Akash Goel MD, MPH, FRCPC

Dr. Akash Goel is an attending anesthesiologist and clinician–scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto. He earned his medical degree from McMaster University, completed residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Toronto, and pursued an interventional and multidisciplinary pain medicine fellowship at Stanford University. He also holds a Master of Public Health in quantitative methods from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Clinically, Dr. Goel directs the Neuromodulation Program at St. Michael’s, which receives over 1 000 referrals for chronic neuropathic pain each year. He leads a multidisciplinary team offering advanced therapies such as spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, and peripheral nerve stimulation, as well as image‑guided neuroablative procedures for craniofacial pain.

Dr. Goel’s research spans guideline development, database analyses, and innovative clinical trials. Early in his career, he co‑developed national Delphi‑based guidelines for perioperative buprenorphine and cannabis management, published in Anesthesiology, British Journal of Anaesthesia, and Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. His work using large administrative datasets explored the impact of substance use on surgical outcomes. He has secured over $3.5 million CAD in competitive funding—more than $2 million CAD as Principal Applicant—from CIHR, PSI Foundation, the Canadian Pain Society, and the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, and holds a University of Toronto Merit Award for protected research time.

Currently, Dr. Goel is leading early‑phase trials repurposing ketamine and psychedelic therapies for chronic pain and related mental health conditions, collaborating with neuroscientists, qualitative researchers, and patient‑partner groups. He frequently presents at national and international conferences and is committed to translating cutting‑edge research into compassionate patient care.