Mervyn Maze

Mervyn Maze, MB, ChB, is Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and conducts full-time research at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. After graduating with honors from the University of Cape Town in 1970, he trained in internal medicine in London and completed anesthesia residency at Stanford University in 1981. He subsequently rose to tenured Professor and Vice-Chair for Research at Stanford, served as the Magill Professor of Anaesthesia and then Chair of Surgery, Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anaesthesia at Imperial College London, and in 2009 became Chair of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at UCSF before transitioning to dedicated research.

Education & Training:

• MB, ChB (Honors) – University of Cape Town, 1970
• Intern & RMO – Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 1972
• Registrar in Medicine – Royal Free Hospital, London, 1976
• Post-doctoral Research Fellow – Stanford University, 1979
• Residency in Anesthesia – Stanford University, 1981

Research Focus: Professor Maze’s laboratory has investigated peri-operative neurocognitive disorders, neuroprotection conferred by xenon and dexmedetomidine, and the neuro-inflammatory cascades triggered by surgery and sepsis. His work integrates molecular biology, transgenic mouse models, clinical neuro-imaging, and large randomized trials to translate findings from bench to bedside.

Publication Trends: Across >300 peer-reviewed papers, recurring themes include the protective roles of xenon and alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, the detrimental impact of interleukin-6 and HMGB1 on post-operative cognition, and the utility of EEG biomarkers to predict delirium. Recent work (2020-2023) emphasizes clinical translation through multicenter trials such as Xe-Hypotheca and HIPELD.

Honours & Awards:

• Magill Professor of Anaesthesia (named chair), Imperial College London
• Multiple national and international research prizes (exact names not detailed in text)
• h-index 104, >42,000 citations (Google Scholar, July 2025)

Funding & Collaboration: Continuously NIH-funded for over five decades, leading laboratories at Stanford, Imperial College, and UCSF. Mentored numerous trainees and fostered international consortia such as the Sedation Consortium on Endpoints and Procedures for Treatment, Education, and Research (SCEPTER).

Laboratories & Teams: Directs the Maze Lab within the UCSF Center for Cerebrovascular Research, focusing on peri-operative neuroprotection and inflammation resolution.