Pratik Sinha, MD, PhD

2023 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

Pratik Sinha, MD, PhD, joined the Department of Anesthesiology at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, entering the Division of Critical Care and Division of Clinical and Translational Research. In assuming this vital role, Sinha applied his clinical expertise to care for patients in the surgical and cardiothoracic intensive care units (ICUs). He was able to leverage his prior experience in veno-venous ECMO to care for the high-throughput and unprecedented number of patients being offered this service at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. In collaboration with his colleagues in the cardiothoracic ICU, Sinha led the way to rapidly iterate and innovate best practice as data in the field emerged. Simultaneously, Sinha established a federally funded research program investigating precision medicine in sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, resulting in several landmark publications. With a shift in the health care climate, he pivoted his research group to study COVID-19. He has published numerous studies evaluating the heterogeneity of COVID-19 and challenging the several unsubstantiated and unscientific dogmas that became rapidly entrenched during the pandemic. His research efforts have resulted in over 35 peer-reviewed manuscript publications. With demands on his clinical and research skill set, Sinha still found capacity to mentor several fellows, junior faculty, doctoral scholars and undergraduates. In 2021, he was recognized for his contributions to outstanding patient care, research and mentorship when he was awarded a COVETED award for contributions during the pandemic.