Bev Orser
MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAHS
Dr. Beverley Orser is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine and Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto. She is also a practicing anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Dr. Orser earned her MD from Queen’s University, completed specialty training through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and received a PhD in Medical Science from the University of Toronto. She undertook postgraduate clinical training in British Columbia, at McMaster University, the University of Oxford, and the University of Toronto. Dr. Orser’s research and advocacy focus on patient safety, perioperative brain health, and the anesthesia workforce in Canada. She has co-founded several leading patient safety initiatives, including ISMP Canada, the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Quality & Patient Safety Committee, and the Perioperative Brain Health Centre. Her laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms of anesthesia and the long-term effects of anesthetic drugs. Her team was the first to demonstrate the unique pharmacological properties of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors and to identify their roles in health and disease. Her discoveries have led to patents and the development of potential new therapies. Dr. Orser’s achievements have been widely recognized. She received the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Award for Excellence in Research, the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Gold Medal and the Peter Dresel Award in Pharmacology. She was the first anesthesiologist awarded a Canada Research Chair and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and Massey College. Her honours include the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada.
Faculty Appointments
Professor, Department of Physiology
Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Staff Anesthesiologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Affiliate Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute