b'SWIMMING UPSTREAMWITH SPECIALTY PALLIATIVE CARE REBECCA A. ASLAKSON, MD, PhDAssociate Professor of Anesthesiology and MedicinePalliative CareSection, Division Chief of Adult Critical Care Anesthesia, Stanford University 2011 Career Development Awardee:Crafting a Palliative CareIntervention for Surgical Intensive Care Unit Patients2017 Transition to Independence Awardee:What Palliative CareCan Be Baked In to a Preoperative Assessment? OperationalizingPrimary Palliative Care in Surgical SettingsDr. Rebecca Aslaksonboarded in critical care, anesthesiology, and hospice and palliative medicinehas a similarly ambitious research and clinical goal: to improve delivery of effective and equitable palliative care to perioperative and intensive care unit patients, with particular focus on the traditionally-underserved subset of surgical patients.The foundational research Dr. Aslakson did for her first NPCRC grant led to developinga video-based advance care planning tool for patients and families preparing for major cancer surgery. Today, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospitals Dr. Jennifer Temel, Dr. Aslakson is conducting the first-ever, multisite randomized controlled trial integrating specialist palliative care into perioperative care as they compare surgeon-alone versus surgeon-palliative care team co-management for patients pursuing major surgeries for cancer. The aim is to bring specialty palliative care even further upstream to improve the quality of life for just-diagnosed patients with cancer who are still pursuing major curative-intent surgeries.When I started, I was a critical care anesthesiologist interested in long-stay ICU patients. I was also interested in communication, families, and research. I had no communityand as far as I knew, palliative care didnt even exist. Today I do perioperative palliative care, but everything continues to be rooted in the clinical challenges of the ICU, particularly the surgical ICU. Although there are still very few anesthesiologists in palliative care, slowly things are changing. Specialty palliative care is finding its way, particularly with the support of NPCRC.Attending my first Foley Retreat was like finally finding home. I was with my tribe: people who, like me, cared about doing transformational research. I remember seeing everyone Id only read or heard about, and feeling like I was at a rock concert! I came to learn I could collaborate with these terrific people and experience a sense of community. Its hard for me to imagine my career if it werent for NPCRC. 18'