Dawei Sun, M.D., Ph.D.

Dawei SunM.D., Ph.D.

Anesthesiologist & Researcher

dawei.sun.md@gmail.com
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Dawei Sun

I am an anesthesiologist and researcher. I completed anesthesiology residency at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, managing more than 1,500 cases across cardiac, neurosurgical, obstetric, and pediatric anesthesia, and then practiced there as an anesthesiologist, where I helped build the hospital’s preoperative anesthesia clinic.

In the laboratory, I study how to protect the brain when its blood and oxygen supply is interrupted, as in cardiac arrest or oxygen deprivation at birth. I began this work during my Ph.D. at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, extended it to the newborn brain with Donna Ferriero at UCSF, and now lead it as principal investigator on a National Natural Science Foundation of China grant.

My clinical research addresses practical questions in everyday anesthesia care. I led a randomized, double-blind trial in 344 patients showing that ciprofol, a newer alternative to propofol with less hypotension and injection pain, can be used alone for upper endoscopy sedation, without an added opioid, as effectively as ciprofol plus fentanyl, while keeping breathing and blood pressure steadier. I also led a prospective study in cardiac surgery testing whether the difference between arterial and venous oxygen levels can tell clinicians when a blood transfusion is truly needed. That work was selected for oral presentation at the 2024 ASA Annual Meeting and led me to design a probe for continuous venous oxygen monitoring.

I have also helped develop large population studies using the UK Biobank, each including more than 160,000 participants, on how lifestyle and cardiovascular health shape heart disease and disease-free life expectancy.

I am ECFMG-certified and seeking clinical fellowship training in anesthesiology in the United States.

Education & Experience

  1. November 2026

    Clinical Observer

    University of Utah Hospital
    Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine

    Four-week clinical observership.

  2. October 2026

    Clinical Observer

    Torrance Memorial Hospital
    Department of Anesthesiology

    Four-week clinical observership.

  3. November 2024 – Present

    Associate Researcher

    Sub-Laboratory of the State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Hangzhou Lin’an District Qingshan Lake Future Industry and Technology Innovation Center

    Cerebral ischemia and neuroprotection, with a focus on autophagy and mitophagy.

  4. September 2023 – October 2024

    Anesthesiologist

    The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

    Surgical anesthesia, research, and participation in establishing the preoperative anesthesia clinic.

  5. September 2020 – February 2024

    Clinical Postdoctoral Fellow

    Zhejiang University

    China’s clinical postdoctoral program integrates research with standardized residency training. During this fellowship, I led the implementation of a study of intraoperative oxygen supply–demand balance in cardiac and major vascular surgery. The study enrolled 1,560 cardiac surgery patients, with 314 included in the final analysis.

  6. September 2020 – August 2023

    Residency in Anesthesiology

    The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

    Standardized Residency Training (national program), three years. Adult anesthesia: 1,200 cases, including cardiac, neurosurgical, and emergency anesthesia; obstetric and gynecologic anesthesia: 140 cases; pediatric anesthesia: 220 cases. Rotations included emergency medicine, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, and endocrinology.

  7. October 2018 – October 2019

    Visiting Scholar

    University of California San Francisco

    Neurology & Pediatrics · Research on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Research mentor: Donna M. Ferriero.

  8. September 2015 – June 2020

    Ph.D. in Anesthesiology

    Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    Research on cerebral ischemia.

  9. October 2010 – July 2015

    Bachelor of Medicine in Medicine

    Wenzhou Medical University

Clinical Experience

  • Pre-anesthetic evaluation, perioperative risk assessment, and anesthetic planning.
  • Anesthetic induction, intraoperative monitoring and management, emergence, and postoperative handoff.
  • Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks and vascular access, including arterial catheterization and central venous access.
  • Operating-room orientation and case-based teaching for international medical students at Zhejiang University.

Preoperative Clinic Development & Workflow Improvement

At the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, I helped establish the preoperative anesthesia clinic and supported its implementation. My contributions included:

  • Defining patient screening criteria and preoperative assessment workflows.
  • Supporting IT system optimization to improve clinic workflows.
  • Helping develop critical-value alerts and escalation processes.
  • Coordinating preoperative communication across clinical departments.
Dawei Sun demonstrating airway management using a training mannequin with students.
Clinical teachingSimulation-based teaching at Zhejiang University.
Dawei Sun during an intensive care unit rotation as part of anesthesiology residency.
Residency trainingIntensive care unit rotation during anesthesiology residency.
Dawei Sun working in the preoperative anesthesia clinic.
Preoperative anesthesia clinicHelped develop multidisciplinary workflows for the preoperative anesthesia clinic and optimize pre-anesthetic assessment for day-surgery patients.

