Aitken Lecture 2018

The Aitken Memorial Lecture series was established in 1991 through an endowment from Drs. Ron and Elizabeth Aitken. It is held annually in the fall by the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences and Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine. Traditionally, the invited speaker gives a presentation at both Anesthesia Grand Rounds and CNS Grand Rounds.

The 2018 guest lecturer for the Aitken Memorial Lecture series is Dr. Ansgar Brambrink. Dr. Ansgar Brambrink, MD, PhD, is the Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S) and anesthesiologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

Dr. Brambrink, an internationally renowned expert in brain injury, specializes in clinical care, research, and educational aspects of anesthesia and its applications to the treatment of patients with neurological conditions, including stroke. Dr. Brambrink’s research interests include brain ischemia, the loss of oxygen and nutrients for brain cells due to inadequate blood flow, and the effects of anesthesia on the brain. In particular, his work has advanced knowledge of anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity; the alteration of normal nervous system activity after exposure to toxins; the application of neuroscience and anesthesiology research to the care of neurosurgery patients; neurocritical care for life-threatening neurological disorders; and neurosurgical complications due to surgery. Dr. Brambrink also has investigated the pathophysiology of brain ischemia and treatment strategies and the brain’s endogenous repair after ischemic stroke.

Dates:

The 2018 Aitken Memorial Lecture will be given at CNS Grand Rounds. Dr. Brambrink’s lecture will look at “Sedatives and anesthetics during brain development: evidence from the non-human primate laboratory.”

Date: Tuesday November 13th, 2018, Time TBD

Location: University Hospital, Auditorium A

Objectives for the CNS lecture:

  1. Understand the methodology used to study the effects of anesthetics in developing non-human primates
  2. Describe the evidence of acute changes following anesthesia exposure in the developing primate brain
  3. Summarize the long-term consequences of infant exposure to anesthetics in juveniles macaques

 

The 2017 Aitken Memorial Lecture in Neuroanesthesia will be given at Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine Grand Rounds. Dr. Brambrink’s lecture will look at “Neurobehavioral effects of anesthesia & surgery early in life: what do we currently know.”

Date: Wednesday November 14th, 2018, 7:15 a.m.

Location: University Hospital, Auditorium A

Objectives for the Anesthesia lecture:

  1. The participants will learn the effects of anesthesia on the brain of infants and children.
  2. After the lecture, the participants will be able to name several important studies related to this topic in the field of anesthesiology.