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C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., and Ron D. Robertson, M.D., joined Nadir Sharawi, M.D., (seated) and his family for a photograph.
Image by Evan Lewis
UAMS Invests Nadir Sharawi, M.D., in Dola Thompson, M.D., Professorship in Anesthesiology
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine invested Nadir Sharawi, M.D., an associate professor and vice chair of Faculty Affairs in the UAMS Department of Anesthesiology, in the Dola Thompson, M.D., Professorship in Anesthesiology during a May 19 ceremony.
“The truth is none of us arrive at a moment like this alone — it happens because of the people around you,” said Sharawi. “To everyone in this room — the faculty, the former residents, the friends who traveled from near and far to be here today, thank you for celebrating this moment with me.”
Sharawi joined UAMS in 2017 and quickly established himself as a leader in obstetric anesthesia, serving as chief of obstetric anesthesiology from 2019 to 2024 before assuming his current role. Under his leadership, UAMS Medical Center was named a Center of Excellence for Obstetric Anesthesia.
“I’d like to extend my congratulations for the accomplishments that merited Dr. Sharawi this honor, and I look forward to what he will accomplish through this professorship.” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., UAMS Chancellor. “I would also like to thank the many people in this room who have made this professorship possible.”
A professorship is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A professorship is established with gifts of at least $500,000, which are invested and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research and clinical activities of the professorship holder. Those named to a professorship are among the most highly regarded scientists, physicians, and professors in their fields.
“Endowed professorships help us recruit and retain world-class educators, scientists and clinicians, and they support the vital work and vision of the faculty who hold them,” said Ron D. Robertson, M.D., interim dean of the College of Medicine. “We are also here to celebrate the legacy of Dola Thompson, a 1949 UAMS College of Medicine graduate who became the Department of Anesthesiology’s first resident and later became the department’s chair.”
The initial funds for the professorship were donated by friends and colleagues in honor of Dola S. Thompson, M.D., who served UAMS and the College of Medicine for decades as a professor and department chair, and who is recognized for her scholarship, academic leadership and excellence in anesthesia care. Thompson also made a significant gift to the professorship.
Sharawi completed medical school at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, followed by residency training through the Imperial School of Anaesthesia in London and the Barts and The London School of Anaesthesia. He pursued fellowship training in obstetric anesthesiology at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and later earned a Master of Science in Leadership and Management in Health at Kingston University. He holds Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology.
His research is nationally recognized, with a focus on neuraxial anesthesia, placenta accreta spectrum disorders, enhanced recovery after cesarean delivery, and patient-reported outcomes. He has authored or co-authored 35 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including JAMA Network Open, Anesthesiology, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and has contributed to numerous book chapters and multiple ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) Society clinical guidelines. He has received grant support from the UAMS Research Scholar Pilot Grant program and the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia. His research was awarded first place at the Gertie Marx Research Competition at the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology.
A dedicated educator, Sharawi has mentored dozens of residents and medical students, many of whom have produced peer-reviewed publications and national presentations under his guidance. He has received the UAMS Golden Apple Teaching Award and the Dean’s Resident Teaching Award on multiple occasions and was nominated for the SOAP Teacher of the Year Award. He serves on editorial boards and as a peer reviewer for journals including Anesthesia & Analgesia, the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, and the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia. Nationally, he is active within the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists, serving on abstract review, education, research promotion, and intersociety planning committees.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,015 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###