Dr. Wijeysundera is a Staff Anesthesiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital – Unity Health Toronto, and a Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. He is also a Senior Adjunct Scientist at ICES Central. At Unity Health Toronto, he serves as Head of Science at SPHERE (Strategic Partnerships in Health Excellence, Research, and Engagement), where he leads an academic clinical research coordination centre that supports the design, conduct, and analysis of multicentre studies through integrated methodological, operational, and data science expertise. He holds the Elizabeth A. and Richard J. Currie, O.C. Chair in Translational Anesthesia Research at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto.
His research program focuses on improving the prediction, prevention, and management of complications after major surgery. He leads large-scale multicentre studies in perioperative medicine, including the METS study, the FIT After Surgery study, and the FAST Walk study. These studies span international and national networks and have advanced understanding of functional capacity, disability, and recovery after surgery in older adults.
Dr. Wijeysundera’s program has produced more than 425 peer-reviewed publications and secured over $7.5 million in competitive research funding from national agencies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Ontario government. He is an Associate Editor at Anesthesiology and serves on the editorial boards of the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia and Circulation.