Candidates for Upcoming Elections - AAAC

2026 AAAC Council Candidates

Listed Alphabetically by Last Name

Candidate for President-Elect

• Jeffrey Berger, MD, MBA, FASA

Candidate for Secretary/Treasurer

• Rebecca A. Aslakson, MD, PhD, FAAHPM, FCCM

Candidates for Councilor

• Howard B. Gutstein, MD, FAAP, FASA
• Meghan B. Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM

Candidate for President-Elect

Jeffrey Berger, MD, MBA, FASA

George Washington University

Why are you interested in running?

Thank you very much for the opportunity to be considered for this role. I am grateful to have served the Society in several prior roles that have prepared me for the opportunity of President-Elect. Supporting peer leaders has always been an important aspect of my leadership philosophy; I have been lifted and inspired by peers in this group who have offered suggestions, ideas and, at times, empathy, that have been invaluable to my development.  Accordingly, I feel a duty to serve this community as part of my chair role. 

At this year's Annual Meeting, I have secured an expert speaker for training executives on practical AI integration into administrative practice, as well as a psychiatrist expert on substance use disorder treatment and avenues for return to practice. I am also coordinating efforts to update the Salary Survey based on user feedback. Above all, I have enjoyed being part of a community of likeminded leaders who are committed to supporting best practices in academic anesthesiology. Respectfully, Jeff Berger

Bio

Jeffrey S. Berger, MD, MBA, FASA, is Seymour Alpert Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. Prior to his current role, Dr. Berger was anesthesiology residency program director for 8 years and associate dean for graduate medical education and ACGME designated institutional official (DIO) for 4 years at The George Washington University.  

Dr. Berger previously spent 5 years on the AAAC Council with the last two years of service as Secretary/Treasurer.  He assisted with planning the 2021 - 2025 SAAAPM and AAAC meetings and facilitated New Chair Sessions annually for the AAAC over that period. Dr. Berger leads the SAAAPM Annual Survey committee, and previously represented SAAAPM at the ASA Annual Meeting with a report on ASA Finances to the Academic Caucus. In his role as Secretary/Treasurer, Dr. Berger has overseen the audited financials of the SAAAPM as well as a bank transition and a rebalancing of the organization's portfolio.

Dr. Berger has additional experience to offer the role stemming from his experiences as associate editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine, ad hoc reviewer for the NIH’s Health Services Organization and Delivery study section, board member of the Society of Education in Anesthesia (SEA), and executive board member of the DC Society for Anesthesiologists where Dr. Berger served as President of the Society.

He and his wife, Rachel, who is a private practice cardiologist, have three daughters and live in the Maryland suburbs, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Candidate for Secretary/Treasurer

Rebecca A. Aslakson, MD, PhD, FAAHPM, FCCM

University of Vermont Health

Why are you interested in running?

For many reasons, these are incredibly challenging times for academic anesthesiology.  Whether it is increasing clinical demands being placed on anesthesiologists and anesthesiology teams, shrinking budgets, staffing shortages, less time and opportunity for academic pursuits such as teaching or research, or compounding local, regional, and national cultural trends contributing to worsening practitioner burnout, the stresses and demands on individual academic anesthesiologists can seem boundless.  Moreover, these challenges are an everyday negotiation for leaders in academic anesthesiology, such as Department Chairs and anesthesiology residency and fellowship Program Directors and Administrators.  Yet, this is exactly when professional societies, such as SAAAPM, are most needed and beneficial.  Throughout the year and particularly at the Annual Meeting, SAAAPM provides a trusted forum by which to disseminate best practices, discuss innovations, and find shared community.  Every year (and most especially when I started as a Department Chair five years ago), SAAAPM is a group which reliably and uniquely understands my role within academic anesthesiology and provides me the tools and community to better succeed in that role.  Serving in leadership for the SAAAPM and AAAC would be an incredible honor and a treasured opportunity to both give back and to help to grow this important organization.

Bio

Triple boarded in critical care, anesthesia, and hospice and palliative medicine and with a PhD in clinical research, Rebecca A Aslakson MD PhD FCCM FAAHPM is devoted to a career in academic anesthesiology and academic medicine and is in her firth year of service as the Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Vermont Health, which is a 6-hospital academic rural health system that spans all of Vermont and upstate New York state.  Besides academic and clinical operations experience , Dr. Aslakson has content expertise in improving the delivery of effective and equitable palliative care, particularly to surgical and critical care populations. She has led multiple studies integrating palliative care into ICU and/or surgical care settings and has been supported through over $5 million in awards from diverse funders, such as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The National Palliative Care Research Center, and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received national and international awards including: the 2014 American Society of Anesthesiologists James E. Cottrell Presidential Scholar Award; the 2015 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Early Investigator Award; being named a 2016 AAHPM “40 under 40” inspirational leader in palliative care; the 2019 Grenvik Family Award for Ethics from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM); the 2024 Shubin-Weil Master Clinician/Teacher Award from SCCM; and the 2024 Burchardi Award from the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiology. She lives in South Burlington, VT with her husband, their two sons, and their two beloved little rescue dogs.

