Eltzschig honored with ASA Excellence in Research Award

Holger K. Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished University Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, received the 2026 American Society of Anesthesiologists Excellence in Research Award, recognizing more than two decades of discoveries aimed at preventing organ injury and improving outcomes for patients undergoing surgery.

The award recognizes individuals whose sustained contributions to research have advanced the science and practice of anesthesiology. Considered one of the society’s most prestigious research honors, it recognizes investigators whose work has made, or is expected to make, a significant impact on the specialty.

For Eltzschig, the recognition represents an important milestone in a career that has taken him from treating patients in emergency situations to investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for some of the most serious complications of surgery.

“This is certainly the most humbling and the most prestigious research award that I’ve received in my whole career,” Eltzschig said. “It is particularly meaningful because it comes from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which highlights that the research that we have been doing is critical, not just in a fundamental biology way, but also in a way that it applies to the field of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine.”

An unexpected path to medicine

Growing up in Germany, Eltzschig expected to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both engineers. His plans changed after high school when he chose to complete two years of hospital service rather than enter the military.

Working as a paramedic, he regularly responded to emergencies involving heart attacks, traumatic injuries, and automobile accidents. In Germany, anesthesiologists often accompany emergency medical teams to treat critically ill patients, giving Eltzschig an opportunity to observe their work firsthand.

He became fascinated by their understanding of human physiology and their ability to make critical decisions under pressure.

“I became extremely inspired by their understanding of physiology, applied pharmacology, their ability to intervene, manage the airway, resuscitate patients,” Eltzschig said. “It was something that I felt like is a little bit like engineering because it has this engineering understanding of how the body works.”

By the time his hospital service ended, Eltzschig had abandoned his plans to become an engineer. He entered medical school determined to pursue anesthesiology.

His interest in research developed during a biochemistry lecture on hemoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Learning how changes at the molecular level could influence the body’s functions and contribute to diseases sparked his interest in understanding the biological processes behind illness.

That curiosity eventually led him to study how cells respond to low oxygen levels, a condition known as hypoxia.

Following his medical training in Germany, Eltzschig continued his clinical and research training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he investigated how cells adapt to oxygen deprivation and inflammation.

The work became the foundation for a research career focused on understanding how the body responds to injury and whether those natural protective mechanisms could be used to develop new treatments.

From molecular discoveries to patient care

A central focus of Eltzschig’s research has been hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), proteins that help cells respond to changes in oxygen availability.

His laboratory has demonstrated that these pathways also play an important role in regulating inflammation and protecting tissues during acute injury. The findings have implications for several complications associated with surgery and critical illness, including injuries affecting the lungs, kidneys, and heart.

Over the years, Eltzschig and his collaborators have identified molecular mechanisms that may help reduce tissue damage, creating opportunities to investigate treatments that activate the body’s protective responses.

What began as basic research into how cells adapt to low oxygen levels has now progressed to clinical trials involving patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a life-threatening condition in which severe inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs interfere with breathing.

A phase II clinical trial involving 448 patients with ARDS examined whether activating HIF pathways could reduce lung injury. The findings suggested a reduction in disease severity, particularly among patients experiencing severe oxygen deprivation.

Researchers have since begun a phase III trial to investigate the approach in patients with ARDS caused by a broader range of infections.

“There’s a saying that your research leads you to where it leads,” Eltzschig said. “I feel extremely fortunate that the laboratory experiments that we did evolved towards some approaches that are relevant, or that could be relevant to treating diseases that occur in patients in the perioperative field.”

He credits the collaborative research environment at UTHealth Houston with helping make that transition possible. Through the Center for Outcomes Research within the Institute of Perioperative Medicine, investigators have developed the infrastructure needed to evaluate laboratory discoveries in patients undergoing surgery or receiving critical care.

The opportunity to connect discoveries made in the laboratory with the needs of patients has been particularly rewarding, he said.

“Obviously, it’s always the dream of a physician scientist that some of the findings that you’re making in the laboratory would have an impact on patients,” Eltzschig said. “And we’re very close to moving into this direction.”

Building a lasting research legacy

Beyond his scientific discoveries, Eltzschig has played a significant role in expanding research opportunities and mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists.

Since becoming chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine in 2016, he has helped strengthen its clinical, educational, and research programs while supporting the development of investigators pursuing careers in academic medicine.

He also serves as founding director of the Institute of Perioperative Medicine, a multidisciplinary research initiative that brings together investigators from across specialties to study complications associated with surgery and critical illness.

Throughout his career, Eltzschig has mentored more than 60 scientists and physician-scientists, including 30 who have received National Institutes of Health funding. His research has resulted in more than 340 peer-reviewed publications and has been cited more than 44,000 times.

His contributions have also earned him election to the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

In an article published in Anesthesiology recognizing Eltzschig’s receipt of the award, Alex S. Evers, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, highlighted the breadth of his scientific contributions and their potential to change how physicians approach organ injury following surgery.

Evers, who led Eltzschig’s nomination with support from several colleagues, emphasized the importance of research that connects molecular discoveries with clinical applications.

Looking toward the next discovery

Although the award recognizes a lifetime of research accomplishments, Eltzschig sees considerable work ahead.

In addition to ongoing clinical trials involving lung injury, his team hopes to investigate whether HIF activators could help prevent or reduce acute kidney injury and damage to the heart associated with surgery.

These complications remain major challenges in perioperative medicine, and developing treatments to reduce their severity could have significant implications for patient survival and recovery.

“The hope is that HIF activators can be used for different types of organ injury prevention,” Eltzschig said. “If we can find novel approaches to prevent these types of organ injury, it would be incredibly beneficial to our patient population and highly impactful.”

For Eltzschig, the next chapter of his research will continue to be driven by the same curiosity that first drew him to medicine: understanding how the body works and finding ways to use that knowledge to improve patients’ lives.

“This is the journey that we’re on, and the results from these clinical studies will tell us in the near future whether this treatment approach or concept is viable to treat or prevent perioperative organ injury,” he said