Dr. Nadia Lunardi is a practicing neuro anesthesiologist, critical care physician and investigator in a translational research laboratory at the University of Virginia. She completed residency in Anesthesiology and obtained a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Padua, Italy, followed by a Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Virginia Medical Center. She currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Neuro Anesthesia Division Chief at the same institution. Her primary research focus centers around postoperative delirium and its pathophysiology. Specifically, she and her team are investigating the role of perioperative sleep disturbances, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and epigenetic changes in the onset of postoperative delirium.