From Neonatal Pain to Child Wellness: The 3rd Annual George Gregory Lecture

The Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care’s 3rd Annual George Gregory Lecture took place on October 28, 2026, in the William and Susan Oberndorf Auditorium at UCSF Mission Bay. The lecture featured guest speaker Kanwaljeet J. S. Anand, MBBS, D.Phil, professor of Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and director of the Stanford Child Wellness Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Michael Gropper, Distinguished Professor and Chair, began by welcoming the group followed by Dr. Anshuman Sharma, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia and Director of Pediatric Anesthesia Research, who then introduced Dr. Anand.

In his lecture, “Scientific Explorations of Neonatal Pain and Early Life Adversity,” Dr. Anand reflected on four decades of research that helped transform the understanding and treatment of pain in newborns. He traced the field’s evolution from early evidence demonstrating that neonates experience significant physiologic responses to pain to current research exploring how pain, stress, and other adverse experiences early in life can influence brain development and long-term health.

Connecting this foundational work to his research on child wellness, Dr. Anand discussed emerging approaches to measuring the effects of early-life stress, including the use of hair cortisol and oxytocin as potential biomarkers. He emphasized the protective role of parental warmth, bonding, and supportive environments in building resilience, while highlighting opportunities to better identify and support children and families experiencing adversity. Throughout the lecture, Dr. Anand paid tribute to Dr. Gregory, describing him as a trailblazer whose work profoundly influenced neonatal and pediatric anesthesiology–and Dr. Anand’s own scientific career.

Watch a recording of the 2026 George Gregory Lecture

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