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Leah Acker

Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology
Anesthesiology, Neuroanesthesia
136 Sands Building, Durham, NC 27710

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology · 2022 - Present Anesthesiology, Neuroanesthesia, Anesthesiology
Assistant Research Professor in Neurobiology · 2024 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments

In the News


Published December 13, 2023
Blink of an Eye Predicts Post-Surgery Cognitive Issues

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Recent Publications


Associations between anaesthetic dose-adjusted intraoperative EEG alpha power, processing speed, and postoperative delirium: analysis of data from three prospective studies.

Journal Article Br J Anaesth · April 10, 2025 BACKGROUND: We previously have shown that low intraoperative EEG alpha power is associated with impaired preoperative cognition, a delirium risk factor, and that intraoperative anaesthetic-dose-adjusted EEG bispectral index values were associated with a fo ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of Sleep Apnea in Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders Among Older Noncardiac Surgery Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Journal Article Anesth Analg · January 1, 2025 BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased dementia risk, yet its role in postoperative neurocognitive disorders is unclear. Here, we studied whether the severity of untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with the severity of ... Full text Link to item Cite

The brain-heart-immune axis: a vago-centric framework for predicting and enhancing resilient recovery in older surgery patients.

Journal Article Bioelectron Med · September 2, 2024 Nearly all geriatric surgical complications are studied in the context of a single organ system, e.g., cardiac complications and the heart; delirium and the brain; infections and the immune system. Yet, we know that advanced age, physiological stress, and ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Neural Mechanisms Underlying Attentional Resilience in the Aging Brain

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Aging · 2024 - 2029

The Role of the Aging Brain-Heart-Immune Axis in Postoperative Delirium

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2025

FAER GEMSSTAR Supplement (rolling deadline)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research · 2023 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University, School of Medicine · 2017 M.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 2014 Ph.D.

External Links


Acker Lab Website