In May 2026, UNC Anesthesiology’s excellence in education, research and leadership in the field of anesthesiology was on display in Montreal, Quebec, at the annual meetings of two major specialty-focused organizations.
At the 2026 International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Meeting (May 1-3), Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Ezekiel “Zeke” Egan, MD, and UNC Professor of Anesthesiology Alexander Doyal, MD, MPH, FASA, led Problem-Based Learning Discussions (PBLD)s.
2026 International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Meeting (PBLD)s:
* Egan E., Doyal A. The Silent Keto Storm: Unmasking Euglycemic DKA During Surgery – Intraoperative Diagnosis and Management of Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis Associated with SGLT2 Inhibitors: A Hidden Threat in the Perioperative Period. International Anesthesia Research Society, IARS. Montreal, Canada. May 1, 2026.
* Doyal A. Egan E. Tightrope at the Airway: Managing Severe PH and Esophageal Obstruction Under Pressure: Emergent Airway Management in Severe Pulmonary Hypertension with Massive Esophageal Obstruction: Navigating Right Heart Protection and Aspiration Risk. International Anesthesia Research Society, IARS. Montreal, Canada. May 1, 2026.
On behalf of UNC Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Sam Blacker, MD, and his research team, at this year’s IARS meeting, Dr. Doyal accepted the Editors’ Choice 2nd Place Award for a June 2025 Blacker-led study published in the IARS journal Anesthesia & Analgesia:
*Blacker, Samuel N., Chen, Fei; Winecoff, Daniel, et al. An Exploratory Analysis of ChatGPT Compared to Human Performance With the Anesthesiology Oral Board Examination: Initial Insights and Implications. Anesthesia & Analgesia 140(6):p 1253-1262, June 2025.
Dr. Doyal noted: “Simply put, this award is a big deal in our field. It represents being deemed by peer reviewers as one of the best articles published in the journal A&A this year.” 
At the 2026 Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (SATA) Meeting (Montreal, Quebec – May 3 – 4), multiple UNC Department of Anesthesiology faculty achieved high visibility for the department leading SATA educational sessions, hands-on workshops and discussions on SATA’s vital role in helping shape the direction of the anesthesiology field. During SATA’s “Abdominal Transplant Anesthesiology” scientific session, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Russell-John (“RJ”) Krom, MD, presented “Vit B12 and Nephrotoxicity.” Educational takeaways from Dr. Krom’s presentation spurred insightful post-lecture discussions on evidence-based perioperative strategies and transplant outcomes in abdominal organ transplantation.
This year, UNC Professor of Anesthesiology Alexander Doyal, MD, MPH, FASA, helped lead the 2026 SATA meeting’s highly interactive “Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and TEE Workshop for the Liver Transplant Anesthesiologist” session. This intensive, hands-on educational course focuses on assessment of perioperative cardiac and pulmonary ultrasound and right ventricular function, as well as lung ultrasound, and case-based pathology review. 
Reinforcing UNC’s strong engagement with Transplant Anesthesiology field practitioners, UNC Anesthesiology Chair and SATA Past President Ted Sakai, MD, PhD, MHA, FASA, spoke at pivotal moments of the 2026 SATA meeting. Dr. Sakai addressed a large assembly of transplant anesthesiologists, intensivists, and perioperative specialists from across the continent & globe. He emphasized the vital contributions the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia makes to advancing the field of anesthesiology in perioperative care, research, and education in organ transplantation anesthesia.
Dr. Sakai noted: “Every year, the [SATA] meeting brings together so many bright minds. Our faculty contribute to the collective expertise at SATA that drives discussions of how to move innovations in liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, and lung transplantation to next-stage development, as well as emerging technologies like perioperative ultrasound and artificial intelligence applications in transplant care.