Candidates for Councilor

Howard B. Gutstein, MD, FAAP, FASA

University of Connecticut Health Science Center

Why are you interested in running?

I am seeking election to the Council because I believe strongly in the vital role that academic anesthesiology plays in advancing our specialty, educating the next generation of physicians, and improving patient care. At this stage of my career, I have the time, experience, and perspective to devote to this service. Over more than 30 years as a physician-scientist, educator, clinician, and academic leader, I have served as a department chair, vice-chair for research, residency program director, professor, researcher, and mentor. I have built research programs, secured more than $16 million in NIH support as PI or co-PI, mentored trainees and clinician-scientists, and led academic departments through significant organizational and financial challenges. These experiences have given me a broad perspective on both the opportunities and challenges facing academic anesthesiology. I believe we are at a crossroads, with clinical, financial, and political pressures increasingly challenging our ability to sustain the academic mission of our specialty.

As a Council member, I would focus on strengthening our collective voice and preparing our membership to navigate the political and financial forces affecting anesthesiology and academic medicine. We must be proactive advocates for the resources and policies necessary to educate future anesthesiologists, support research and innovation, and recruit and retain outstanding faculty. I also believe we must clearly defend the identity and scope of our specialty, particularly when the title and roles of anesthesiologists are misappropriated or blurred. Our advocacy should emphasize the depth, breadth, and rigor of anesthesiology training and the distinctive expertise that anesthesiologists bring to patient care. I would bring to Council extensive experience in academic medicine, research, education, organizational leadership, and mentorship, together with a strong commitment to political and policy advocacy. I want to help ensure that academic anesthesiology does not simply survive these pressures, but emerges stronger and better positioned to lead the future of our specialty.

Bio

Dr. Gutstein is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Connecticut. He received his medical education at Johns Hopkins and undertook residency training in Surgery and Anesthesiology at UC San Francisco. He then completed a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at UCSF and in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. He also received a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management from Rice University.

Dr. Gutstein’s research interests have focused on pain and opioid tolerance. He has received over 25 years of NIH funding and been awarded two patents. Dr. Gutstein’s clinical interests focus on pain and airway management, and he has been recognized by Castle-Connolly Best Doctors in America. Dr. Gutstein has also had extensive administrative and leadership experience, serving as a residency program director, department chair, and member of the executive boards and compensation committees of faculty practice plans. He has served the ASA on multiple committees, and serves on the board of the Connecticut State Society of Anesthesiologists, where he recently led a successful advocacy effort to stop attempted title misappropriation. Dr. Gutstein’s outside interests include music, sailing and classic cars.

Meghan B. Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM

Columbia University

Why are you interested in running?

I am seeking election as Councilor for the Association of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs because I believe AAAC plays an essential role in shaping the future of academic anesthesiology through collaboration, shared learning, and leadership development. As Chair of Anesthesiology at Columbia University and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, I have worked to build high-performing teams, foster faculty development, and translate evidence into meaningful organizational change. My career as an anesthesiologist, intensivist, and implementation scientist has been grounded in bringing people together across disciplines and institutions to solve complex problems, improve patient care, and develop the next generation of academic leaders. Through national leadership roles with the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, the NIH, and numerous professional societies, I have learned the value of creating communities that accelerate innovation and amplify the impact of individual departments.

As Councilor, I would help strengthen AAAC as a year-round community of chairs committed to advancing academic anesthesiology. I would work to develop Annual Meeting programming that equips leaders with practical strategies to support their departments while fostering lasting networks for collaboration in education, research, clinical operations, and faculty development. I am particularly interested in creating opportunities for chairs to share successful practices in recruitment, retention, and professional development of mid-career and established faculty, who are often left behind in career development programming.

Bio

Meghan Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM is the E. M. Papper Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. An anesthesiologist, intensivist, and internationally recognized implementation scientist, she leads one of the nation's most storied academic anesthesiology departments while maintaining an active research program focused on patient safety, perioperative and critical care, and organizational change. Her work has helped advance the science of translating evidence into practice, with particular emphasis on improving communication, healthcare quality, and equitable implementation.

Dr. Lane-Fall is deeply committed to advancing academic anesthesiology through mentorship, collaboration, and professional service. She has mentored more than 90 trainees and faculty members and advised many hundreds more. She serves on the Boards of Directors of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, and has held numerous national leadership roles across anesthesiology, critical care, and implementation science. She is passionate about fostering collaboration among academic departments, developing future leaders, and creating learning communities that strengthen research, education, clinical care, and faculty success across our specialty.