John J. Savarese, MD has been named Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology. Dr. Savarese is a leading expert in the field of muscle relaxants, and former Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology.
As a physician, researcher and educator, Dr. Savarese has advanced the field of anesthesiology throughout his career. He led the Department of Anesthesiology from 1989 to 2013, more than doubling its size and developing a team of highly-skilled anesthesiologists with subspecialty expertise during his tenure. His leadership was also marked by an expansion in both basic science and clinical research, with numerous MD and PhD investigators joining the department’s ranks and expanding its research impact.
“In his 24 years leading the department, John set it on a solid foundation as a leading academic department of anesthesiology," said Dr. Hugh Hemmings, the Joseph F. Artusio, Jr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. "Our success today is due to his vision and commitment to subspecialty clinical care, graduate education, and research."
Dr. Savarese received his training in anesthesiology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where he completed a fellowship in neuromuscular physiology and pharmacology. Prior to joining Weill Cornell, Dr. Savarese spent 17 years at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
An expert in neuromuscular blocking drugs, Dr. Savarese has been recognized for developing a number of important new drugs, an effort that he will continue as a professor emeritus. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Greenberg Award, Weill Cornell’s highest honor for a member of the medical staff.