Perioperative Profile: Bruce Biccard

Live from the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Marrakesh, Kate Leslie speaks with Bruce Biccard, Nuffield Professor of Anaesthetic Science at the University of Oxford, Director of the African Perioperative Research Group, and board member of IARS and Safe Surgery South Africa. Bruce reflects on growing up in apartheid-era Cape Town, training in anaesthesia amid high-acuity care including trauma and HIV, and developing an interest in research through perioperative beta-blocker studies and mentorship in Oxford. He describes building South African and pan-African research collaborations that led to the African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS), which found mortality and failure-to-rescue rates about twice global averages despite relatively fit patients. He discusses a subsequent 30,000-patient cluster trial that showed no outcome improvement, highlighting implementation challenges, and outlines how Oxford's expertise can strengthen global health research in Africa and advance work on perioperative cognitive dysfunction. -- The 2026 International Practicum on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing will be held at the Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst, UK, from September 16th to 18th this year. It is organised by iPOETTS , the international perioperative testing and training society. Come and join us at this premier educational event designed for clinicians, scientists, and healthcare professionals interested in sport, exercise, and perioperative medicine. This is an International Perioperative Testing and Training Society accredited event so when you attend you can get your iPOETTS accreditation, showing that you are a practitioner who has reached a high, standardized level of competence in performing and interpreting Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) for patients preparing for major surgery. Go now to http://www.ebpom.org