Hannah Wunsch, M.D., M.Sc. has been named Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology Research, a newly established professorship in the Department of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Wunsch is a professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and the vice chair for research in the department.
The appointment recognizes Dr. Wunsch’s leadership in anesthesiology, critical care medicine, and research.
"We are honored to have such a distinguished scholar of critical care research as a member of our faculty," said Dr. Hugh Hemmings, Jr., the senior associate dean for research at Weill Cornell Medicine and Joseph F. Artusio, Jr. Professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. "She is a leading figure in academic anesthesia, and a deserving recipient of this recognition."
An internationally recognized speaker and scholar, Dr. Wunsch’s research focuses on health services research in critical care, with a particular focus on international comparisons of critical care, use of large databases to understand resource utilization, and long-term outcomes of critically ill patients. Her research has been supported by the NIH, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, reflecting the significance of her contributions. She is the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, and Anesthesiology, as well as the recent book, The Autumn Ghost: How the Battle Against a Polio Epidemic Revolutionized Modern Medical Care. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a prestigious Canada Research Chair in critical care organization and outcomes.
Dr. Wunsch received her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She completed a residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in critical care medicine at Columbia University as an Apgar Scholar and joined the faculty at Columbia before moving to Canada. Prior to moving back to New York in 2023, she was an intensivist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and on faculty at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Wunsch says she is thrilled to receive this recognition of her prior work and support for her research in anesthesiology and critical care medicine.
"Advancing the science of perioperative and critical care remains one of medicine's most pressing priorities," she said, noting the importance of stable funding for scientific inquiry. "I am very grateful to the Department of Anesthesiology and the wider Weill Cornell Medicine community for their ongoing support."