Overview
Clinical Anesthesia
My principal clinical interest is the use of peripheral nerve blocks in primarily orthopedic joint replacement procedures. I am a member of the Regional Division with responsibilities to spine, trauma & plastic surgery.
I was the co-director of the Carolina Cadaver Course, which was run annually in conjunction with Wake Forest University School of Medicine. I have been involved in teaching the use of ultrasound for the placement of peripheral nerve blocks and have lectured on several national courses.
Human Pharmacology & Physiology Lab (HPPL)
I am the Director of the HPPL which is the the Department of Anesthesiology's clinical research lab designed to conduct studies in healthy volunteers. It is designed to collect comprehensive physiological data in a manner similar to the Operating Room (OR), using both non-invasive and invasive techniques. The key areas of interest are:
- Early human clinical drug trials (Phase 1 & 2) of drugs related to anesthesia
- Conduct of clinical equipment validation studies prior to FDA approval
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Brain aerobic glycolysis is stable during adulthood: Direct evidence from cross-brain blood sampling in 239 healthy adults.
Journal Article J Cereb Blood Flow Metab · January 8, 2026 The brain is a highly metabolic organ primarily fueled by glucose, and it is well established that a decline in cerebral glucose metabolism accompanies neurodegenerative disease. Recent work using positron emission tomography (PET) has demonstrated that ce ... Full text Link to item CiteExercise and hypoxia independently stimulate platelet liberation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and platelet factor 4.
Journal Article J Physiol · January 2026 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an essential mediator of exercise-induced neuroplasticity. The majority of BDNF in circulation (∼99%) is stored bound to platelets. Platelet activation by exercise stimulates the release of their contents, repres ... Full text Link to item CiteLactate accumulates in the cerebrospinal fluid after prolonged exercise.
Journal Article J Cereb Blood Flow Metab · December 7, 2025 The resting brain is fuelled by glucose with a small release of lactate. During exercise, the brain switches to extracting lactate from blood and this increases brain carbohydrate uptake in great excess to that of oxygen. The fate of this excess carbohydra ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Respiration from Pleth Validation
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Philips Medizin-Systeme Boeblingen GmbH · 2026 - 2027Applied Physiology of CNS Oxygen Toxicity: Mechanisms in Humans
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2023 - 2026Validation Study of the Noninvasix Optoacoustic Saturation Monitor to Estimate the Left Innominate Vein Oxygen Saturation
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Noninvasix, Inc · 2025 - 2026View All Grants