Beverley Orser

Dr. Beverley Orser is an anesthesiologist, researcher, and academic leader. She serves as the Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto and is an anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. She recently served as the Chair of the Board of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

Dr. Orser earned her Medical Doctorate from Queen’s University, followed by a Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a PhD in medical science from the University of Toronto.

As a clinician-scientist, her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of general anesthetic drugs and their long-term effects on brain function. Her research team identified the unique pharmacological properties of extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors, shedding light on their role in anesthesia- and inflammation-induced cognitive impairment. She established the world’s first Perioperative Brain Health Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to address brain complications after surgery and collaborated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address anesthetic neurotoxicity in children. She has also contributed to patient safety by co-founding the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada the first Canadian reporting system for medication errors, and the Quality and Patient Safety Committee of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society.

Dr. Orser’s contributions have been recognized with Honours including Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, the Gold Medal from the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Excellence in Research Award. She was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine in 2018 and appointed a Member of the Order of Ontario in 2022. Her commitment to improving patient safety and advancing neuroscience continues to influence the field through her research, teaching, and advocacy.