The focus of Dr. Ilfeld’s career since completing residency in 2000 has been clinical research, specifically in designing, implementing, leading, and executing multicenter clinical trials.  Following his fellowship in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine, he completed an NIH K30-funded Master of Science degree in Clinical Investigation.  A subsequent 5-year NIH K23 Mentored Career Development Award was designed specifically towards multicenter clinical investigations.  

Dr. Ilfeld has been the Chief of Research for his division since joining the faculty at the University of California San Diego in 2006.  He dedicates 80-100% of my time to conducting clinical research and has published more than 70 randomized trials (16 multicenter), has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, including 10 major reviews and 38 book chapters. Most involved novel, non-opioid analgesic techniques to treat both acute and chronic pain.  Most of Dr. Ilfeld’s articles were published in three of the highest-impact anesthesiology journals and have been cited more than 13,000 times (h-index 69; i10-index 162).
 
Dr. Ilfeld has been the Principal Investigator of 7 multicenter clinical trials funded by the NIH and Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.  All involve the treatment of acute and chronic pain with non-opioid regional analgesic techniques.  Combined with additional industry-sponsored and institution-funded randomized studies, he spends 100% of his time conducting clinical trials as principal investigator for all.  Dr. Ilfeld’s career funding exceeds $30 million. Current topics of research include continuous peripheral nerve blocks, liposomal bupivacaine, suzetrigine, percutaneous cryoneurolysis, percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation, pulsed shortwave therapy, and auricular neuromodulation.