Research Overview

Research Interests: Anesthesiology and Neuroscience

Research Focus: I study the mechanisms of emergence and cognitive recovery from general anesthesia using a systems neuroscience approach. In current clinical practice, emergence from general anesthesia is treated as a passive process dictated by the pharmacokinetics of anesthetic drug clearance. My group discovered that methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dopamine agonists induce active emergence from general anesthesia, a process that we term "reanimation." We subsequently discovered that electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key dopamine nucleus in the midbrain, also induces reanimation.

I currently direct a translational research program that studies the role of dopamine pathways in restoring consciousness and cognition after general anesthesia. In my laboratory, we combine intracranial stimulation, neurophysiological recordings, and cognitive testing in rodents to elucidate the neural circuits that govern reanimation, while my clinical research program tests novel methods to accelerate recovery of consciousness and cognition in surgical patients. Our long-term goal is to make general anesthesia safer by developing new therapeutic options for common clinical problems such as post-operative delirium and cognitive dysfunction.

Biography

Ken Solt received his B.A. magna cum laude in Chemistry from Amherst College in 1996 and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. He completed his anesthesia residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital and is a practicing anesthesiologist at MGH today.

Dr. Solt is currently an Associate Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School, Director of Translational Research and Innovation in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Research Affiliate in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received the Scholar in Anesthesia Research Award from Massachusetts General Hospital and is the principal investigator on several NIH research grants, including R01 and P01 awards.

Dr. Solt is passionate about neural mechanisms of unconsciousness and has mentored more than 30 trainees. For his contributions to the field, he has received awards from NIH, James S. McDonnell Foundation, International Anesthesia Research Society, and Partners Healthcare. Outside of the lab, Ken enjoys traveling with his family, eating good food, and rooting for the New England Patriots.