SUMMARY
Randall Flick, M.D., M.P.H., is a leading expert in pediatric anesthesia safety whose research focuses on understanding and mitigating risks associated with anesthesia in infants and children. Dr. Flick's work addresses one of the most pressing issues in modern anesthesiology: whether anesthetic‑related neurological injury contributes to long‑term learning challenges in children.
Dr. Flick's recent work centers on risk assessment across critical perioperative events, including:
- Anesthetic toxicity.
- Aspiration.
- Cardiac arrest.
- Laryngospasm.
- Malignant hyperthermia.
His primary research emphasis is the impact of anesthetic exposure on the developing brain.
Focus areas
Dr. Flick has two main research focus areas.
Anesthesia and learning disabilities
Dr. Flick and his Mayo Clinic colleagues were pioneers in demonstrating an association between early childhood exposure to anesthetic agents and later learning disabilities.
Building on this foundational work, Dr. Flick and his co-investigators collaborated with the National Center for Toxicological Research on a $3.5 million federally funded five‑year study that used comprehensive neuropsychological testing to define the neurodevelopmental effects of early anesthetic exposure. The study, called the Mayo Anesthesia Safety in Kids (MASK) Study, is among the most comprehensive studies of anesthetic-related neurotoxicity in children.
Dr. Flick is now completing a follow-up study to evaluate MASK study participants using advanced neuroimaging. This study is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Perioperative risks
Dr. Flick's research also leverages the extensive Mayo Clinic medical records system and community-based data to quantify perioperative risks in children receiving anesthesia for surgical and diagnostic procedures. These studies provide essential guidance for clinicians, families and regulatory agencies seeking to evaluate and reduce anesthesia‑related risks in pediatric populations.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Flick studies the possible effects of anesthesia on a child's brain and learning later in life. His research findings help doctors make better decisions about anesthesia care and inform government health agencies about guidelines. His research also gives parents important information to use when making medical decisions for their children.
Professional highlights
- Society for Pediatric Anesthesia:
- Myron Yaster Lifetime Achievement Award, 2025.
- Board member and president, 2010-2018.
- Director, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, 2014-2024.
- Food and Drug Administration:
- Member, Pediatric Advisory Committee, 2014-2024.
- Member and chair, Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee, 2009-2016.