Candidate for Councilor – Critical Care
Sarah U. Kumar, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Thank you for considering me for the position of AASPD-Critical Care Councilor. I serve as the Program Director of the Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. I graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine, and I completed my residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and my fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently completing a Master’s degree in Medical Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Critical care anesthesia continues to experience a rapidly evolving landscape and challenges, including difficulties with applications and recruitment. In my time as Program Director, I have spearheaded various educational initiatives for the fellowship and made several changes to improve recruitment. Within my first year as Program Director, I overhauled our ICU night coverage system to promote work-life balance for our fellows while still maintaining a rigorous academic program. From a global standpoint, I believe ACCM fellowship programs can generate interest in critical care amongst trainees and improve recruitment by implementing earlier and increased exposure to critical care medicine, encouraging attendance and outreach at national and international critical care conferences, implementing innovative scheduling to reduce trainee burnout in the ICU, and fostering connection and community between anesthesia trainees and anesthesia critical care faculty. I continue to tackle these challenges within my program, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to contribute on broader solutions that will benefit our field. I look forward to collaborating with fellow council members to address both new and ongoing challenges to the benefit of all.
Candidate for Councilor – Critical Care
Jai Madhok, MD, MSE
Stanford University School of Medicine
As the Program Director of the Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine fellowship at Stanford, I am acutely aware of the current challenges we face in the specialty of critical care anesthesia, including recruitment difficulties, decrease in fellowship applications, and now new financial challenges that many of us are facing.
Given the evolving landscape of anesthesia intensivist pathways and practice patterns, I am passionate about advocating for necessary adjustments in fellowship education to align with the changing demands of our field. I am eager to collaborate with Babar Fiza and my fellow council members to engage with SOCCA, ACGME, ABA, and SAAPD in addressing both new and ongoing concerns. Last year, I was able to serve in this role in a partial term and have really enjoyed getting to know many of you and working closely with the team to try to move our specialty forward.
I truly believe we have a unique and special group of educators in this community of CCM fellowship program directors, and I would be honored to bring my experience and dedication to the AASPD-Critical Care Councilor position and look forward to working with all of you.
Candidates for Councilor – CT Anesthesia
Ashley N. Budd, MD
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Dr. Ashley Budd received her Bachelor in Science degree from the University of Michigan in biochemistry, as well as a minor in Spanish language, literature and culture. She then went on to receive her Doctor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, where she was elected a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. She went on to McGaw Medical Center - Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to complete her residency in anesthesiology. She was elected chief resident her final year of residency. Upon completion of her residency, she completed fellowships in cardiothoracic anesthesiology and critical care medicine both at McGaw Medical Center - Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Budd then became an assistance professor of anesthesiology at Northwestern University. She started as associate program director of the adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship, and is currently the program director of the fellowship. Her interests include medical education and patient blood management. She has received various teaching awards from the anesthesiology residents. She also chairs the Massive Hemorrhage Protocol Subcommittee at Northwestern Memorial hospital, and is involved in the Blood Management Subcommittee of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the Committee on Patient Blood Management of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Her research interests include direct oral anticoagulants and blood component use in cardiac surgery.
Candidate for Councilor – CT Anesthesia
Jennie Ngai, MD, FASA
New York University Langone Health
The role of an educator is both relentless and profoundly rewarding, especially when witnessing new generations of anesthesiologists seamlessly caring for patients. Becoming a Councilor of the AASPD Executive Board presents a unique opportunity to drive the evolution of anesthesiology education and training on a larger scale. As a Councilor member, I would have the chance to influence policy, enhance the quality of fellowship programs, and advocate for subspecialty training needs, thereby shaping the future of anesthesiology. This role allows collaboration with fellow leaders in the field, exchange innovative ideas, and develop strategies that address emerging challenges and trends in anesthesiology education.
I am an associate professor at New York University Langone Health and specialize in adult and pediatric cardiac anesthesiology. As part of the NYU Langone Health faculty, I serve as the director of the cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship, where I meticulously design and coordinate the educational journey of our fellows each year. In today's dynamic field of cardiac anesthesiology, education and research hold paramount importance. We encourage fellows to engage in projects that propel the field forward. Fellows are entrusted with teaching responsibilities, and supervising residents in clinical settings, all while mastering their own clinical competencies. Through these experiences, they gain insight into the multifaceted role of the academic anesthesiologist.
