Congratulations to FAER’s Spring 2025 Grant Recipients!

May 22, 2025

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) is pleased to announce the physician-investigators awarded research grants as part of the Foundation’s Spring 2025 Grant Cycle. Totaling $1.33 million in funding, awards include three Mentored Research Training Grants, one Research Fellowship Grant, and one SOAP-FAER Mentored Research Training Grant, co-sponsored by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP). This cycle also features the inaugural SPA-FAER Mentored Research Training Grant, co-sponsored by the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA).

“It is always exciting to see talented physician-investigators take the next step on their research journey. As support for science in anesthesiology and beyond is under pressure, providing opportunities for the next generation of physician-scientists is even more important today. It should come as no surprise to hear how pleased we are to see FAER award funding to its latest round of grantees, including the first-ever SPA-FAER Mentored Research Training Grant.

“The areas of investigation Drs. Burton, Lunderberg, Steffner, Tetri, Yoshida, and Zazzeron will pursue with their FAER grants touch on a broad range of topics and related specialties, including – among others – cardiology, neurology, and obstetrics. Their work represents significant value to anesthesiology and the patients we care for. FAER is proud of its role in helping prepare these investigators to thrive in and contribute to our specialty. We look forward to their continuing success, during their FAER-funded grants and long into the future.”
- Max B. Kelz, MD, PhD, FAER President and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), and Dolores B. Njoku, MD, Chair of the FAER Board of Directors

Details on FAER's spring 2025 grant recipients – including names, institutions, mentors, and project titles – can be found below. Please join us in congratulating and celebrating these future leaders of anesthesiology and research. FAER would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those serving as mentors on these grants, as well as each grantee’s institution and department, for their part in nurturing the next generation of physician-investigators.

Mentored Research Training Grants (MRTG) help physician-investigators develop the skills, preliminary data for subsequent grant applications, and research publications needed to become independent investigators. These grants are eligible to faculty members who have completed their core anesthesiology residency training within the past 10 years and comprise $250,000* in funding over two years.

Justin Mark Lunderberg, MD, PhD | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, Massachusetts)
Primary Mentor: Simon C. Robson, MB, ChB, FRCP, FAASLD, PhD
Project Title: Modulation of Inflammatory and Metabolic Effects of Ischemia-reperfusion Injury

Kirsten Steffner, MD | Stanford University (Redwood City, California) 
Primary Mentor: Euan Ashley, MD, Dphil
Secondary Mentor: Charles Brown, MD, MS
Additional Collaborator: Mirabela Rusu, PhD, MS
Project Title: Deep Learning for the Echocardiographic Assessment of Right Ventricular Function and Prediction of Hemodynamic Measurements

Luca Zazzeron, MD | Mass General Brigham (Boston, Massachusetts)
Primary Mentor: Fumito Ichinose, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Jason Roh, MD
Project Title: Continuous Inhaled Nitric Oxide Treatment in a Murine Model of Pregnancy at High Altitude

Research Fellowship Grants (RFG) provide anesthesiology residents and fellows with the opportunity to obtain significant training in research techniques and scientific methods. These grants are eligible to anesthesiology trainees after CA-1 year and comprise $75,000 in funding over one year.

Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)
Primary Mentor: Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Robert Gereau, PhD
Project Title: The Role of Myeloid Cholesterol Metabolism in the Development of Neuropathic Pain

SOAP-FAER Mentored Research Training Grants (MRTG) support all areas of research that contribute to knowledge about and advance and advocate for the health of pregnant women and their babies, preparing grant recipients to succeed as independent investigators in the area of obstetric anesthesiology and perinatology. These grants are eligible to anesthesiologist faculty members who are within 10 years of their first faculty appointment and comprise $250,000 in funding over two years.

Brittany Burton, MD, MHS, MS | University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
Primary Mentor: Keith Norris, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Christina Han, MD
Tertiary Mentor: Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD
Additional Collaborators: Alex Bui, PhD; Eilon Gabel, MD; Rodney Gabriel, MD; Li-Jung Liang, PhD
Project Title: Determinants of Health and Machine Learning for Healthcare Utilization in Obstetric Care

SPA-FAER Mentored Research Training Grants (MRTG) aim to help anesthesiologists develop the skills and preliminary data they need to become independent investigators in the field of pediatric anesthesiology advancing the health and well-being of children. These grants are eligible to anesthesiologist faculty members who are within 10 years of their first faculty appointment and comprise $250,000 in funding over two years.

Laura Tetri, MD, PhD | Stanford University (Redwood City, California) 
Primary Mentor: Bereketeab Haileselassie, MD, MHSc
Secondary Mentor: Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD
Tertiary Mentor: Eric Gross, MD, PhD
Project Title: Impact of Pediatric Perioperative Fasting on Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function

Along with celebrating the physician-investigators above, FAER would like to thank the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) Committee on Research for its role in reviewing and scoring FAER grant applications, including those for the Spring 2025 Grant Cycle. The committee members possess a wide array of scientific and research expertise, ensuring a thorough and rigorous grant review process.

FAER is also pleased to share information on the funding opportunities available as part of its upcoming Fall 2025 Grant Cycle. Available grants for the Fall 2025 Cycle include the Mentored Research Training Grant, Research in Education Grant, and Research Fellowship Grant. See below for more information and links, or visit FAER.org/Grants.

Applications Open: June 1 - August 15, 2025

Available Grants:

• Mentored Research Training Grant ($300,000 over two years)*
• Research in Education Grant ($100,000 over two years)
• Research Fellowship Grant ($75,000 over one year)

*Please note that beginning with the Fall 2025 Cycle, FAER is introducing changes to the Mentored Research Training Grant. Changes entail an increase in funding from $250,000 to $300,000 and a reduction in the minimum required protected time from 75% to 60%. For more information, read the announcement detailing these changes here.

THE FOUNDATION FOR ANESTHESIA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (FAER)
FAER is a related foundation of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). For over 35 years, FAER has been dedicated to developing the next generation of physician-investigators in anesthesiology. Charitable contributions and support to FAER help fuel the future of anesthesiology through scientific discovery. Funding priorities include: Research, Education, and Training. At the time of this article's publication, FAER has awarded more than $59 million in research grants and programs since 1986. To donate to FAER, visit FAER.org/donate.