Thomas Jon Caruso MD, PhD, MEd

Thomas Caruso, MD, PhD, grew up in New Jersey. He is a pediatric anesthesiologist who has a special interest in regional anesthesia, quality and safety, and medical education. He says virtual reality is one of the most powerful distraction interventions in a doctor’s toolkit today. He is the co-founder and co-Director of the Stanford Chariot Program, as well as a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. In 2023, he earned his PhD from Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

His research showed that holograms and augmented reality can help prepare medical trainees for a crisis. Before attending Stanford University School of Medicine, he earned a degree from the University of Virginia in chemistry with a subspecialty in biochemistry. He did his Fellowship at Stanford University in Pediatric Anesthesia and his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.