Licensure & Qualifications

  • ECFMG Certification · 2026
  • USMLE Step 1 · Pass
  • USMLE Step 2 CK · Pass
  • OET Medicine · Pass
  • USMLE Step 3 · Planned completion before December 2026
  • Attending Physician qualification · Intermediate professional title, Anesthesiology · China, 2024
  • Physician Qualification Certificate and Physician Practice Certificate · China, 2016
  • Associate Senior Professional Title in Research (Associate Researcher) · Zhejiang Province, China, 2025

Research

My clinical research examines how physiologic indicators of oxygen delivery and utilization can inform perioperative care and patient blood management. During clinical postdoctoral training, I investigated arterial-venous oxygen differences as potential transfusion indicators and contributed to studies of acute normovolemic hemodilution, postoperative coagulation, and hemoglobin levels. This interest also led to a central venous oxygen saturation monitoring device design. I have served as a corresponding author on randomized trials of ciprofol, a novel intravenous anesthetic, and anesthetic strategies for postoperative cognitive recovery. My experimental work focuses on cerebral ischemia and neuroprotection, particularly HIF-2α, autophagy, and mitophagy after hypoxic-ischemic injury. This work builds on doctoral training and research with Donna Ferriero at UCSF and is the focus of my current Associate Researcher appointment.

Grants & Presentations

Research funding
NSFC Young Scientists Fund · Principal Investigator, 2024–2026

Project No. 82302479

Protective effects and mechanisms of HIF-2α in immature brain hypoxic-ischemic injury through regulation of mitophagy.

ASA presentations
Oral presentation · 2024

Arterial-venous oxygen difference as a potential indicator for erythrocyte transfusion during cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.

American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting · Philadelphia, PA

Oral presentation · 2019 · Best of Abstracts: Basic Science

Angiopep-2 modified PEGylated 2-methoxyestradiol micelles contributes to neuroprotection in a murine cardiac arrest model.

One of 10 abstracts selected for the Best of Abstracts: Basic Science oral session from more than 1,000 submissions.

American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting · Orlando, FL

Innovation

Continuous oxygen saturation monitoring probe

A probe designed for placement within a central venous catheter to continuously monitor central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO₂), with the intended application of assessing the balance between oxygen delivery and consumption in real time.

First inventor · Chinese Utility Model Patent ZL 2024 2 3305545.1. Granted April 21, 2026. A utility model protects a technical product design.

Publications

First, co-first, and corresponding authorship are indicated after each citation.

  1. Cardiovascular health and life expectancy free of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease among patients with type 2 diabetes: a cohort study

    Wei Y, Sun D, Ng S, He Y, Liu X, Wang J.

    European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Published online November 24, 2025.

  2. Effect of sevoflurane post-conditioning on postoperative cognitive function in carotid endarterectomy patients: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial

    Wang B, Li S, Wang C, Zhu J, Jin Y, Sun D, Lang J.

    Frontiers in Medicine. 2025;12:1716370. (Corresponding author)

  3. Efficacy and Safety of Ciprofol Alone versus Ciprofol with Fentanyl for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial

    Liu L, Li F, Wei Y, Luo L, Shen L, Li J, Sun N, Qian B, Sun D.

    Drug Design, Development and Therapy. 2025;19:5231-5241. (Corresponding author)

  4. Advances in Monitoring and Reversal Strategies for the Novel Anticoagulants Factor XI Inhibitors

    Chen Y, Yao Y, Sun D, Wang Y, Wu C, Zhao L, Tang Z, Zhang F.

    Chinese General Practice. 2025;28(3):379-384 [in Chinese].

  5. Association of lifestyle with valvular heart disease progression and life expectancy among elderly people from different socioeconomic backgrounds

    Wei Y, Sun D, Jaiswal S, He Y, Liu X, Wang J.

    BMC Medicine. 2024;22(1):367.

  6. Predictive modeling for identifying infection risk following spinal surgery: Optimizing patient management

    Wang R, Xiao J, Gao Q, Xu G, Ni T, Zou J, Wang T, Luo G, Cheng Z, Wang Y, Tao X, Sun D, Yao Y, Yan M.

    Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. 2024;28(1):281.

  7. Chronic Postsurgical Pain Following Lung Transplantation: Characteristics, Risk Factors, Treatment, and Prevention: A Narrative Review

    Tao X, Luo G, Xiao J, Yao Y, Gao Q, Zou J, Wang T, Cheng Z, Sun D, Yan M.

    Pain and Therapy. 2024;13(4):719-731.

  8. Postinduction Hypotension and Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective Cohort Study

    Ni T, Yao Y, Zhou X, Lv T, Zou J, Luo G, Yang J, Sun D, Gao Q, Wang T, Wang R, Tao X, Yan M.

    Clinical Interventions in Aging. 2024;19:1919-1938.

  9. Nadir Hemoglobin Concentration After Spinal Tumor Surgery: Association With Risk of Composite Adverse Events

    Wang X, Tao J, Zhong Y, Yao Y, Wang T, Gao Q, Xu G, Lv T, Li X, Sun D, Cheng Z, Liu M, Xu J, Wu C, Wang Y, Wang R, Zheng B, Yan M.

