Shamsuddin Akhtar

Dr. Shamsuddin Akhtar is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in Pharmacology. He serves as Medical Director of the YNHH 7-1 Surgical Intensive Care Unit. His work focuses on optimizing anesthesia practices for elderly patients to reduce complications like hypotension, with particular emphasis on geriatric critical care and perioperative outcomes. Dr. Akhtar has authored a textbook, Principles of Geriatric Critical Care, and leads national studies on anesthesia dosing and patient safety.

• Education:
• MD, Aga Khan University (1989)
• Internship/Residency in Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology, SUNY Stony Brook (1992–1995)
• Fellowships: Critical Care Anesthesiology (Medical College of Wisconsin, 1996), Vascular/Thoracic Anesthesia (Yale, 1998)
• Research Interests: Geriatric anesthesia, perioperative pharmacology, critical care outcomes, and surgical patient safety.

His research highlights include landmark studies on propofol dosing in elderly patients and the benefits of spinal anesthesia for hip fracture surgery. He is Past-President of the Society for Advancement of Geriatric Anesthesia (SAGA) and a Board Member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Anesthesia & Analgesia publication.

Dr. Akhtar has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and actively mentors trainees in clinical research and patient care. His work bridges geriatric pharmacology, surgical outcomes, and critical care innovation.