Congratulations to FAER’s New President and Chief Scientific Officer!

November 9, 2023

The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) is proud to announce Max B. Kelz, MD, PhD, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, as the President and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of FAER beginning in 2024.

Dr. Kelz is the Lee A. Fleisher, MD Professor and Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania. An accomplished neuroanesthesiologist funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for roughly two decades, Dr. Kelz is a prolific researcher who has authored over 95 peer-reviewed research publications.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kelz has maintained a strong relationship with FAER. The recipient of a FAER Research Training Grant in 2004, Dr. Kelz has mentored Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellows and Mentored Research Training Grantees on multiple occasions. He was appointed as a member of the Academy of Research Mentors in Anesthesiology (ARMA) in 2017 before serving as President of ARMA from 2019 – 2021.

Dr. Kelz has acted as a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) Education Track Subcommittee on Neuro Anesthesia and the Committee on Research since 2022. He has also Chaired the Steering Committee of the Anesthesia Research Council (ARC). ARC is a collaboration between FAER, the ASA, and the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

“With a Research Training Grant, FAER was instrumental in helping launch my academic career. Over the ensuing two decades, I have lived the physician-scientist dream. Inspired by a case of delayed emergence in a patient with narcolepsy, I’ve pursued basic neuroscience research to tackle fundamental questions at the heart of anesthesiology – how and why are we conscious and what do general anesthetics do to reversibly disrupt our perception of the world?

“I am fully committed to FAER’s mission to develop the next generation of physician-investigators and am absolutely thrilled to follow in the giant footsteps of Dr. Jim Eisenach as FAER’s next President. I look forward to working with the outstanding FAER staff, its Board of Directors, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists as we continue to enable today’s medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty to realize their own academic journeys.”
- Max B. Kelz, MD, PhD

FAER is excited for Dr. Kelz to take on his role as President and CSO and looks forward to the positive impact his contributions will have on the Foundation’s work.

As FAER welcomes Dr. Kelz, we also want to take this opportunity to celebrate and thank Dr. Eisenach for his years of service as its President. Dr. Eisenach’s guidance and scientific expertise have proven tremendously beneficial to FAER’s growth and pursuit of its mission since he first accepted the presidency in 2016. Among his many successes, Dr. Eisenach’s time as President has seen FAER award 122 grants to physician-investigators, match 431 medical student fellows to host institutions, and sponsor 342 resident scholars’ attendance at ANESTHESIOLOGY^®.

“It’s been my honor to lead FAER’s efforts towards its mission to develop the next generation of physician-investigators and its vision to create a nurturing community of investigators that will last through their careers. FAER’s work in partnership with academic departments to support the specialty’s early career investigators is unparalleled, and I’ve seen time and time again the incredibly positive impact FAER funding has on our grantees, resident scholars, and student fellows.

“Over these 8 years, the FAER Board has strategically improved FAER’s impact, including a 43% increase in the funding awarded through our Mentored Research Training Grant, the development of a highly successful annual meeting for these awardees and those funded by IARS, the establishment of multiple co-sponsored grants with subspecialty societies and academic organizations, the endowment of the FAER National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Fellowship in Anesthesiology, establishing a full day of programing at ANESTHESIOLOGY for students, residents, and junior faculty, and outreach to MD, PhD student organizations. I’m proud of this growth and want to thank FAER’s supporters for making them possible.

“Dr. Max Kelz will succeed me as FAER President in 2024. His expertise and enthusiasm for the role will be a great asset to FAER and I look forward to hearing about the Foundation’s continuing success under his leadership.

“To all those I had the pleasure to work with during my time as FAER President, thank you for making my time in this role so rewarding and meaningful.”
- James C. Eisenach, MD

Please join FAER in congratulating Dr. Kelz on his appointment and thanking Dr. Eisenach for his years of outstanding leadership. Simultaneously, FAER would like to thank all those who applied for the President and CSO position. The applicants constituted a truly exceptional cohort of leaders in anesthesiology and research. FAER is honored by the commitment to its mission shown by so many.

To learn more about FAER’s work and supporters, we encourage you to read FAER’s 2022 Annual Report.

THE FOUNDATION FOR ANESTHESIA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (FAER)
FAER is a related organization of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). For over 35 years, FAER has been dedicated to developing the next generation of physician-investigators in anesthesiology. Charitable contributions and support to FAER help fuel the future of anesthesiology through scientific discovery. Funding priorities include: Research, Education, and Training. At the time of this article's publication, FAER has awarded more than $56 million in research grants and programs since 1986. To donate to FAER, visit FAER.org/donate.