Professor Robert Sanders
People_

Professor Robert Sanders

BSc MBBS PhD DABA FRCA
Nuffield Chair of Anaesthetics
Sydney Medical School/Central Clinical School

Prof Sanders, undertook a BSc in Neuroscience (First Class Honours) and trained in medicine at Imperial College London. Thereafter he completed specialist training in London in Anaesthetics. During much of that period he continued to perform basic neuroscience research in the laboratory of Prof Mervyn Maze. Spurred by those discoveries, he was awarded a Medical Research Council (UK) Clinical Training Fellowship funding his PhD in Biological Sciences (Imperial College London). He subsequently did a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London and a Neuroanaesthesia fellowship at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London. Having completed training, he moved to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA as an Assistant Professor. During his 5 years there, his research attracted more than $8 million AUD in NIH (USA) funding. In 2019, Dr. Sanders was awarded the Macintosh Professorship by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK. Prof Sanders then relocated to the University of Sydney in 2020 as the Nuffield Chair of Anaesthetics.

My passion is translational medicine, understanding mechanisms of disease to improve patient outcomes and experience. Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as delirium, dementia and schizophrenia, have massive financial, personal and societal impact and also limited therapeutic options. My focus is innovative investigation into the underlying pathogenic mechanisms to identify novel therapeutics. We apply novel disease models inspired from theoretical neuroscience, and supported by empirical data, as a critical principle of our approach. The intent is to significantly disrupt fields that have failed produce therapies despite years of research.

My laboratory is also interested in the mechanisms of consciousness and, in particular, sensory perception. The critical purpose of anaesthesia (and sleep), is to become disconnected from the external world, yet the mechanisms of sensory disconnection and experience remain unclear. We aim to illuminate these mechanisms, not only in the name of scientific discovery, but also to yield new approaches to providing anaesthesia,

Anaesthesia

Postoperatvie Cognitive Disorders

Mechanisms of consciousness and sensory disconnection

Mechanisms of Postoperative Delirium

Mechanisms of Sensory Disconnection Under Anaesthesia

2019 Macintosh Professor, Royal College of Anaesthetists

2013 Rising Star Lecture, Royal College of Anaesthetists

2008 GSK fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine

2007 Royal Society of Medicine Anaesthesia Trainee Prize

2002 Goldberg–Schachmann Memorial prize

Publications

Journals

  • Luney, M., Chalitsios, C., Lindsay, W., Sanders, R., McKeever, T., Moppett, I. (2024). Adverse outcomes after surgery after a cerebrovascular accident or acute coronary syndrome: a retrospective observational cohort study. British Journal of Anaesthesia. [More Information]
  • Taylor, J., Robledo, K., Medel, V., Heller, G., Payne, T., Wehrman, J., Casey, C., Yang, P., Krause, B., Lennertz, R., Naismith, S., Teixeira-Pinto, A., Sanders, R. (2024). Association between surgical admissions, cognition, and neurodegeneration in older people: a population-based study from the UK Biobank. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 5(9), 100623. [More Information]
  • Staquet, C., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Kandeepan, S., Sanders, R., Ribeiro De Paula, D., Brichant, J., Laureys, S., Bonhomme, V., Soddu, A. (2024). Changes in Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Topology Across Levels of Dexmedetomidine-Induced Alteration of Consciousness. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 139(4), 798-811. [More Information]

2024

  • Luney, M., Chalitsios, C., Lindsay, W., Sanders, R., McKeever, T., Moppett, I. (2024). Adverse outcomes after surgery after a cerebrovascular accident or acute coronary syndrome: a retrospective observational cohort study. British Journal of Anaesthesia. [More Information]
  • Taylor, J., Robledo, K., Medel, V., Heller, G., Payne, T., Wehrman, J., Casey, C., Yang, P., Krause, B., Lennertz, R., Naismith, S., Teixeira-Pinto, A., Sanders, R. (2024). Association between surgical admissions, cognition, and neurodegeneration in older people: a population-based study from the UK Biobank. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 5(9), 100623. [More Information]
  • Staquet, C., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Kandeepan, S., Sanders, R., Ribeiro De Paula, D., Brichant, J., Laureys, S., Bonhomme, V., Soddu, A. (2024). Changes in Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Topology Across Levels of Dexmedetomidine-Induced Alteration of Consciousness. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 139(4), 798-811. [More Information]

2023

  • Duce, N., Bond, F., Sanders, R., Elliott, M., Downey, R. (2023). Association between perioperative hypertension and haematoma formation in neck dissection for head and neck cancer. Australian Journal of Otolaryngology, 6. [More Information]
  • Lennertz, R., Pryor, K., Raz, A., Parker, M., Bonhomme, V., Schuller, P., Schneider, G., Moore, M., Coburn, M., Root, J., Sanders, R., et al (2023). Connected consciousness after tracheal intubation in young adults: an international multicentre cohort study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 130(2), e217-e224. [More Information]
  • Long, M., Sanders, R., Preiser, J. (2023). Critical Care and the Postintensive Care Syndrome. JAMA Network Open, 6(2), e230391. [More Information]

