FAER Thanks the AUA and SAAAPM for Supporting Mentored Research Training Grant Recipients

July 1, 2026

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) would like to express its profound gratitude to the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) and Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine (SAAAPM) for their support in funding FAER Mentored Research Training Grant (MRTG) recipients.

The MRTG is eligible to faculty members who have completed their core residency training within the past ten years and helps recipients develop the skills, preliminary data for subsequent grant applications, and research publications needed to become independent investigators. Applications for the MRTG are currently open through August 15, 2026. More information is available here.

FAER’s work is not possible without the generous support of its donors. By defraying the cost of these MRTGs, the AUA and SAAAPM have helped provide valuable training and experience to up-and-coming scientists advancing anesthesiology and patient care through research.

FAER is deeply grateful for its long-standing partnerships with the AUA and SAAAPM. We hope you will join us in thanking these organizations, their members, and their leaders for their part in developing the next generation of physician-investigators.

We are pleased to share a list of FAER grantees partially funded by the AUA and SAAAPM below. We also encourage you to read FAER’s interviews with SAAAPM-supported grantees Dr. John Park and Dr. Christina Boncyk, and our highlight article on the AUA surpassing $1 million in giving to FAER in 2021.

AUA Supported Grantees

Paul Potnuru, MD (2025) | UTHealth Houston
Primary Mentor: Holger Eltzschig, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Daniel Sessler, MD
Tertiary Mentor: Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD
Safety and Efficacy of a Vadadustat for the Treatment of Pathogen-Associated Nonintubated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Phase IIa Randomized Controlled Trial

SAAAPM Supported Grantees

Theodora Wingert, MD (2025) | University of California, Los Angeles
Primary Mentor: Maxime Cannesson, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Eran Halperin, PhD
Tertiary Mentor: Eric Cheng, MD, MS
Additional Collaborators: Julia Galvez Delgado, MD, MBI; Lena Sun, MD; Robert Whittington, MD
Predicting Pediatric Postoperative Complications using Waveform and Electronic Health Record Data

John Park, MD, PhD (2024) | University of California, Los Angeles
Primary Mentor: Soban Umar, MD, PhD
Secondary Mentor: Mansoureh Eghbali, PhD
Targeting LYSYL-OXIDASE-LIKE-2 in Right Ventricular Remodeling Secondary to Pulmonary Hypertension

Christina Boncyk, MD (2020) | Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Primary Mentor: Christopher G. Hughes, MD, MSc
Targeting LYSYL-OXIDASE-LIKE-2 in Right Ventricular Remodeling Secondary to Pulmonary Hypertension

Vafi Salmasi, MD (2018) | Stanford University
Primary Mentor: Sean Mackey, MD, PhD
Comparing Effectiveness of Duloxetine and Desipramine in Patients with Chronic Pain: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Using Point of Care Randomization

THE FOUNDATION FOR ANESTHESIA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (FAER)
FAER is a related foundation of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). For 40 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 $63 million in research grants and programs since 1986. To donate to FAER, visit FAER.org/donate.