Biography

Carin A. Hagberg, M.D. is currently the Joseph C. Gabel Professor and Chair in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, as well as Medical Director of Perioperative Services and Chief of Anesthesiology at Memorial Herman Hospital - Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston. She graduated cum laude and received her B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She received her M.D. degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1988 and performed her residency training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where she served as Chief Resident from 1991-1992.

Dr. Hagberg has assumed several leadership positions in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston since the inception of her career, including Program Director of Undergraduate Education, Program Director of Residency Education, Vice Chair, and now Chair of the Department.  Additionally, she has served as the Director of Neurosurgical Anesthesia, Associate Medical Director of Operative Services, and presently serves as Director of Difficult Airway Management, Medical Director of Perioperative Services and Chief of Anesthesiology at Memorial Hermann Hospital – Texas Medical Center.

Dr. Hagberg has been involved in many professional organizations at local, regional, national, and international levels.  She has been an active member of the Society of Airway Management since its inception and has served in all of the executive positions of this society, with the exception of Treasurer.  She is currently in her 8th year as Executive Director and has been on the Society’s Board of Directors since 1998.  Additionally, she served as President of the Texas Gulf Coast Society of Anesthesiologists. She also serves on many committees in the University of Texas Medical School, the Department of Anesthesiology, and Memorial Hermann Hospital – TMC, the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.  She currently serves as Chair of the ASA Committee on Trauma and Disaster Preparedness (COTEP) and isone of the founding members of the recently formed Trauma Anesthesia Society.

The focus of Dr. Hagberg’s career has been neuroanesthesia and difficult airway management, including both educational and clinical research aspects in these areas. She has received several awards as Outstanding Clinical Instructor and has received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Training every year since she started in the Department of Anesthesiology at UT. Dr. Hagberg has been involved in the development of the ASA Practice Guidelines on Management of the Difficult Airway in one form or another since their development in 1992 and publication in 1993.  She actively participated in the 2013 update of these guidelines, as well as the development of a learning module on this topic for the ASA and its members.

Dr. Hagberg has received over 50 research grants for the conduction of research in the areas of airway management, postoperative pain, blood substitute products, nausea/vomiting and intraoperative hypothermia. She has presented her work in both oral and poster format at scientific meetings, nationally and internationally. Lastly, Dr. Hagberg is well published in the area of airway management, including letters-to-the-editor, manuscripts, book chapters, and books. Her first book published was the Handbook of Difficult Airway Management, published in 2000. She serves as editor of the second edition of the textbook, Benumof’s Airway Management, which was published in January,2007 and the third edition of this book, Benumof and Hagberg’s Airway Management, which was published in October, 2013.  She will serve as editor of the fourth edition of this book, which will now be titled, Hagberg and Benumof’s Airway Management, and will be published in 2017.She is also the editor of a new handbook “Difficult Airway Management: A Practical Guide” which was published in the Fall of 2013.