UW News

August 8, 2002

Medical school names Evan Kharasch as first clinical research assistant dean

Dr. Evan Kharasch, professor and vice chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, has been named the School of Medicine’s first assistant dean for clinical research. His responsibilities in the new post will include oversight of human subjects research in the school and direction of clinical investigator training programs. He will also supervise the existing position of clinical trials administrative manager and will work with Dr. Albert Berger, associate dean for research and graduate education, on any required scholarly misconduct investigations involving faculty in clinical programs.

Kharasch came to the UW as an intern in 1984 and entered the anesthesiology residency program the next year. He was also a research fellow in anesthesiology at the UW, and joined the School of Medicine faculty as an assistant professor in 1988. He became a full professor of anesthesiology in 1997 and also holds an adjunct appointment in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. He was named vice chair of research in the Department of Anesthesiology last year. He holds both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University and its medical school.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Kharasch will be joining the Dean’s Office as the School of Medicine’s first assistant dean for clinical research,” said Associate Dean Berger. “This appointment recognizes the school’s commitment to our clinical research program. Dr. Kharasch’s wealth of experience and the high quality of his research, clinical practice and teaching were key factors in his selection for this office. He has an in-depth knowledge of our research activities and our faculty. We are looking forward to his leadership in clinical research, including programs for training and education of faculty and staff, developing our clinical trials program, and providing the critical guidance necessary in this era of increased regulations and compliance in clinical research.”

Kharasch will begin his new duties this fall.

“I am energized by the opportunity to participate with School of Medicine leadership in promoting our clinical research activities and improving systems for safety and compliance.” Kharasch noted.

“These are auspicious times for translational research. There are over 1,000 drugs currently in development, genome science offers myriad potential new targets and therapies, and the UW and its affiliates are established leaders in numerous clinical research fields. We have additional opportunities for partnerships with local industry and health-care providers.

“At the same time,” Kharasch said, “clinical research is occurring in a progressively complex and demanding regulatory environment; investigators are increasingly aware of their opportunities and obligations regarding patient safety and compliance. Promoting this awareness will be a major focus in the near future. I look forward to working with Dean Paul Ramsey, Associate Dean Berger and School of Medicine investigators.”

Kharasch has received several honors for his own research, which has focused on the metabolism of anesthetic agents and alalgesics. In addition to a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral fellowship, he received a Young Investigator Award from the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Foundation Faculty Development Award in Clinical Pharmacology, among others.

He is a reviewer for several anesthesiology and pharmacology journals, an associate editor of the Survey of Anesthesiology, and since 2000 has been editor of Anesthesiology.

Since 1992, Kharasch has been director of the Department of Anesthesiology’s Analytical and Core Laboratories, and in 2001 he became associate program director of the NIH General Clinical Research Center at UW Medical Center. In 2001 he was also named chair of the School of Medicine’s Clinical Research Investigator Training Steering Committee.