Understanding how anesthesia affects people differently based on their individual characteristics

Personalized Anesthetic Pharmacology Across the Lifespan

NIH-funded research University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10903777

This study is looking at how different anesthetic drugs affect older adults, with the goal of finding better ways to tailor treatments for them based on their unique needs, so they can recover more smoothly after surgery.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pennsylvania NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-10903777 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how anesthetic drugs impact individuals differently, particularly focusing on the elderly population. It aims to develop personalized measures of drug effects rather than relying on standard population-based dosing guidelines. By studying anesthetic responses in mice, the researchers are exploring how individual histories and states of arousal influence recovery from anesthesia. The goal is to improve outcomes for patients who may experience complications like postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research include elderly patients undergoing anesthesia for surgical procedures.

Not a fit: Patients who are not undergoing surgery or who are younger than 21 years old may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more tailored anesthetic dosing, reducing complications and improving recovery for patients, especially the elderly.

How similar studies have performed: While the approach of personalizing anesthetic dosing is gaining attention, this specific methodology of assessing individual responses is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.