Anaesthetics & Pain Research
Improving outcomes for children undergoing surgery
At Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), our Anaesthetics & Pain research group is dedicated to enhancing the quality of care for children before, during, and after surgery.
Our research focus
Our research focuses on understanding how young patients respond to anaesthesia and pain management, with the goal of improving clinical practices and long-term outcomes.
Our mission
We aim to:
- Advance knowledge in paediatric anaesthesia and pain management.
- Translate research findings into safer, more effective clinical practices.
- Mentor the next generation of clinician-researchers.
- Collaborate globally to lead innovation in paediatric anaesthesia.
Key projects
- TREX Trial: Investigating anaesthesia’s impact on brain development.
- POPCORN Trial: A comparison of intravenous morphine vs oxycodone PCA for postoperative paediatric patients
- Neurotraject Study: Neurocognitive recovery in children after major surgery
- Blood management in children undergoing cardiac surgery
- Improving patient outcomes after tonsillectomy
- EEG in babies during anaesthesia
- CRICKET Study:-Critical events in children undergoing tracheal intubation
- Sustainability Research in Anaesthesia
- Use of Tranexamic Acid in CP surgery
- Virtual Reality in Paediatric Chronic Pain Rehabilitation
Training & mentorship
We are committed to fostering a strong research culture through structured training programs, mentorship, and support for emerging researchers in Anaesthetics and Pain.
Group Leaders
Group Members
Our projects
TREX Trial – Anaesthesia and the developing brain
Lead: Professor Andrew Davidson
This landmark international trial investigates the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of general anaesthesia in infants. TREX aims to determine whether lighter anaesthesia techniques can reduce potential impacts on the developing brain, helping to shape safer practices for paediatric surgery worldwide.
EEG and anaesthesia
Lead: Professor Andrew Davidson
This research explores how electroencephalography (EEG) can be used to monitor brain activity during anaesthesia in children. The goal is to develop real-time tools that ensure optimal anaesthetic depth, improving safety and outcomes during surgery.
Optimal anaesthesia for tonsillectomy
Leads: Dr Ben Hallett, Dr Rachel Chapman, Dr Peter Squire, Professor Andrew Davidson
This study investigates the most effective anaesthetic techniques for children undergoing tonsillectomy, aiming to minimise pain, nausea, and recovery time while improving overall surgical outcomes.
Anaesthesia and pain management
Leads: Dr Ian McKenzie, Dr George Chalkiadis, Dr Greta Palmer
This program focuses on improving acute and chronic pain management strategies in children. It includes research into pain assessment tools, analgesic protocols, and the psychological dimensions of paediatric pain.
CVAD Studies – Central Venous Access Devices
Lead: Dr Liz Prentice
These studies aim to improve the safety and effectiveness of central venous access in children, particularly those undergoing long-term treatments such as chemotherapy or parenteral nutrition.
Pediatric Difficult Intubation (PEDI) Registry
Lead: Dr Stefan Sabato
The PEDI Registry collects data on difficult airway cases in children to identify risk factors, improve training, and develop evidence-based guidelines for safer intubation practices.
Evaluating anaesthesia adequacy in neonates
Lead: Dr Bae Corlette
This project seeks to develop reliable methods for assessing whether neonates are receiving adequate anaesthesia during surgery, a critical challenge due to their unique physiology and limited communication.
Funding
Thank you to our supporters.
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
- Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
- Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia
- Canadian Institute of Health Research
- National Institute of Health
- Food and Drug Administration
- Italian Ministry of Heath
- Health Technologies Assessment- National Institute for Health Research UK
Global collaborations
We partner with leading institutions worldwide, including:
- Children’s Hospital at Westmead
- Perth Children’s Hospital
- Queensland Children’s Hospital
- Sydney Children’s Hospital
- Children's Hospital Boston, USA
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA
- C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA
- Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, USA
- Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec
- Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, Scotland
- Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy
- University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
These collaborations ensure our research remains at the forefront of paediatric anaesthesia and pain science.
Featured publications
Davies PG. Central Venous Catheter-associated Venous Thrombosis in Neonates: "Seek and You Shall Find". Anesthesiology. 2025 Feb 1;142(2):260-262. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005305. Epub 2025 Jan 14. PMID: 39807911.
