Addressing the unique challenges of managing anesthesiology departments that operate at the critical junction of clinical care, education, research, and institutional leadership, this practical guide equips anesthesiologists with the knowledge and strategies needed to successfully transition into academic department leadership roles. The book provides actionable guidance for navigating the complex landscape of academic anesthesiology management.

Balancing theoretical aspects with practical tips, How to Manage a Clinical Anesthesia Academic Department combines evidence-based management principles with real-world examples from international leaders. Each chapter addresses the most challenging issues facing academic anesthesiology managers, including financial management, clinical operations, faculty development, and trainee mentorship. The book’s comprehensive approach helps readers manage diverse stakeholder groups while maintaining excellence across clinical, educational, and research missions. The text also explores emerging challenges—from artificial intelligence to value-based care and staffing shortages—that forward-thinking leaders must navigate to prepare departments for future healthcare transformation.

Written for anesthesiologists aspiring to leadership positions, current academic department chairs and vice chairs seeking to strengthen their skills, and senior faculty preparing for administrative roles, this guide brings together insights from renowned contributors with extensive experience in academic anesthesiology leadership across
global healthcare systems, offering proven strategies and contemporary perspectives for successfully managing modern academic anesthesiology departments.

Ali Dabbagh, MD, is Professor of Cardiac Anesthesiology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, where he serves in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Critical Care and is affiliated with the Anesthesiology Research Center. He is an internationally recognized
clinician-scientist, educator, and academic leader with extensive experience in perioperative medicine, cardiac anesthesiology, critical care, and clinical research.

Professor Dabbagh has authored and edited numerous internationally published books and book chapters in anesthesiology, perioperative medicine, and healthcare leadership. His scholarly work spans cardiac anesthesia, patient safety, translational medicine, artificial intelligence in healthcare, academic leadership, and innovation in medical education. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cellular & Molecular Anesthesia and has played a leading role in advancing international scientific collaboration and academic publishing.

Beyond his clinical and research activities, Professor Dabbagh has been actively involved in developing academic programs, mentoring faculty members and trainees, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration within clinical academic organizations. His academic vision focuses on integrating excellence in patient care, education, research, and innovation to build sustainable and
high-performing clinical academic departments.

A. Sassan Sabouri, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member in the Department of Anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham. He has served as principal investigator and site principal investigator on multiple clinical studies, including Department of
Defense-supported multicenter randomized trials, and has led investigatorinitiated clinical and translational research projects.

Dr. Sabouri has substantial administrative and operational leadership experience. In Tehran, he founded and developed a surgery center and subsequently served for three years as both Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Staff. In these roles, he gained hands-on experience in clinical operations, physician leadership, staff recruitment and coordination, quality and safety oversight, financial stewardship, and the practical challenges of building and managing a surgical enterprise.

Dr. Sabouri has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters, and has delivered numerous invited national and international presentations. He serves on editorial boards for prominent anesthesia journals and has been an active member of national committees within the
American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, contributing to scientific review, education, and advancement of the specialty.

Deeply committed to academic mentorship and education, Dr. Sabouri regularly teaches medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine. He has mentored more than 30 trainees and junior faculty, guiding them through all stages
of academic development, from study design and protocol development to publication and national presentation. His work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing perioperative care through research, collaboration, administrative leadership, and mentorship.