Timothy J. Brennan, MD, PhD, professor of anesthesia in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, has been named the Dr. Samir D. Gergis Professor of Anesthesia. The five-year appointment was effective April 1.

The endowed professorship, the first in the Department of Anesthesia, was created by gifts to the UI Foundation from the estate of Samir D. "Sam" Gergis, MD, a longtime UI Department of Anesthesia faculty member. Gergis died in April 2005 at the age of 71.

Brennan, who is vice chair for research in anesthesia, is recognized worldwide for his innovative laboratory work on the mechanisms and treatment of postoperative surgical pain, an issue relevant to millions of patients each year. His research has been National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded for more than a decade, and he has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals.

"Dr. Brennan's appointment to the Dr. Samir D. Gergis Professorship is well-earned recognition of his national prominence and outstanding contributions to the field of anesthesia," said Michael Todd, MD, professor and head of anesthesia. "We are very grateful to Sam Gergis, who was an esteemed leader and a good friend to our department, for his generosity, which will significantly advance Iowa’s already excellent reputation for anesthesia scholarship and education."

Brennan received a bachelor of science degree in natural science from Saint John's University, Collegeville, MN, a doctoral degree in pharmacology from University of Texas Health Sciences Center, and a medical degree from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he also completed a fellowship in neurophysiology.

Timothy J. Brennan, MD. PhD

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University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

Michael Todd, MD