Overview
Ashraf Habib is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chief of the Division of Women’s Anaesthesia at Duke University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He completed his anesthetic training in the UK, subsequently finished fellowship training in Obstetric Anesthesia at Duke University Medical Center and stayed there as faculty. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and editorials. His research interests include enhanced recovery after surgery including cesarean delivery, optimizing labor analgesia and postoperative outcomes such as postoperative pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting, persistent pain after surgery and optimizing hemodynamic management of women undergoing caesarean delivery. Dr. Habib is currently a senior Editor for Anesthesia and Analgesia and is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia and BJA Education. He has also been a member of the expert panel that generated the ASER/SAMBA consensus guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting, the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) consensus statement and recommendations for enhanced recovery after cesarean delivery, the SOAP consensus statement for respiratory monitoring after neuraxial morphine administration for caesarean delivery analgesia, and the SASM/SOAP guidelines for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea during pregnancy. He is currently the Chair of SOAP research Committee and serves on SOAP’s Board of Directors.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Cerebrospinal fluid proteome of patients with persistent pain and/or postpartum depression after elective cesarean delivery: An exploratory prospective cohort study
Journal Article Journal of Clinical Anesthesia · June 1, 2025 Background: Persistent pain (>2 months) after cesarean delivery (CD) can affect up to 20 % of patients, and is associated with increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Preoperative identification of patients at risk for persistent pain and PPD remai ... Full text CitePuncturing the dura: a true clinical benefit or a distraction? A reply.
Journal Article Anaesthesia · May 2025 Full text Link to item CitePersistent pain six months after breast cancer surgery: a multicentre follow-up study.
Journal Article Anaesthesia · April 2025 Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Duke University Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network Clinical Center
ResearchCollaborating Investigator · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2023 - 2030Integrated Training in Anesthesiology Research
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1996 - 2026Rectus Sheath Block with liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia following gynecologic oncology surgery: A pilot Study
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Pacira BioSciences, Inc. · 2024 - 2025View All Grants