Zhonghui Guan

Dr. Zhonghui Guan is a Professor of Anesthesia at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where he specializes in pain management. He is affiliated with the Center for Cerebrovascular Research, Guan Lab, and Maze Lab at UCSF Mission Bay. As a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, Dr. Guan has particular expertise in treating chronic pain conditions including low back pain, neck pain, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, failed back surgery syndrome, and cancer pain.

Dr. Guan's educational background includes:

• MD in Medicine from Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in Beijing (1994)
• Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the National Institute of Health (NIH) (1999-2004)
• Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University (2004-2008)
• Anesthesia Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital (2008-2009)
• Clinical Pain Fellow at UCSF (2009)

Dr. Guan's research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of chronic pain, particularly the regulation of gene expression in pain pathways. His work spans multiple areas including neuroanatomy of pain pathways, neuro-immune interactions in chronic pain, and translational research on pain management techniques. A significant portion of his recent work examines opioid prescribing practices across various surgical specialties, identifying patterns of overprescription and underprescription to optimize pain management while addressing the opioid epidemic.

Analysis of Dr. Guan's recent publication record reveals a strong focus on clinical pain management research with significant contributions to understanding biomarkers for neurological conditions like spinal cord injury and stroke. His work combines basic science investigations of pain mechanisms with direct clinical applications, particularly in developing improved diagnostic and treatment approaches for chronic pain conditions. The research demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach bridging molecular neuroscience, clinical anesthesiology, and health services research.

Dr. Guan is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Society of Anesthesiologists, California Society of Anesthesiologists, and Society for Neuroscience, reflecting his broad expertise across multiple domains of pain research and clinical practice.

His laboratory work, conducted through the Guan Lab and Maze Lab at UCSF, focuses on translational pain research with emphasis on molecular mechanisms of chronic pain, neuroanatomical pain pathways, and developing improved pain management strategies. The labs employ a range of techniques from molecular biology to clinical epidemiology to address fundamental questions in pain medicine.