Holly Muir, MD, chair and professor of anesthesiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been named co-chair of the Vladimir Zelman Department of Anesthesiology of the Novosibirsk State University (NSU) Institute of Medicine and Psychology in Russia, as a part of a collaborative project between the Keck School and NSU.

“I am truly excited to be a part of this international collaboration,” Muir said. “I believe this project will foster the growth of both anesthesiology departments and encourage the advancement of global health.”

The project, called the ZELMAN project (Zeal, Education, Labor, for MANkind), establishes mirror departments of anesthesiology and resuscitation at the Keck School and NSU, which is located in Siberia. Focusing on lectures, discussion of clinical cases and research aimed at international collaboration on mutual interests, the ZELMAN project strives to create bridges for humanity and health care across borders, according to project leaders.

To that end, the program will feature distance education opportunities, including lectures over Skype, an exchange of students and teachers, and remote working meetings with the heads of the two departments.

Andrey Pokrovsky, MD, PhD, dean of the NSU medical institute, and Sergey Astrakov, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at NSU, visited the Keck School this summer and met with leading educators to work on the comprehensive program.

“This is the first time that a mirror Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation has been established in Russia,” Pokrovsky noted. “In this project, the emphasis is on the educational process.”

The project was spearheaded by Vladimir Zelman, MD, PhD, clinical professor of anesthesiology (part-time) at the Keck School and honorary professor of the NSU Department of Anesthesiology. As a former student of NSU, Zelman wanted to give back to his alma mater, where he began his medical journey to become one of Siberia’s first anesthesiologists.

“USC is already well-known as a leader of international cooperation,” Zelman said. “Now the Keck School of Medicine will be on stage as a frontrunner in international medical education and life sciences.”

— Adriana Cho