    Global Spine Journal. Published online November 2, 2023; print: 2025;15(2):800-807.

  10. Causal relationship between obesity and iron deficiency anemia: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

    Wang T, Gao Q, Yao Y, Luo G, Lv T, Xu G, Liu M, Xu J, Li X, Sun D, Cheng Z, Wang Y, Wu C, Wang R, Zou J, Yan M.

    Frontiers in Public Health. 2023;11:1188246.

  11. Large volume acute normovolemic hemodilution in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with intermediate-high risk of transfusion: A randomized controlled trial

    Ming Y, Zhang F, Yao Y, Cheng Z, Yu L, Sun D, Sun K, Yu Y, Liu M, Ma L, HuangYang Y, Yan M.

    Journal of Clinical Anesthesia. 2023;87:111082.

  12. Risk Factors for Hypocoagulability After Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Study

    Li X, Wang R, Sun D, Yao Y, Wang T, Luo G, Liu M, Xu J, Cheng Z, Gao Q, Wang Y, Wu C, Xu G, Lv T, Zou J, Yan M.

    Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis. 2023;29:10760296231209927.

  13. Neuronal deficiency of hypoxia‐inducible factor 2α increases hypoxic‐ischemic brain injury in neonatal mice

    Sun D, Lu F, Sheldon A, Jiang X, Ferriero DM.

    Journal of Neuroscience Research. 2021;99(11):2964-2975. (First author)

  14. White matter injury in the neonatal hypoxic‐ischemic brain and potential therapies targeting microglia

    Shao R, Sun D, Hu Y, Cui D.

    Journal of Neuroscience Research. 2021;99(4):991-1008.

  15. Research progress in the relationship between endosomal sorting complexes required for transport and autophagy

    Li Y, Sun D, Cui D.

    Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Medical Science). 2021;41(9):1256-1260 [in Chinese].

  16. Effects of different rewarming rates on neuron autophagy in the cardiac arrest/resuscitation rat model treated with hypothermia

    Li Y, Hu Y, Sun D, Cui D.

    Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Medical Science). 2020;40(11):1454-1460 [in Chinese].

  17. Increased PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy explains the improved brain protective effects of slow rewarming following hypothermia after cardiac arrest in rats

    Hu Y, Sun D, Li Y, Wang X, Jiang W, Shi H, Cui D.

    Experimental Neurology. 2020;330:113326. (Co-first author)

  18. Effects of the Incidence Density of Fever (IDF) on Patients Resuscitated From In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Mediation Analysis

    Hu Y, Guo Y, Wang X, Li Y, Sun D, Cui D.

    Frontiers in Medicine. 2020;7:86.

  19. The roles of oxidative stress and Beclin-1 in the autophagosome clearance impairment triggered by cardiac arrest

    Wang X, Sun D, Hu Y, Xu X, Jiang W, Shang H, Cui D.

    Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2019;136:87-95. (Co-first author)

  20. A2BAR activation attenuates acute lung injury by inhibiting alveolar epithelial cell apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro

    Xu X, Zhu Q, Niu F, Zhang R, Wang Y, Wang W, Sun D, Wang X, Wang A.

    American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. 2018;315(4):C558-C570.

  21. bFGF plays a neuroprotective role by suppressing excessive autophagy and apoptosis after transient global cerebral ischemia in rats

    Sun D, Wang W, Wang X, Wang Y, Xu X, Ping F, Du Y, Jiang W, Cui D.

    Cell Death & Disease. 2018;9(2):172. (First author)

  22. iTRAQ-Based Proteomics Analysis of Acute Lung Injury Induced by Oleic Acid in Mice

    Xu X, Zhu Q, Zhang R, Wang Y, Niu F, Wang W, Sun D, Wang A.

    Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 2017;44(5):1949-1964.

  23. Critical care progress of traumatic spinal cord injury

    Wang X, Sun D, Cui D.

    Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine in Intensive and Critical Care. 2017;24:552-555 [in Chinese].

  24. Impaired autophagosome clearance contributes to neuronal death in a piglet model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

    Cui D, Sun D, Wang X, Yi L, Kulikowicz E, Reyes M, Zhu J, Yang ZJ, Jiang W, Koehler RC.

    Cell Death & Disease. 2017;8(7):e2919.

Academic Service & Leadership

Volunteer service
Ad Hoc Peer Reviewer · 2024–Present

50+ peer-review assignments across 17 journals, as of September 2026. Journals include:

  • Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
  • International Journal of Surgery
  • Brazilian Journal of Anesthesiology
  • Anesthesiology and Perioperative Science
  • Journal of Anesthesia and Translational Medicine
  • and 12 other journals
Leadership
President, Graduate Student Union · 2017–2018

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth Hospital

Vice President, Student Union · 2014–2015

Wenzhou Medical University