Remembering Simon Gelman, MD, PhD 1936-2026

Born on May 26, 1936, Dr. Simon Gelman passed on August 2, 2026. During his wonderfully adventurous life, Dr. Gelman made extensive scientific contributions to the field of anesthesiology—including as a researcher, teacher, author, lecturer, journal editor, and mentor to hundreds of anesthesiologists and physician-scientists.

Born and raised in Leningrad in the Soviet Union, Dr. Gelman immigrated to Israel and then the United States, where he finished his residency in anesthesiology and later served as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He then served as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and faculty at Harvard Medical School before retiring.

Dr. Gelman was also a devoted leader within the FAER community. In addition to serving on FAER’s Board of Directors, he was a founding member of its Legacy Society and the Academy of Research Mentors in Anesthesiology (ARMA). He credited his receipt of a Research Starter Grant in 1980 as a key moment in his life and career.

Dr. Gelman told his story and reasons for his service to FAER and the specialty through his Legacy Letter. A small portion of the letter follows:

“I have been giving money to FAER because of two reasons. One of them is to give back the moral debt I owe. I received grant money to do my research as a young (rather old with a status of junior) doctor early in my career. My first success was the FAER award. My first grant affected me because it gave me exposure and recognition in my field of research in anesthesiology. Colleagues began to respect my research.

“The second reason I give to FAER is because my profession’s future depends on research. The FAER grant helped me to start. The FAER grant also leveraged other grants such as NIH funding. FAER is important to my specialty and has made me happy. I do not know how much I have given to my specialty, but I do know what my specialty did for me—and it did a lot. So I’m trying to pay a little bit back; that’s it.

“I see it as a collective action. When I give money together with other colleagues, we all help dozens of younger doctors succeed. Some of these people will become leaders in our specialty. Young doctors start their careers with FAER money, and that inspires them to give back. It is pleasant for me to learn that somebody else is building upon what I started doing 20 years ago.”

Please join FAER in celebrating Dr. Gelman’s wonderful life, numerous contributions to anesthesiology, and enduring legacy within the FAER community. His full Legacy Letter—filled with his gregarious spirit—can be read on the Legacy Society section of FAER’s website.

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