ASRA Pain Medicine Update

Can you tell us your name, where you work, and your current leadership roles at your home institution and other societies?

My name is Jinlei Li, MD, PhD, FASA. I am an associate professor and system chief of the Regional Pain Service at Yale New Haven Health, program director of the Regional Anesthesia /Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship, and director of the Clinical Scientist Track Program of Anesthesiology Residency in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. I also serve as vice chair of the Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. How do you celebrate during this month?

I celebrate by visiting local businesses—such as Asian-owned grocery stores and restaurants—to enjoy flavorful Asian cuisine and boba tea.

Why do you think it’s important to recognize and celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month? 

AANHPI Heritage Month is an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the immense contributions, diverse cultures, and rich histories of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and to honor their ongoing role in shaping a more diverse and inclusive United States. It also helps raise awareness, promote public education, confront the troubling rise in anti-Asian hate in some communities, and support the nation’s fastest-growing racial group.

ASRA Pain Medicine members have an interest in regional anesthesiology and pain medicine-related topics.  Please tell us more about your research, education, or advocacy in this area.

I believe regional anesthesia and acute pain management are vital components of contemporary post-surgical recovery. I have a strong interest in developing enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols across a diverse range of procedures—from routine orthopedic operations to evolving truncal surgeries, including both open and laparoscopic approaches. I expect the role of regional anesthesia to continue expanding in the era of minimally invasive chest and abdominal procedures, where visceral pain is often the predominant driver of postoperative discomfort and may require newer, more proximal nerve blocks.

The celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month offers an opportunity to better understand the unique pain management needs of this patient population and to address cultural and language barriers to deliver culturally sensitive, precision-based acute pain care.

What challenges have you faced on your journey so far as a physician and anesthesiologist? How did you overcome them?

Maintaining research productivity with limited funding—particularly for clinical research in regional anesthesia—has been my greatest challenge. I’m grateful to the Yale University Department of Anesthesiology and Yale New Haven Hospital for providing our first two major sources of funding. Equally important, our regional anesthesia team—a group of highly motivated and skilled regional anesthesiologists—has approached our projects with an all-hands-on-deck mentality. As a result, over the past eight years, we completed enrollment for two large single-center randomized, controlled trials: one with nearly 200 patients and another with 250 patients.

Why is equity and inclusion important in medicine and in regional anesthesia and pain medicine?

Numerous studies show the importance of equity and inclusion in improving the quality of patient care, and I’ve seen this repeatedly in my own practice. Mandarin-speaking patients not only understand my explanations more clearly but also feel reassured simply by having a physician who looks like them in the room. I’ve also seen how a few simple greetings from my Spanish-speaking colleagues can calm Spanish-speaking patients more effectively than intravenous midazolam—especially when we’re struggling to connect, even with a certified interpreter present.

Who has served as an inspiration in your life?

My grandfather walked across half of China and eventually settled in Northeast China, where he built a happy family. I traveled halfway around the world to Northeast America—proof that anything is possible.

What career accomplishment makes you most proud?

I’m extremely proud of our regional team at Yale. We work closely with other health care teams to develop ERAS protocols and to position Yale as a center of excellence for total knee, hip, and shoulder arthrosplasty; hip fracture care; spine surgery; and robotic cardiac surgery.

What advice would you give to young physicians and trainees as they navigate their careers?

Start somewhere—no matter how small it may seem. It will add up faster than you expect.

Is there anything else you would like to note?

ASRA Pain Medicine has been an invaluable resource for education and research for many years.

Jinlei Li, MD, PhD, FASA, is an associate professor at Yale University School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, where she serves as the program director of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship, the Director of resident Clinical Science Track program, and the system chief of the Regional Pain Service at Yale New Haven Health. In addition, she is the vice chair of the Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine Committee at the American Society of Anesthesiologists and a founding board member of the Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Director Association.