The David E. Longnecker Associate Professorship of Anesthesiology and Critical Care

David E. LongneckerCreated in 2016 by the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, the Professorship honors former Department Chair David E. Longnecker, MD. Dr. Longnecker is currently the Director at the Association of American Medical Colleges, where he leads the development of a national organization for Chief Medical Officers. At the National Academy of Medicine, he chairs the Committee on Aerospace Medicine and the Medicine of Extreme Environments, which advises NASA on medical risks, medical care, and health-related matters associated with space flight.

During his tenure at the Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Longnecker was the second Dripps Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care. Dr. Longnecker trained over 300 anesthesia residents and markedly expanded the research productivity of the department, resulting in increased NIH funding and publications. In tribute to his success in energizing departmental research activities, the new anesthesia research laboratories opened during his tenure were named in his honor. Dr. Longnecker also served Penn Medicine as Vice Dean for Professional Services, Senior Vice President, and Corporate Chief Medical Officer of UPHS.

He is the author of numerous scientific articles and chapters and the editor of six medical textbooks, including the 2200-page Anesthesiology, and the associated medical education website, http://www.accessanesthesiology.com. In addition, Dr. Longnecker has served as President of many medical organizations, including the American Board of Anesthesiology, the National Resident Matching Program, and the Association of University Anesthesiologists. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (UK). His interests also include the protection of coastal ecosystems, and he serves on the advisory board of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Meghan Brooks Lane-FallCurrent Chairholder
Meghan Brooks Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM

Dr. Meghan Brooks Lane-Fall is an implementation scientist and practicing anesthesiologist and intensive care physician. She serves as the David E. Longnecker Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, with a secondary faculty appointment in epidemiology. Dr. Lane-Fall is the Executive Director of the Penn Implementation Science Center at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Director of Penn’s Implementation Science Certificate Program. Her social science lab focuses on the application of implementation science and systems engineering to improve patient safety and communication in perioperative and critical care settings. She has a particular interest in learning health systems science and has methodological expertise in the use of qualitative and mixed methods approaches to scientific inquiry. She collaborates as an implementation science methodologist on a suite of projects, including work focused on maternal health and structural racism. Dr. Lane-Fall’s work is supported by grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the American Heart Association. Dr. Lane-Fall also serves as Vice President of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, is on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, and is part of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine New Voices program.

Previous Chairholders

  • Max Kelz, MD, PhD 2016-2020