I am pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Engelhardt, MD, PhD, as Chair of the Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), McGill University.
Dr. Engelhardt will take over as Chair from Thomas Schricker, MD, PhD, who has held the position for two consecutive terms since 2016. We would like to sincerely thank Dr. Schricker for his dedication to the Department. His achievements as Chair are many and include the transition of the Anesthesia residency program into the new Competency by Design curriculum in 2017; building on McGill’s leadership—in collaboration with the Department of Surgery—as the first institution in North America to implement Enhanced Recovery after Surgery; and establishing the Transition into Clinical Practice (TCP) curriculum at McGill’s Campus Outaouais.
Dr. Engelhardt, who assumes his new responsibilities on January 1, 2026, previously served as Acting Chair of the Department for several months at the beginning of 2025. He is Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at McGill, Anesthetist-in-Chief, Department of Pediatric Anesthesia at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) of the McGill University Health Centre, and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital of Montreal Foundation Chair in Pediatric Anesthesia. He was also Professor of Anaesthesia at the University of Aberdeen, UK.
Dr. Engelhardt is a graduate of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany and was supported by the German National Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes). He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (UK) and obtained his PhD in 2003 at the University of Aberdeen. Following his completion certificate of specialist training in the UK, he undertook clinical/research fellowships in pediatric intensive care and pediatric anaesthesia at the Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow, UK as well as the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in 2006.
Returning to Scotland, Dr. Engelhardt worked as Consultant Anaesthetist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, serving as Head of Service Paediatric Anaesthesia between 2012 to 2015. In 2017, he was promoted to Honorary Professor in Anaesthesia at the University of Aberdeen. In 2019, he was recruited to Montreal to join the Montreal Children’s Hospital and FMHS at McGill. He served as Anesthetist in Chief, Pediatric Anesthesia at Shriners Hospital–Canada between 2019 and 2021.
Recognized internationally as a leader in pediatric anesthesia, Dr. Engelhardt has authored well over 150 peer-reviewed publications and has presented more than 100 invited lectures and workshops across the globe. He is the editor of two pediatric anesthesia textbooks and editorial board member for three major anesthesia journals. His scientific interests are focussed on pediatric anaesthesia safety, pharmacology and airway management.
Dr. Engelhardt has held numerous scientific board and committee appointments including the Children of the World Anesthesia Foundation Scientific Committee, Association of Paediatric Anaesthesia of Great Britain and Ireland (APAGBI) and European Society of Anesthesiology. He also served on the steering committees for major pediatric anesthesia projects including NEonate-Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) and Critical Events in Anesthetised Kids undergoing Tracheal Intubation (CRICKET). He is also a Founding Member of the safetots.org initiative that addresses the safe conduct of pediatric anesthesia and promotes the rights of the child for high quality care in the right environment.
In his new role as Chair, Dr. Engelhardt will lead the Department in its education and research missions. He will provide mentoring to faculty members at various stages of their careers and make recommendations to the VP-Dean on recruitment, academic appointments, promotion and tenure. He will lead the strategic planning for the Department and oversee budget allocation, and be responsible for annual reviews of faculty members. Dr. Engelhardt will participate in the Faculty Leadership Commons, the School of Medicine Clinical Leadership Council, and advise on academic matters pertaining to the Department.
Dr. Engelhardt will also develop strong working relationships with other Chairs within the School of Medicine, with clinical leadership in anesthesia at the affiliated teaching hospitals, and with the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences. In addition, he will continue to build on the strong relationships with department members based at Campus Outaouais and other regional centres across the McGill RUISSS.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Engelhardt on his appointment and wishing him every success as Chair.
Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-President (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences