This January, we’re kicking off the 2024 Member Spotlight series by featuring Monika Nanda, MBBS, MPH, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of North Carolina, department of anesthesiology. She is also the fellowship director of regional anesthesiology in the division of regional anesthesiology at the University of North Carolina.

Nominated by Dr. Stuart Grant, Dr. Nanda volunteers for ASRA Pain Medicine on the Newsletter Committee and on the Education SIG. Monika is the Acute Pain and Regional Anesthesia fellowship director at UNC Chapel Hill. She has pioneered innovations in education and is always trying to improve the experience for her fellows. Dr. Nanda has introduced “the Firestarter” at the start of every fellowship year. In this course the fellows work with attendings to scan and dissect a cadaver every day over the course of a month at the start of their fellowship. This course quickly improves scanning and needling skills for the fellows while at the same time correlating anatomy with sonoanatomy.

Dr. Nanda’s research interests lie in the field of regional anesthesiology and pain medicine. She is a primary investigator for a prospective observational study measuring the predictive value of maximum inspiratory pressures on respiratory outcomes after brachial plexus blocks for shoulder surgery. She has led or participated in research projects studying the impact of nerve blocks on various clinical outcomes.

Since 2006, Dr. Nanda has served as a clinical teaching attending for Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Service, General Anesthesiologist, Pre-Anesthesia Clinic, Neuro-Anesthesia Rotation, and Codes and PACU Management.

Dr. Nanda’s current research project include: A Pilot Study on Inspiratory Dynamics and the Effect of Body Mass Index on Respiratory Outcomes After Temporary Hemi Diaphragmatic Paresis Related to Brachial Plexus Blocks, Treatment of Post-Operative Pain Following Orthopedic Surgery with SPRINT® Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) System in a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial, and Improving Care for Hip Fracture Patients.

Presently, Dr. Nanda is a member of the American Society of Regional Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. She is on the ASRA Pain Medicine Medical Student Pain Awareness and Education Task Force, and the ASRA Pain Medicine Newsletter Committee. Dr. Nanda is also a peer reviewer for Journal of Clinical Anesthesia and Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine.