Peter Nagele, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, has been awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art. The honor recognizes superior creative and commendable services in the areas of the sciences or the arts, and is part of the national honors system of Austria.
Nagele, a native of Austria, is a leading expert in the field of pharmacology of anesthetic gases and was honored, among other merits, for his significant contribution to identifying the mechanism of volatile anesthetics, nitrous oxide and xenon. He has also conducted ground-breaking work on the use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to treat depression.
Nagele has contributed to bilateral exchange of scientific ideas between Austria and the United States as a founding member and president of ASciNa, the network of Austrian Scientists & Scholars in North America. He received the award from Martin Weiss, Austrian Ambassador to the United States, on behalf of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, in a formal ceremony held on October 1, 2021, at the Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, DC.