Home > Brett Simon MD PhD, appointed Chief of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
Brett Simon MD PhD, appointed Chief of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
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Brett Simon MD PhD, appointed Chief of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
Dr. Simon is widely recognized as an outstanding scientist, clinician, teacher and mentor, something Johns Hopkins’ residents clearly recognized when they selected him four times for their highest honor – the Outstanding Teaching Award. “Trainees are the future of our specialty and teaching is one of the reasons I enjoy medicine,” he says.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in Oceanside, Long Island, Dr. Simon was a magna cum laude graduate in engineering and applied science from Harvard College in 1979. He received his MD, and his PhD in biomedical engineering, from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1987. His anesthesiology training at Massachusetts General Hospital included an extended rotation at the then New England Deaconess Hospital, where he was exposed to the work of Ellison Pierce, Jr., MD, Chair of Anesthesiology, a pioneer in patient safety and founder of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.
Dr. Simon’s clinical expertise is with patients undergoing major abdominal, vascular, transplant and thoracic surgery. “I enjoy clinical work and intend to be clinically active,” he says, adding, “I am eager to meet and work with our surgeons as soon as possible. It’s essential for us to continue to have well-functioning ORs.”
He has continued to garner NIH-funded support for his outstanding research in the areas of functional lung imaging, lung mechanics, and acute lung injury. He has been recognized by his peers for numerous accomplishments, including leadership roles in a number of professional societies, such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Thoracic Society, and was elected to the Federation of Anesthesia Education and Research Academy of Mentors. Fostering research will be a priority for Dr. Simon. “I am bringing my lab to Boston,” he says. “However, clinical research is an important component of my research vision,” adding, “I plan on working closely with my peers and the Silverman Institute at BIDMC to develop a nationally recognized research program in perioperative patient safety and quality.”
"I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of such a superb department," he says. "The faculty, fellows, residents and staff are of such high quality and I look forward to getting to know every person in the department and working with each to help them be successful in their particular clinical, research and educational endeavors. I plan on making mentoring and career development a priority.”
