Incoming President’s Messageby Zhongcong Xie, MD, PhD, FASA
2026 | Spring Issue Newsletter It is with deep gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility that I begin my term as President of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA). For more than seven decades, AUA has served as a cornerstone of academic anesthesiology by advancing scientific discovery, promoting education, improving anesthesia practice and developing physician-scientists and academic leaders. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve this exceptional community and to build upon the strong foundation established by prior AUA leadership. AUA’s mission—to advance academic anesthesiology through research, education, mentorship, membership, and leadership—remains as relevant today as ever. We are practicing and conducting research, practice and education during a period of extraordinary scientific progress, with rapid advances in basic science, translational medicine, and clinical investigation reshaping perioperative care. At the same time, academic anesthesiology faces increasing challenges related to clinical demands, protected research time, funding uncertainty, and workforce sustainability. AUA plays a unique and essential role in supporting its members as they navigate these challenges while continuing to lead innovation and discovery. The strength of AUA lies in its members and its longstanding culture of mentorship, rigor, and scholarly exchange. Through its annual meetings, educational initiatives, newsletters, webinars, and collaborative networks, AUA has provided a forum for physicians and investigators at all career stages to share ideas, receive mentorship, and develop as academic leaders. As President, I am committed to reinforcing these core activities and ensuring that AUA continues to support early-career faculty, mid-career physicians and investigators, and senior leaders alike, recognizing that each group contributes in essential and complementary ways to our mission. An important priority moving forward is to further engage our membership in the work of the Association. AUA will select volunteers to serve on its boards, including the Educational Advisory Board, Scientific Advisory Board, Leadership Advisory Board, Membership Engagement Advisory Board, and others. These boards play a central role in shaping AUA’s scientific programs, educational offerings, leadership development, and member engagement. Broad participation is critical to maintaining a vibrant and responsive organization, and I strongly encourage members from diverse backgrounds, institutions, and career stages to consider serving. In parallel with strengthening our internal community, AUA is also poised to expand its engagement on the global stage. Academic anesthesiology is an increasingly international endeavor, and many of the most pressing scientific and clinical challenges we face – such as perioperative brain health, aging, health equity, and precision medicine – are shared across borders. Building on discussions initiated during the recent AUA Town Hall meeting, we are actively exploring new international collaborations. These efforts include promoting AUA at the 19th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA 2026) in Marrakech, Morocco in spring 2026, welcoming representatives from the Chinese Society of Anesthesiologists (CSA) to the 2026 AUA Annual Meeting in Seattle and the potential formation of an AUA delegation to attend the 2026 CSA Annual Meeting in Beijing, China. Looking ahead, we also aim to invite additional physicians and scientists from around the world to participate in future AUA meetings, including the 2027 Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas. These international initiatives are intended to foster meaningful scientific exchange, promote collaborative research, and create new opportunities for trainees and junior faculty to engage with global leaders in anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. Importantly, this global outreach will be pursued in a manner that complements and strengthens AUA’s core mission, ensuring that international engagement enhances the value of AUA for all members. AUA’s continued success depends on the energy, creativity, and commitment of its members. I encourage each of you to engage with us in the coming year—by submitting your work to the annual meeting, mentoring colleagues, volunteering for committee service, or sharing your ideas for how AUA can better serve the academic anesthesiology community. Together, we can ensure that AUA remains a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-looking organization that promotes excellence in research, education, and leadership, both nationally and internationally. Thank you for the privilege of serving as President of AUA. I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead. Author
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