Anesthesiology

Dr. Zeljko J. Bosnjak received a PhD in Physiology from the Medical College of Wisconsin.  He was promoted to Professor of Anesthesiology and Physiology in 1989, and currently serves as Vice Chairman for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology.  His laboratory studies, coordinated by basic and physician-scientists, investigate the cellular mechanisms of anesthetic action.  Dr. Bosnjak's interests include the function of cardiac and smooth muscle ion channels and their behavior in the presence of anesthetics.  Current research activities include cellular signal transduction pathways that are responsible for anesthetic-induced cardioprotection and the modulation of ATP sensitive potassium current in cardiac myocytes by ischemia and volatile anesthetics.  He is an author or co-author of more than 230 publications and book chapters. 

The NIH has continually funded Dr. Bosnjak since 1981.  Currently he is the Principal Investigator of an R01, Program Director and Project PI of a Program Project Grant, and functions as a co-investigator on several R01 grants in the Department of Anesthesiology.  Dr. Bosnjak remains a member of many professional societies and he is the recipient of various awards including the New Investigator Research Award, B.B. Sankey Anesthesia Advancement Award, Research Career Development Award, and the presidential medal "Northern Star" awarded to him by the late President of Croatia, Dr. Franjo Tudjman.  Dr. Bosnjak serves as the current president of the World Association of Croatian Physicians.  He is an editor of Anesthesiology and a reviewer for a number of journals including the American Journal of Physiology, Anesthesia and Analgesia, and the Journal of Anesthesia.  Until June 2005, Dr. Bosnjak was a Chairman of the NIH Surgery, Anesthesia and Trauma Study Section.  He also serves on the American Society of Anesthesiologists Subcommittee on Anesthetic Action and is a member of the MCW Nominating Committee of the Faculty Council as well as the Admissions Committee.


Recent Publications: 

Aizawa K, Turner LA, Weihrauch D, Bosnjak ZJ, Kwok WM.  Protein Kinase C-epsilon primes cardiac sarcolemmal adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel to modulation by isoflurane.  Anesthesiology 2004;101:381-389.

Kohro S, Hogan QC, Warltier DC, Bosnjak ZJ. Protein kinase C inhibitors produce mitochondrial flavoptotein oxidation in cardiac myocytes.  Anesth Analg 2004;99:1316-1322.

Turner LA, Fujimoto K, Suzuki A, Stadnicka A, Bosnjak ZJ et al.  The interaction of isoflurane and PKC activators on sarcolemmal KATP channels.  Anesth Analg 2005;100(6):1680-1686.

Marinovic J, Bosnjak ZJ, Stadnicka A.  Preconditioning by isoflurane induces lasting sensitization of the cardiac sarcolemmal adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel by protein kinase c-delta-mediated mechanism.  Anesthesiology 2005;103:540-547.

Jamnicki-Abegg M, Weihrauch D, Pagel PS, Kersten JR, Bosnjak ZJ, Warltier DC, Bienengraeber MW.  Isoflurane inhibits cardiac myocyte apoptosis during oxidative and inflammatory stress by activating AKT and enhancing BCL-2 expression.  Anesthesiology 2005;103(5):1006-1014.