2022

  • Torres-Velázquez, M., Parker, M., Bo, A., White, M., Tanabe, S., Pearce, R., Lennertz, R., Cho, S., Bendlin, B., Johnson, S., Sanders, R., et al (2022). Amyloid deposition on positron emission tomography correlates with severity of perioperative delirium: a case-control pilot study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 128(3), e226-e228. [More Information]
  • Krause, B., Manning, H., Sabia, S., Singh-Manoux, A., Sanders, R. (2022). Association of Major Surgical Admissions with Quality of Life: 19-Year Follow-up of the Whitehall II Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study. JAMA Surgery, 157(3), 275-277. [More Information]
  • Parker, M., White, M., Casey, C., Kunkel, D., Bo, A., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Pearce, R., Lennertz, R., Sanders, R. (2022). Cohort Analysis of the Association of Delirium Severity with Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-Tau-Neurodegeneration Pathologies. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 77(3), 494-501. [More Information]

2021

  • Ballweg, T., White, M., Parker, M., Casey, C., Bo, A., Farahbakhsh, Z., Kayser, A., Blair, A., Lindroth, H., Pearce, R., Sanders, R., et al (2021). Association between plasma tau and postoperative delirium incidence and severity: a prospective observational study. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 126(2), 458-466. [More Information]
  • Hughes, C., Mailloux, P., Devlin, J., Swan, J., Sanders, R., Anzueto, A., Jackson, J., Hoskins, A., Pun, B., Orun, O., et al (2021). Dexmedetomidine or propofol for sedation in mechanically ventilated adults with sepsis. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(15), 1424-1436. [More Information]
  • Sultan, Z., Jaeckel, E., Krause, B., Grady, S., Murphy, C., Sanders, R., Banks, M. (2021). Electrophysiological signatures of acute systemic lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation: potential implications for delirium science. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 126(5), 996-1008. [More Information]

2020

  • Delp, S., Mei, W., Spies, C., Neuner, B., Aldecoa, C., Bettelli, G., Bilotta, F., Sanders, R., Kramer, S., Weiss, B. (2020). Clinical practice in the management of postoperative delirium by Chinese anesthesiologists: a cross-sectional survey designed by the European Society of Anaesthesiology. Journal of international medical research, 48(6). [More Information]
  • Tanabe, S., Mohanty, R., Lindroth, H., Casey, C., Ballweg, T., Farahbakhsh, Z., Krause, B., Prabhakaran, V., Banks, M., Sanders, R. (2020). Cohort study into the neural correlates of postoperative delirium: the role of connectivity and slow-wave activity. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 125(1), 55-66. [More Information]
  • Tanabe, S., Bo, A., White, M., Parker, M., Farahbakhsh, Z., Ballweg, T., Casey, C., Betthauser, T., Zetterberg, H., et al, Sanders, R. (2020). Cohort study of electroencephalography markers of amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration pathology. Brain Communications, 2(2), fcaa099. [More Information]

2019

  • Krause, B., Sabia, S., Manning, H., Singh-Manoux, A., Sanders, R. (2019). Association between major surgical admissions and the cognitive trajectory: 19 Year follow-up of Whitehall II cohort study. BMJ, 366, l4466. [More Information]
  • Lindroth, H., Nair, V., Stanfield, C., Casey, C., Mohanty, R., Wayer, D., Rowley, P., Brown, R., Prabhakaran, V., Sanders, R. (2019). Examining the identification of age-related atrophy between T1 and T1?+?T2-FLAIR cortical thickness measurements. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 11288. [More Information]
  • Mrkobrada, M., Chan, M., Cowan, D., Campbell, D., Wang, C., Torres, D., Malaga, G., Sanders, R., Sharma, M., Brown, C., et al (2019). Perioperative covert stroke in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (NeuroVISION): a prospective cohort study. The Lancet, 394(10203), 1022-1029. [More Information]

2018

  • Andreasen, C., Jorgensen, M., Gislason, G., Martinsson, A., Sanders, R., Abdulla, J., Jensen, P., Torp-Pedersen, C., Kober, L., Andersson, C. (2018). Association of timing of aortic valve replacement surgery after stroke with risk of recurrent stroke and mortality. JAMA Cardiology, 3(6), 506-513. [More Information]
  • Jorgensen, M., Andersson, C., Venkatesan, S., Sanders, R. (2018). Beta-blockers in noncardiac surgery: Did observational studies put us back on safe ground? British Journal of Anaesthesia, 121(1), 16-25. [More Information]
  • Duan, X., Coburn, M., Rossaint, R., Sanders, R., Waesberghe, J., Kowark, A. (2018). Efficacy of perioperative dexmedetomidine on postoperative delirium: systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 121(2), 384-397. [More Information]

