Following more than 45 years of dedicated service to the Department of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Farida Gadalla retired on June 4, 2025. A respected obstetric anesthesiologist, Dr. Gadalla was a professor of clinical anesthesiology and professor of anesthesiology in obstetrics and gynecology.
“Dr. Gadalla was nationally known and respected as an obstetric anesthesiologist dedicated to patient care, education and support of her colleagues," said Dr. Hugh Hemmings, professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and senior associate dean for research at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Her considerate and compassionate advice impacted us all.”
During her distinguished career at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Gadalla held numerous leadership positions. She was named the first director of obstetrical anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesiology. In this role, she authored “Pain Control for Labor and Delivery,” a widely-read patient education resource for expectant mothers at The New York Hospital. She also served as director of Quality and Patient Safety for the department, working to foster a culture of safety and facilitate quality improvement projects for faculty and trainees.
Dr. Gadalla’s professional interests extended beyond the department. In 2012, she and Dr. Ralph Slepian travelled to Qatar to assist in designing the hospital and operating suites at Sidra Medical and Research Center, a women’s and children’s hospital in Doha. In 2022, she was honored as a 30-year Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) where she serves as co-chair of the Section on Anesthesiology. She has been an active and enthusiastic participant and organizer of NYAM’s Anesthesiology Residents’ Night and the popular Anesthesiology Jeopardy competition. Dr. Gadalla was also a leader of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee of the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA).
Dr. Farida Gadalla earned her medical degree in 1975 from the University of Alexandria, Faculty of Medicine in Egypt. She completed her residency training in anesthesiology at The New York Hospital where she was chief resident, and an obstetric anesthesia fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Since joining the department as faculty in 1980, Dr. Gadalla has specialized in caring for obstetric patients and served as a member of the bariatric anesthesia team which she also helped to establish.
As Dr. Gadalla steps into retirement, we are grateful for her many years of dedication, leadership and caring.