President's Message
It is both a great honor and a humbling responsibility to serve as President of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA). For more than seven decades, the AUA has been a cornerstone of academic anesthesiology by advancing scientific discovery, promoting education, improving clinical practice, and fostering the development of physician-scientists and academic leaders. I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by this remarkable organization. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the many individuals who have contributed to making the AUA such a strong and respected organization, including our former presidents – Dolores B. Njoku, George A. Mashour, Jeffrey R. Kirsch, Michael S. Avidan, Jeanine Wiener-Kronish, Thomas J.J. Blank, and Lee A. Fleisher, to name just a few, and, among many others – as well as our councilors, committee leaders, board members, and all AUA members for their dedication to academic anesthesiology, mentorship, education, research, and leadership. The AUA mission – to advance academic anesthesiology through research, education, mentorship, membership, and leadership – remains as important today as ever. We are living through a period of extraordinary scientific progress, with rapid advances in basic science, translational medicine, artificial intelligence, 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. The AUA plays a unique and essential role in supporting its members as they navigate these challenges while continuing to drive innovation, discovery, and excellence in patient care. The strength of the AUA lies in its members and its longstanding culture of mentorship, rigor, collaboration, and scholarly exchange. Through its annual meetings, educational initiatives, newsletters, webinars, and collaborative networks, the AUA has created an outstanding forum for physicians and investigators at all career stages to exchange ideas, receive mentorship, and develop as academic leaders. As President, I will work together with AUA immediate past president Dr. Dolores B. Njoku, president-elect Dr. Miriam Treggiari, and secretary Dr. Ted Sakai to reinforce these core activities and ensuring that the AUA continues to support early-career faculty, mid-career investigators, and senior leaders alike, recognizing that each group contributes in essential and complementary ways to our shared mission. The continued success of the AUA depends on the energy, creativity, and commitment of its members. I encourage each of you to engage actively with AUA in the coming year – by submitting your work to the annual meeting, mentoring colleagues, volunteering for committee service, or sharing ideas on how the AUA can better serve the academic anesthesiology community. Together, we can ensure that the AUA remains a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-looking organization that promotes excellence in research, education, mentorship, and leadership both nationally and internationally. Thank you again for the privilege of serving as President of the AUA. I look forward to working together with all of you in the years ahead. Zhongcong Xie, MD, PhD, FASA |
Dear Colleagues,