In addition to my educational duties, I hold administrative positions within the cardiothoracic division. As the director of cardiac and lung transplant anesthesiology and interim director of the cardiothoracic division, I collaborate with surgeons to develop protocols ensuring excellent patient care. This involves coordinating with interdisciplinary teams to refine workflows. In my director roles, I prioritize maintaining working relationships through open communication and conflict resolution.
My aspiration is to further contribute to the field of anesthesiology and facilitate the education of current and future anesthesiologists. Furthermore, being part of the executive board provides the platform to contribute meaningfully to the continued professional development of anesthesiology educators and trainees, ultimately improving patient care standards across the subspecialty disciplines. It would be my honor to once again serve as an AASPD Councilor, as a representative of CT Anesthesiology.
Candidate for Councilor – CT Anesthesia
Benjamin Salter, DO
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Benjamin Salter, DO is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, medical degree from Michigan State University, completed residency at Illinois Masonic Medical Center and fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Salter currently serves as the Program Director for the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at Mount Sinai. He has led workshops on TEE, TTE and regional anesthesia for cardiac surgery at both national and international anesthesiology conferences. Additionally, he created Mount Sinai’s OSCE simulation program for fellows and faculty and co-developed the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists’ Introduction to Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship webinar.
Candidates for Councilor – Obstetrics
Jacqueline M. Galvan, MD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
I am an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology who has served as Interim Division Chief of Obstetric Anesthesiology at UT Southwestern, as well as Section Chief at Clements University Hospital and Director of the Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship. In these roles, I led educational, clinical, and quality improvement initiatives while mentoring fellows, residents, and medical students.
Nationally, I have been an active member of the ASA Obstetric Anesthesia Committee and have contributed to multiple SOAP committees, including the Fellowship Directors Committee and Annual Curricular Planning Subcommittee. I have also had the privilege of representing our subspecialty through my service as SAAAPD Obstetric Anesthesia Councilor for the past 2 years.
Looking ahead, I will be transitioning into a leadership role at Baylor Scott & White Andrews Women’s Center as Chief of Obstetric Anesthesia, where I will also help guide educational efforts for their new anesthesiology residency program. For the upcoming term, I am committed to strengthening the role of the SAAAPD Obstetric Anesthesia Councilor within the SOAP Education Committee and to highlighting the contributions of fellowship program directors within SOAP and ASA infrastructures to advance subspecialty education.
Candidates for Councilor – Obstetrics
Kaitlyn E. Neumann MD, MEd
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Dr. Kaitlyn Neumann is an obstetrical anesthesiologist actively involved in patient care, clinical research, and medical education. She completed medical school at New York Medical College, anesthesiology residency and an obstetrical anesthesiology fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and remains on faculty at Northestern University. She has served as Program Director of the Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program since 2023 and Associate Program Director of the Anesthesiology Residency since 2024. Areas of clinical interest include patient education and peripartum mental health disorders. Her medical education endeavors are supported by a Master's in Education and membership to Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators (FAME).
Candidates for Councilor – Obstetrics
Emily E. Sharpe, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
I am an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic. I have served as the Program Director of our Obstetric Anesthesiology fellowship since 2021 and previously held the position of associate program director since the establishment of the fellowship in 2018. I have a strong and sustained interest in medical education, including teaching, curriculum development, and leadership at my own institution, through national organizations, and through international outreach in Ghana, Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2024, I was honored to receive the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Teacher of the Year Award.
I have been actively involved in SOAP, serving on various committees (including the Annual Meeting & Live Events Committee and the Annual Curricular Planning Subcommittee planning the SOAP annual meeting), presenting at national and international conferences (including the 2025 Ostheimer lecture), and contributing to the development of educational initiatives. These experiences have provided me with a broad perspective on the issues facing our specialty and the importance of collaboration and leadership in addressing them.
