Nadia Lunardi

Nadia Lunardi

MD, PhD

I am a practicing Anesthesiologist, Critical Care physician, and investigator in a translational research laboratory. I transitioned to a faculty position at the University of Virginia in 2012 after obtaining a Medical Degree, residency in Anesthesiology, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and a Critical Care fellowship. I currently hold the position of Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the same institution.

My research focuses on the mechanisms through which anesthetics shape neuronal function and ultimately lead to changes in sleep and cognition. Much of my research interest is defined by my clinical work. In the operating room and the Intensive Care Unit I routinely care for elderly surgical patients who develop post-operative delirium. In doing so, I am reminded of the profound implications of post-operative cognitive dysfunction for my patients, our healthcare system and society at large.

I believe it is only through research into the most basic mechanisms of action of anesthetics on the brain that Anesthesiologists will succeed in preventing and treating postoperative cognitive dysfunction. I am driven by the hope that my research will contribute to elucidating how anesthetics initiate long-term changes in the aging brain and offer a practical approach to reducing postoperative cognitive dysfunction.