Nationally Renowned Anesthesiology Physician-Scientist and Clinical Operations Leader David Mintz, MD, PhD, Named Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the UM School of Medicine
BALTIMORE, Dec. 17, 2025 — University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, together with University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) President Bert O’Malley, MD, announced the appointment of C. David Mintz, MD, PhD, as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Chief of the Anesthesiology Clinical Service at UMMC. Dr. Mintz will be installed as the Martin Helrich Endowed Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology and will begin his position in July 2026.
Dr. Mintz is a neuroanesthesiologist and a nationally recognized leader in research, education, and perioperative operations. He currently serves as Vice Chair for Clinical Operations in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In that role he oversees anesthesiology services across three hospitals and two ambulatory surgery centers, managing roughly 125 anesthetizing locations, and also serves as Executive Director for Perioperative Strategy for the Johns Hopkins Health System. He has led initiatives that improved financial performance, employee satisfaction, efficiency, quality, safety, and patient experience.
Clinically, Dr. Mintz is an expert in neurosurgical anesthesiology, with a focus on anesthetic management for intracranial neurosurgery, neurovascular surgery, and complex spine procedures. He served seven years as Division Chief for Neuroanesthesiology at Johns Hopkins and founded its fellowship program in the subspecialty. He has mentored many junior faculty and fellows, several of whom now hold leadership roles in academic anesthesiology nationwide.
As a physician-scientist, Dr. Mintz has authored more than 75 scholarly works and his laboratory has been supported by 15 years of continuous NIH funding alongside foundation and industry support. His research centers on how early developmental exposure to anesthetics and sedatives affects brain circuitry formation — a topic with important implications for pediatric perioperative and intensive care. He is an Associate Editor for Anesthesiology, the official journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and has long contributed to the Association of University Anesthesiologists, including service as chair of its Scientific Advisory Board and membership on its governing Council.
Dr. Mintz is also a recognized educator and has received multiple teaching awards for both clinical and didactic instruction of residents and fellows. He is principal investigator and Director of the Hopkins T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, which supports research training for future physician-scientists.
“Dr. Mintz is the ultimate ‘triple threat’ in academic medicine. He is an exceptional clinician, NIH R01-funded neuroscientist, and educator who directs a successful T32 physician-scientist training grant. His vision will propel our Department of Anesthesiology into a new era of innovation and excellence,” said Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko Distinguished Professor and Dean.
Dean Gladwin added his appreciation to Matthew Tulis, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, for serving as Interim Chair until Dr. Mintz’s arrival, and thanked Frank Henn, MD, Chair of Orthopaedics, and the Search Committee for their work during a competitive search.
In addition to chairing the department, Dr. Mintz will participate in the University of Maryland Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (UM-MIND), the School of Medicine’s multidisciplinary neuroscience research institute. He will also be involved with the Shock Trauma and Anesthesiology Organized Research Center (STAR), collaborating with Tom Scalea at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center on translational research related to trauma, tissue injury, critical care, and anesthesiology.
“Dr. Mintz’s exceptional leadership, operational acumen and clinical expertise made him a clear choice for this vital role which touches many aspects of care delivery,” said Dr. Bert O’Malley, UMMC President and Executive Vice President of Academic Health for the University of Maryland Medical System.
Dr. Mintz earned his combined MD/PhD degree at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, completed residency training in anesthesiology at Columbia University where he served as Chief Resident and was inducted into the Virginia Apgar Research Society, and completed fellowship training in neuroanesthesiology and a T32 research fellowship. He served on the faculty at Columbia before joining Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Mintz resides in the Cromwell Valley neighborhood of Towson. His wife, Liz Proctor, is Director of Library Services and Upper School Librarian at the Park School of Baltimore. They have two sons, ages 10 and 14.
“I am honored and very excited to join the Department of Anesthesiology and the broader University of Maryland School of Medicine, Medical Center, and Medical System community,” said Dr. Mintz. “The Department has a fantastic culture and an illustrious history. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and learners to build on past successes and to reach for new heights in our shared goals.”
The School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology is currently ranked #14 nationally by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, with more than $6 million in NIH-funded research.
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SOURCE: University of Maryland Medical Center