I am particularly passionate about mentoring the next generation of anesthesiologists. I have mentored numerous residents, fellows, medical students, undergraduate students, and student nurse anesthetists, guiding them in their research projects, career development, and clinical practice. This mentorship has been a deeply rewarding aspect of my professional life, and I am committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all trainees. I was awarded the Scholarly Activity Mentorship Award as voted by the anesthesiology residents.
In summary, I am eager to serve as Councilor for Obstetric Anesthesiology and support our specialty’s progress through the Association of Anesthesiology Specialty Program Directors. I will advocate for Fellowship Program Directors and trainees, and work with the SOAP Education Committee. Thank you for your consideration.
Candidate for Councilor – Pain Medicine
Meredith Barad, MD
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Dr. Meredith Barad is a Clinical Associate Professor in Anesthesiology (Pain) and Neurology at Stanford. She is the co-director of the Stanford Facial Pain Program and focuses on headache and facial pain. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Stanford University Medical School in 2003, where she also did a neurology residency and pain fellowship at Stanford. She is board certified in Neurology, Headache and Pain. She is the Associate Division Chief of Education and Program Director for the Pain Fellowship. She is the current President of the American Pain Program Directors. She serves as the Chair of the headache and facial pain special interest group for the American Academy of Pain Medicine and is on the Editorial Board of Pain Medicine.
Candidate for Councilor – Pain Medicine
Alexander Bautista, MD, MBA, FASA
University of Louisville
Alexander F. Bautista, MD, MBA, FASA is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Louisville, where he serves as Pain Fellowship Director and Medical Director of the Pain Medicine Clinic. A fellowship-trained interventional pain specialist and an educator, Dr. Bautista is also the President-Elect of the Association of Pain Program Directors (APPD) and a Council Member for Pain Medicine on the AASPD. His academic contributions span over 60 peer-reviewed publications and multiple textbook chapters on neuromodulation, pharmacologic pain management, and interventional procedures. He has been instrumental in advancing education, opioid stewardship, and various pain initiatives across institutional, regional, and national platforms.
Candidate for Councilor – Pain Medicine
Prentiss Lawson, Jr., MD, CMQ
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
I am running for Councilor because I am deeply committed to addressing the critical challenges facing our pain medicine fellowship programs, particularly the recent decline in recruitment. Having trained and worked in both academic and private practice settings, I understand the factors influencing residents’ decisions to pursue fellowship, especially amid a strong anesthesiology job market. My goal is to help re-energize early career interest in pain medicine by promoting innovative recruitment strategies, supporting a transparent and equitable match process, and enhancing the appeal of our training programs.
Beyond recruitment, I am passionate about fostering educational excellence through collaboration, mentorship, and the development of curricular innovations that prepare fellows for the complexities of modern pain management. As the applicant pool evolves, our programs encounter new challenges in medical education while maintaining the ongoing responsibility to prepare graduates who are fully equipped to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care upon entering practice.
I am eager to contribute my leadership, clinical expertise, and vision to the Council. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to ensure that our fellowship programs remain vibrant, relevant, and capable of attracting and training the next generation of leaders in pain medicine.
Candidate for Councilor – Pediatrics
Gregory E. R. Weller, MD, PhD
Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Greetings! My name is Greg Weller, and I’m hoping to serve as a Pediatric Councilor for the AASPD.
After my medical and graduate training at Hopkins, Pitt, Penn, and CHOP, my wife and I decided to stay in the Mid-Atlantic region and raise our kids in the lovely rural town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. I have a somewhat unconventional background for medicine, having studied mostly physics and engineering, including a doctorate in biomedical engineering (cardiovascular targeted molecular therapeutics). This atypical path to perioperative medicine has allowed me to offer some different perspectives when teaching residents and fellows, and has catalyzed my strong advocacy of graduate education.
Soon after landing at Penn State Hershey as a pediatric anesthesiologist, I welcomed the opportunity to take over as program director of Hershey’s pediatric anesthesiology fellowship program, and have served as PD for 12 years. In that time, our team has introduced a number of innovative curriculum features that have helped us build a small, but strong and successful fellowship, and I’m very proud that our graduates serve as pediatric anesthesiology consultants all across the country.
Additional relevant experience includes serving on a variety of departmental and institutional committees, directing our pediatric NORA division for 10 years, and serving as chair of my department’s fellowship education group for 8 years. I’ve worked to develop and implement numerous medical curriculum components, and remain involved in a wide variety of academic endeavors including education, mentoring, clinical improvement, and bench and clinical research.