Graydon C, Stricker PA, Kelleher S, Cravero J, Karim N, Muhly WT, Lee-Archer P. Development of the Pediatric Scale for Quality of Recovery (PedSQoR). Anesthesiology. 2025 Apr 14. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005503. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40227959.
Kratzer M, Davidson A. Processed EEGs in Children; Are They Useful? Paediatr Anaesth. 2025 May;35(5):336-337. doi: 10.1111/pan.15089. Epub 2025 Feb 28. PMID: 40018824.
Corlette SJ, Walker SM, Cornelissen L, Brasher C, Bower J, Davidson AJ. Changes in the Term Neonatal Electroencephalogram with General Anesthesia: A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis. Anesthesiology. 2024 Oct 1;141(4):670-680. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005088. PMID: 38775960; PMCID: PMC11389889.
Frawley G. Second infant spinal anesthetic: Incidence, dose modification, and adverse events after initial failure. Paediatr Anaesth. 2024 Apr;34(4):324-331. doi: 10.1111/pan.14831. Epub 2023 Dec 26. PMID: 38146636.
Humphreys S, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Taverner F, Davidson A, Skowno J, Hallett B, Sommerfield D, Hauser N, Williams T, Spall S, Pham T, Atkins T, Jones M, King E, Burgoyne L, Stephens P, Vijayasekaran S, Slee N, Burns H, Franklin D, Hough J, Schibler A. High-flow nasal oxygen for children's airway surgery to reduce hypoxaemic events: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2024 Jul;12(7):535-543. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(24)00115-2. Epub 2024 May 21. PMID: 38788748.
Long E, Davidson A, Lee KJ, Babl FE, George S. Adaptive platform trials rather than randomised controlled trials for paediatric sepsis. Emerg Med Australas. 2024 Jun;36(3):488-490. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.14409. Epub 2024 Apr 10. PMID: 38600436.
Martin JC, Liley DTJ, Beer CFLA, Davidson AJ. Topographical Features of Pediatric Electroencephalography during High Initial Concentration Sevoflurane for Inhalational Induction of Anesthesia. Anesthesiology. 2024 May 1;140(5):890-905. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000004902. PMID: 38207324.
Saynhalath R, Disma N, Taverner FJ, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Andropoulos D, Ng AS, Shields BB, Izzo F, Lee-Archer P, McCann ME, Montagnini L, Kuppers B, Lenares E, Sheppard S, de Graaff JC, Lee KJ, Wang X, Szmuk P, Davidson AJ, Skowno JJ; TREX (Trial Remifentanil DEXmedetomidine) Consortium. Short-term Outcomes in Infants after General Anesthesia with Low-dose Sevoflurane/Dexmedetomidine/Remifentanil versus Standard-dose Sevoflurane (the TREX Trial). Anesthesiology. 2024 Dec 1;141(6):1075-1085. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005232. PMID: 39283983.
Sim NYW, Chalkiadis GA, Davidson AJ, Palmer GM. A systematic review of the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain in children. Paediatr Anaesth. 2024 Aug;34(8):701-719. doi: 10.1111/pan.14918. Epub 2024 May 13. PMID: 38738779.
Vutskits L, Davidson AJ. Developmental Anesthesia Neurotoxicity Research in Humans: Moving the Concept. Anesthesiology. 2024 Sep 1;141(3):431-433. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005126. PMID: 39136479.
Wainwright CE, Vidmar S, Anderson V, Bourgeat P, Byrnes C, Carlin JB, Cheney J, Cooper P, Davidson A, Gailer N, Grayson-Collins J, Quittner A, Robertson C, Salvado O, Zannino D, Armstrong FD; ACFBAL; CF-GAIN Study Groups. Long-term outcomes of early exposure to repeated general anaesthesia in children with cystic fibrosis (CF-GAIN): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled phase 4 trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2024 Sep;12(9):703-713. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(24)00170-X. Epub 2024 Jun 5. PMID: 38851197.
Xin A, Grobler A, Bell G, de Graaff JC, Dorris L, Disma N, McCann ME, Withington DE, Davidson AJ. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes after Multiple General Anesthetic Exposures before 5 Years of Age: A Cohort Study. Anesthesiology. 2025 Feb 1;142(2):308-319. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005293. Epub 2024 Nov 11. PMID: 39808508.