Patricia Murphy
Dr. Murphy is medical director of the cardiovascular intensive care unit and clinical director of cardiac anesthesia in the Peter Munk Cardiac Center. She is currently a member of the executive committee for the Peter Munk Cardiac Center, University Health Network. She is an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia,at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Murphy has held numerous administrative positions, including president of the Medical Staff Association for University Health Network (UHN) and member of the board of trustees for UHN.
Dr. Murphy obtained her medical degree from Memorial University in Newfoundland in 1984. She obtained her fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Anesthesiology (FRCPC) at the University of Toronto (1989). She completed a second postgraduate specialty training program in critical care medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton (1991), followed by subspecialty training in cardiac anesthesia and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto 1991. Dr Murphy was a TEE pioneer as the first anesthesiologist in Canada to undergo training in both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. In ‘A Commemorative History of Anesthesia at University of Toronto.,’ Dr. Robert Byrick notes that “Dr Murphy led the development of intraoperative TEE in Toronto.”
Dr. Murphy is recognised nationally for her expertise in cardiac anesthesia, cardiovascular critical care and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. She is currently on the board of directors for the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists. She has previously held positions on the education committee for the SCA (Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists), program committee for the Update in Cardiopulmonary Bypass and the scientific program committee for the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.
Dr. Murphy has a longstanding commitment to education in academic anesthesiology. She was appointed to the specialty examination board for anesthesiology at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada from 1999 to 2003.
Dr. Murphy was recipient of the Dr. Gerald Edelist Teaching Award (highest honor for postgraduate teaching in the Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto) in 2006 recognizing her contributions to postgraduate teaching at the University of Toronto. Dr Murphy was a senior revision tutorial leader at the University of Toronto from 2003 until 2011.
Dr. Murphy’s research interests include cardiac and lung transplantation, TEE and clinical outcomes in cardiovascular critical care and surgery.
When not working Dr Murphy can be found alpine climbing, ice climbing or mountain biking. Her notable summits include Mt McKinley (Denali) 6187 m, Huyana Potosi 6088m, Mt Kilimanjaro 5895m and Pequeno Alpamayo 5340 m.