Affiliate Investigator, Acute Care Research
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr Yang has been actively conducting research on the prevention of perioperative myocardial infarctions, including the use of beta-blockers. He was the Principal Investigator for the MaVS (Metoprolol after Vascular Surgery) Study. Dr Yang was the initiating Principal Investigator and, due to his move to the University of Ottawa, one of the subsequent two Principal Investigators for the POISE (Perioperative Ischemia Evaluation Study). His current research interest is on the use of wireless remote postoperative ECG monitoring for the prevention of perioperative cardiovascular complications. Since 2007, he has also been active in setting up research projects to facilitate early discharge after surgery.

Dr. Yang is a Professor in the Department of Anesthesia, University of Ottawa. Since Sep 2012, he is the Director of Professionalism in the Faculty of Medicine. Between 2003 and 2013, he was the Professor and Chair at the Department of Anesthesia, University of Ottawa; he was also the Head of Anesthesiology at the Ottawa Hospital, overseeing the Civic Campus, General Campus, Riverside Campus, and the Ottawa Heart Institute.

Prior to his appointment at the University of Ottawa, he was the Chair of Anesthesia at McMaster University between 1997 and 2003.

He was the Chair of the Anesthesia Examination Board at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada between 1996 and 2001. During that tenure, he reformatted the traditional oral examinations to multi-stationed structured oral examinations, demonstrating their validity and reliability as high stake competency assessments. The oral and written examinations were re-structured into a “Combined Objective Examinations”, first demonstrating the use of a compensatory grid system. He has been the recipient of a number of teaching awards as well as a recipient of the Mentor of the Year Award from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

1. Fayad AA, Yang HY, Ruddy TD, Watters JM, Wells GA. Perioperative myocardial ischemia and isolated systolic hypertension in non-cardiac surgery. CanJ Anaesth. 2011 5/2011;58(5):428-35.
2. van Klei WA, Bryson GL, Yang H, Forster AJ. Effect of beta-blocker Prescription on the Incidence of Postoperative Myocardial Infarction after Hip and Knee Arthroplasty. Anesthesiology. 2009 8/22/2009.
3. Devereaux PJ, Yang H, Yusuf S, Guyatt G, Leslie K, Villar JC, et al. Effects of extended-release metoprolol succinate in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (POISE trial): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2008 5/31
2008;371(9627):1839-47.
4. Yang H, Raymer K, Butler R, Parlow J, Roberts R. The effects of perioperative beta-blockade: results of the Metoprolol after Vascular Surgery (MaVS) study, a randomized controlled trial. Am Heart J. 2006 11 2006;152(5):983-90.
5. Raymer K, Yang H. Patients with aortic stenosis: cardiac complications in non-cardiac surgery. Can J Anaesth. 1998 9/1998;45(9):855-9