My goals for the AASPD would be:
- Help enhance the utility of the AASPD for all our fellowship faculty, coordinators, and trainees as a strategic resource for all subspecialty programs.
- Promote the AASPD meetings as the premier setting for the robust exchange of ideas between programs.
- Encourage the development of enhanced shared online resources that will facilitate collaborative interactions between training programs.
- Develop recommendations from the AASPD to enhance our trainees’ academic experiences (especially scholarly projects), to inspire the younger generation to pursue academic endeavors and careers.
I consider myself an enthusiastic advocate for our trainees, our educational mission, and academia in general. If offered the opportunity to serve on the AASPD Council, I will aim to collaborate with the councilors, AASPD members, and the SAAAPM as a whole to facilitate the advancement of pediatric anesthesiology training programs, and most importantly strive to meet the evolving needs of our program leaders and trainees.
Candidate for Councilor – Regional Anesthesia
Brian F. S. Allen, MD, FASA
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Dr. Brian Allen is the regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine (RAPM) fellowship director at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he completed anesthesiology residency. His undergraduate and medical education occurred at Washington University in St. Louis and his fellowship training occurred at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. He is dedicated to advancing the RAPM subspecialty, helping found the Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship Directors Association (RAFDA) where he is the current Secretary-Treasurer. He has helped lead several initiatives for the subspecialty, including distributing the fellowship knowledge test to > 40 programs in North America for each of the last six years and helping to develop the common application that is currently used for RAPM fellowship.
Dr. Allen is honored to have served as counselor for the last two years and would respectfully request to serve another two. His passions are teaching procedural techniques and understanding the impact of cognitive load on procedural performance and receptiveness to feedback. In his spare time he is an assistant scoutmaster with his kid's scout troop and an avid board gamer.
Candidate for Councilor – Regional Anesthesia
Brett J. Elmore, MD
UVA Health
Dr. Brett Elmore is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UVA Health in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Elmore attended Auburn University, graduating summa cum laude with a dual degree in Molecular Biology and Biomedical Sciences. He obtained his medical doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2010 and went on to complete his anesthesiology residency at the University of Kentucky in 2014. He pursued a fellowship in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine at the University of Virginia, where he has been on faculty since. His research and education interests include regional anesthesia, acute pain medicine, anatomy, orthopedic anesthesiology, obstructive sleep apnea, and clinical operations. He is the fellowship director of the accredited regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine fellowship, where they train four fellows annually. Additionally, he was recently appointed as an adjunct professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery after years of collaboration with his orthopedic colleagues. His other appointments within the university include CRNA liaison, board runner, and anesthesiology resident anatomy course director. Dr. Elmore is the Vice Chair of the Website Committee and Member-at-Large of the Membership Committee for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (ASRA). He also holds appointments to the Education and Abstract Review Subcommittees on Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain within the ASA. He has given invited lectures and workshops nationally at the ASA, ASRA, Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, and Society of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia annual meetings. He has mentored numerous medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty at UVA Health and at other institutions. Dr. Elmore lives in Charlottesville, VA, with his wife (Lanna), daughter (McLane), son (Willett), and their three dogs (Finn, Sturgill, and Bruno).
Candidate for Councilor – Regional Anesthesia
Michael Herrick, MD
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
My name is Michael Herrick and I am the current Program Director for Regional Anesthesiology at Dartmouth. I finished my fellowship in regional anesthesiology at Dartmouth in 2012 and I have remained on faculty at Dartmouth since that time. I became Director of Regional Anesthesia in 2013 and the Fellowship Director in 2017. My early research focused on how we teach and evaluate procedural skills. I continue to have an interest in large regional and acute pain medicine outcome-based studies. I also continue to be involved in curriculum development and how we teach our fellows to become excellent instructors, clinicians, and researchers. It is a challenging time to attract anesthesia residents to apply for a subspecialty fellowship. I would appreciate the opportunity to be a Regional Anesthesiology Councilor for the AASPD and work on ways to show the value of a subspecialty fellowship to our future applicants.