2017

  • Jorgensen, M., Sanders, R., Kober, L., Mehta, K., Torp-Pedersen, C., Hlatky, M., Pallisgaard, J., Shaw, R., Gislason, G., Jensen, P., et al (2017). Beta-blocker subtype and risks of perioperative adverse events following non-cardiac surgery: A nationwide cohort study. European Heart Journal, 38(31), 2421-2428. [More Information]
  • Guldenmund, P., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Sanders, R., Sleigh, J., Bruno, M., Demertzi, A., Bahri, M., Jaquet, O., Sanfilippo, J., Baquero, K., et al (2017). Brain functional connectivity differentiates dexmedetomidine from propofol and natural sleep. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 119(4), 674-684. [More Information]
  • Venkatesan, S., Myles, P., Manning, H., Mozid, A., Andersson, C., Jorgensen, M., Hardman, J., Moonesinghe, S., Foex, P., Mythen, M., et al (2017). Cohort study of preoperative blood pressure and risk of 30-day mortality after elective non-cardiac surgery. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 119(1), 65-77. [More Information]

2016

  • Venkatesan, S., Okoli, G., Mozid, A., Pickworth, T., Grocott, M., Sanders, R., Myles, P. (2016). Effects of five preoperative cardiovascular drugs on mortality after coronary artery bypab surgery. European journal of Anaesthesiology, 33(1), 49-57. [More Information]
  • Broad, K., Fierens, I., Fleiss, B., Rocha-Ferreira, E., Ezzati, M., Hassell, J., Alonso-Alconada, D., Bainbridge, A., Kawano, G., Ma, D., et al (2016). Inhaled 45-50% argon augments hypothermic brain protection in a piglet model of perinatal asphyxia. Neurobiology of Disease, 87, 29-38. [More Information]
  • Broad, K., Hassell, J., Fleiss, B., Kawano, G., Ezzati, M., Rocha-Ferreira, E., Hristova, M., Bennett, K., Fierens, I., Burnett, R., et al (2016). Isoflurane exposure induces cell death, microglial activation and modifies the expression of genes supporting neurodevelopment and cognitive function in the male newborn piglet brain. PloS One, 11(11), e0166784. [More Information]

2015

  • Jorgensen, M., Hlatky, M., Kober, L., Sanders, R., Torp-Pedersen, C., Gislason, G., Jensen, P., Andersson, C. (2015). ?-blocker-associated risks in patients with uncomplicated hypertension undergoing noncardiac surgery. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(12), 1923-1931. [More Information]
  • Nakafero, G., Sanders, R., Nguyen-Van-Tam, J., Myles, P. (2015). Association between benzodiazepine use and exacerbations and mortality in patients with asthma: A matched case-control and survival analysis using the United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 24(8), 793-802. [More Information]
  • Munter, N., Stevanovic, A., Rossaint, R., Stoppe, C., Sanders, R., Coburn, M. (2015). CONSORT item adherence in top ranked anaesthesiology journals in 2011: A retrospective analysis. European journal of Anaesthesiology, 32(2), 117-125. [More Information]

2014

  • Hollig, A., Schug, A., Fahlenkamp, A., Rossaint, R., Coburn, M., Brucken, A., Fries, M., Kepp, O., Lemaire, M., Ma, D., et al (2014). Argon: Systematic review on neuro- and organoprotective properties of an “Inert” gas. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15(10), 18175-18196. [More Information]
  • Marchant, N., Sanders, R., Sleigh, J., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Bruno, M., Brichant, J., Laureys, S., Bonhomme, V. (2014). How electroencephalography serves the anesthesiologist. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 45(1), 22-32. [More Information]
  • Sanders, R. (2014). How important is peri-operative hypertension? Anaesthesia, 69(9), 948-953. [More Information]

2013

  • Sanders, R., Godlee, A., Fujimori, T., Goulding, J., Xin, G., Salek-Ardakani, S., Snelgrove, R., Ma, D., Maze, M., Hussell, T. (2013). Benzodiazepine augmented ?-amino-butyric acid signaling increases mortality from pneumonia in mice. Critical Care Medicine, 41(7), 1627-1636. [More Information]
  • Boly, M., Sanders, R., Mashour, G., Laureys, S. (2013). Consciousness and responsiveness: Lessons from anaesthesia and the vegetative state. Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology, 26(4), 444-449. [More Information]
  • Sanders, R., Godlee, A., Goulding, J., Ma, D., Maze, M., Hussell, T. (2013). Parenteral fluids do not affect pulmonary immune responses to influenza or susceptibility to secondary bacterial pneumonia in mice. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 7(6), 895-899. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2025

  • Does dexmedetomidine influence changes in serum neurofilament light following on-bypass cardiac surgery?, Marshall T, Sanders R, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)/2025 Project Grant

2023

  • A PARADIGM SHIFT IN UNDERSTANDING ANAESTHESIA, Sanders R, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)/2024 Project Grant