of innovative approaches to anesthetic management and perioperative medicine.
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Dr. Gregory R. Polston is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and a board-certified pain management specialist at the UC San Diego Center for Pain Medicine, where he has served as Associate Medical Director since 2008. His clinical expertise encompasses chronic pain, postoperative pain, cancer pain, spine-related disorders, and complex musculoskeletal pain conditions. Dr. Polston advocates for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to pain management that integrates interventional procedures, pharmacologic therapies, behavioral strategies, and integrative medicine. In addition to his extensive clinical practice, he teaches medical students, residents, and pain medicine fellows and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. His research interests include chronic opioid therapy for non-cancer pain, placebo mechanisms, pain outcomes research, and the use of electronic medical records to improve patient care. He has also served on multiple state and national committees focused on pain management policy and prescription safety.
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Dr. Rajiv D. Reddy is an Associate Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, pain management specialist, and Pain Medicine Fellowship Program Director at UC San Diego. As a member of the Center for Pain Medicine, he is dedicated to advancing education and training in pain medicine while providing comprehensive care for patients with chronic and complex pain disorders. His clinical practice includes the diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain, spine-related pain conditions, musculoskeletal disorders, and other chronic pain syndromes using evidence-based and multidisciplinary approaches. Through his leadership in fellowship education, Dr. Reddy helps train the next generation of pain medicine physicians and contributes to the department’s mission of integrating innovative clinical care, research, and education.
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Dr. Engy T. Said is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego and serves as Chief of both the Acute Pain Service and the Division of Regional Anesthesia. A recognized leader in regional anesthesiology and perioperative pain management, she oversees clinical programs that provide advanced nerve block techniques and multimodal pain-control strategies for surgical patients. Dr. Said is deeply involved in resident, fellow, and medical student education and has helped expand regional anesthesia training within the department. Her scholarly work and clinical leadership focus on improving perioperative outcomes, reducing opioid requirements, and advancing ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques. Through her leadership roles, she has contributed significantly to the development of innovative perioperative pain-management programs at UC San Diego Health
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Dr. Reema Sanghvi is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Chief of the Division of Global Health and Policy at UC San Diego. A graduate of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, she has more than two decades of experience in anesthesiology and perioperative care. Her academic interests include global health, healthcare policy, international medical collaboration, and improving access to safe surgical and anesthesia care in resource-limited settings. Through her leadership of UC San Diego’s Global Health and Policy Division, Dr. Sanghvi promotes educational partnerships, international outreach, and initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare systems worldwide. She is also actively involved in mentoring trainees and fostering opportunities for global engagement among residents and faculty.
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Dr. Nathaniel M. Schuster is an Associate Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and a nationally recognized physician-scientist in pain medicine and headache disorders. His research focuses on developing and evaluating novel therapies for chronic pain conditions, including painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, chronic migraine, and other refractory pain syndromes. He serves as a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials studying innovative medications and implantable neuromodulation devices designed to improve quality of life for patients with chronic pain. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Schuster has contributed scholarly work examining the evolving field of pain medicine and its intersection with neurology and neuroscience. His work reflects a commitment to translating emerging scientific discoveries into effective patient-centered therapies.
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Dr. Preetham J. Suresh is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Associate Dean for Medical Education in Simulation, Associate Education Director for the Department of Anesthesiology, and Vice Chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UC San Diego. Following residency training at the University of California, San Francisco, he joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2008 and has become a leader in simulation-based medical education, regional anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, and healthcare innovation. His current research focuses on augmented reality applications in healthcare, medical device development, simulation training, and the use of sensor technologies to objectively assess procedural skills. Dr. Suresh is widely recognized for advancing educational methodologies and integrating emerging technologies into physician training and patient safety initiatives.
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Michael Vaninetti, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and a Pain Medicine physician at UC San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System. His research focuses on neuromodulation and interventional pain therapies, including transcranial magnetic stimulation for phantom limb pain and chronic headaches, as well as the development and evaluation of novel medical devices. He is actively involved in studies aimed at improving procedural techniques and outcomes in chronic pain management.
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Dr. Wallace received his MD from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1987. He completed an Anesthesiology residency at the University of Maryland followed by an NIH training grant fellowship and a Clinical Pain Fellowship in the Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego (UCSD). He is Professor of Anesthesiology and the past Chief, Division of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology, UCSD School of Medicine and has over 30 years experience providing care for chronic pain, conducting clinical research and training Pain Fellows. He is also Co-Director, Division of Clinical Research Services in the UCSD Altman Clinical and Translational Institute (ACTRI) and Co-Investigator on the UCSD CTSA grant. He oversees an 18,000 sq ft research clinic which supports the UCSD clinical investigators across all disciplines. He has numerous current and past NIH and state grants supporting early phase clinical trials with novel therapeutics and medical cannabis.
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Dr. Ruth S. Waterman is Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego Health and a respected national leader in academic anesthesiology. Since joining UC San Diego in 2013, she has guided the department through a period of significant clinical, educational, and research growth while overseeing anesthesia services across multiple hospitals and specialty centers. Dr. Waterman is recognized for her leadership in perioperative care, quality improvement, healthcare innovation, and medical education. She holds patents related to healthcare technology and has received numerous honors for excellence in teaching, clinical care, and institutional leadership, including UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Physician of the Year award. Her vision for the future of anesthesiology includes leveraging data science, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve patient outcomes and advance the specialty.