March 8, 2026
Promotions: Honoring Four UNC Anesthesiology Clinical Faculty
UNC Department of Anesthesiology congratulates four clinical faculty members for achieving promotion since the start of AY2025-2026 ...
Category: News
March 3, 2026
Dr. Tony Passannante: A Distinguished 30+Year Career in Academic Leadership
In early March, UNC Professor of Anesthesiology Dr. Anthony “Tony” Passannante was presented with UNC Anesthesiology’s inaugural Distinguished Executive Award at the department’s monthly faculty meeting. Arguably, Dr. Passannante’s earliest stamp on leadership at UNC — serving as Chief Resident (1990-1991) — now spans three+ decades of serving in top executive leadership positions across the …
February 25, 2026
Dr. Irina Phillips Achieves American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Medicine Board Certification
UNC Anesthesiology is pleased to recognize Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology Irina Phillips, MD, for achieving American Board of Preventative Medicine (ABPM) board certification in Addiction Medicine in late 2025.
February 17, 2026
Dr. Andy Lobonc Appointed 2026 President of North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
UNC Anesthesiology is pleased to recognize Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Andrew “Andy” Lobonc, MD, FASA, as he begins his term serving as the 2026 President of the North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists (NCSA).
February 6, 2026
Join Pediatric Anesthesia Care Peers at the 2026 UNC-WFU-Duke Pediatric Anesthesiology Conference!
Hosted by collaborating leaders in pediatric anesthesiology at UNC, Wake Forest University and Duke University, this CME event shares with participants the latest in evidenced-based Best Practices in Anesthesia Care.
February 5, 2026
Drs. Wade Weigel & Alan Smeltz Earn 2025 ASA Monitor Top 10 Ranking For Summaries of Emerging Evidence (SEE) CME Article
UNC Anesthesiology is pleased to recognize Professor of Anesthesiology Wade Weigel, MD, and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology Alan Smeltz, MD, for collaboratively publishing a Summaries of Emerging Evidence (SEE) Question in the ASA Monitor that was named one of the journal's Top 10 articles published in 2025.
February 3, 2026
Martinelli Named Journal of Graduate Medical Education 2025 Outstanding Reviewer
UNC Anesthesiology is pleased to recognize Edward A. Norfleet, MD ’70 Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology and Residency Program Director Susan Martinelli, MD, FASA, for being named a Journal of Graduate Medical Education 2025 Outstanding Reviewer.
February 2, 2026
Dr. Ted Sakai: 2026 Association of University Anesthesiologists Membership Engagement Advisory Board Active Member of the Year Awardee
UNC Anesthesiology congratulates Professor of Anesthesiology and department Chair Ted Sakai, MD PhD, MHA, FASA, for being selected as recipient of the 2026 Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) Membership Engagement Advisory Board (MEB) Active Member of the Year Award.
January 27, 2026
Dr. Sam Blacker & Co-Authors Earn 2nd Place in Anesthesia & Analgesia’s 2026 Editors’ Choice
UNC Anesthesiology is thrilled to congratulate the research team of Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and UNC Medical Center Director of Neuro-Anesthesia Samuel Neal Blacker, MD, for being awarded Second Place in the 2026 Editors’ Choice category for a 2025 article published in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
January 26, 2026
Drs. Keith & Anna Ruskin: Teaching UNC’s Next-Gen Anesthesiologists the Science of Human Performance in Surgical Settings
In January 2026, Drs. Keith and Anna Ruskin joined UNC Anesthesiology, bringing with them years of experience in aviation and aerospace medicine, innovating safety science solutions to help pilots, air traffic controllers and astronauts respond to high-risk/high-stress scenarios