Jochen Daniel “Danny” Muehlschlegel, M.D., a cardiac anesthesiologist and an expert in the genetics of cardiovascular disease, has been named director of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. He will assume the role in September, succeeding Adam Sapirstein, who has served on an interim basis for two years.

Muehlschlegel will join Johns Hopkins from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts, where he is the vice chair of research, director of cardiac anesthesia research and the hospital’s Distinguished Chair of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine.

“Dr. Muehlschlegel is an outstanding physician-leader, educator and translational researcher who excels at innovation and discovery. His significant contributions to the field make him an exceptional choice for this role,” said Theodore DeWeese, interim dean of the medical faculty and CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine. “We are delighted to welcome him to Johns Hopkins and know that he will continue to advance the already outstanding reputation of the department.”

Muehlschlegel’s research focuses on how a person’s genetic variation influences perioperative myocardial injury, a rare but serious complication in patients undergoing heart surgery.

He also studies variations in gene expression patterns among patients who experience atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythms) after surgery. One of his research goals is to provide an in-depth genomic characterization of the left atrium of the heart — the region adjacent to where atrial fibrillation originates.

“Understanding genetic patterns that lead to surgical complications could help identify patients who are at higher risk of such complications and offer an opportunity to intervene with targeted prevention and treatment strategies,” says Muehlschlegel. 

Among his numerous awards, Muehlschlegel received the Kaplan Leadership Development Award from the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the Distinction in Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School.

Muehlschlegel’s work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has led to more than 110 peer-reviewed research publications. He is also the chief scientific officer of Team Heart, a nonprofit medical organization focused on bringing sustainable cardiac care to Rwanda, which has a high incidence of rheumatic heart disease.

He is an elected member of the Association of Cardiac Anesthesiologists, on the board of directors for the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Research Committee and a member of the leadership committee of the Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia Council of the American Heart Association. Additionally, he is an oral board examiner of the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Muehlschlegel earned his medical degree from Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany, a Master of Medical Science degree in translational genetics from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. He completed his residency at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and fellowships in cardiac anesthesia and cardiovascular genetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.