John Burthorne Sampson

John Burthorne Sampson

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine

Contact Information

Research Interests: Notable historical and current relationships between African Americans and Africans on the continent of Africa

Education: MD, University of California, San Francisco

I am currently an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; the anesthesiology director for the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgery Obstetrics, Anesthesiology, and Global Health; as well as the executive director of the Johns Hopkins Austere Anesthesia Health Outcomes Research Group. For the past two decades I have been involved in clinical, educational, and research-related medical projects that are aimed at improving medical care for people in Africa. I have practiced and taught medicine in 14 countries, on three continents and the Caribbean.

I have a strong interest in bridging the medical and cultural divide between the United States and Africa through education, training, technology, and historical forums. As a result of this interest and my involvement in the Doctors for United Medical Missions organization (DrUMM), I have introduced dozens of physicians, students, and others to Africa in a manner that has altered their perceptions, careers, and interests.

I am currently working on a description of the most notable historical and current relationships between African Americans and Africans on the continent of Africa. I am actively looking for qualified individuals who may be interested in collaborating or contributing to this endeavor.

  • Research on the usability, durability, safety, and impact of the Universal Anesthesia Machine in low-resource environments
  • Research into the interpersonal relationships between anesthesia providers and their patients and the effect that the quality of these relationships has upon professionalism, autonomy, anxiety, patient cooperation and patient satisfaction
  • The effect of disease states upon cerebrovascular reactivity as measured by MRI
  • The improvement of medical care in Africa and other low-resource areas through education and improved communication
  • Teaching responsibilities to medical students and residents on aspects of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, and international medicine
  • Teaching responsibilities to health care providers overseas with courses thus far taught in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Eritrea
  • Rosen MA, LeeBH, Sampson JB, Koka R, Chima AM, Ogbuagu OU, Marx, Kamara TB, Koroma M, Jackson EV Jr.  Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Applied to the Maintenance and Repair of Anesthetic Equipment in an Austere Medical Environment.  Int J Qual Health Care.  2014 Aug;26(4):404-10.
  • Rosen MA, Sampson JB, Jackson EV Jr, Koka R, Chima AM, Ogbuagu OU, Marx MK, Koroma M, Lee BH.  Failure Mode and Effects Analysis of the Universal Anaesthesia Machine in Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Sierra Leone.  Br J Anaesthe. 2014 Sep;113(3):410-5.
  • Mehtsun  WT, Weatherspoon K, McElrath L, Chima A, Torsu VEK, Obeng ENB, Papandria DJ, Mehes MM, Ortega G, Hesse AJ,  Sory E, Sampson, JB, Anderson J,  Perry H, Abdullah F. Assessing Surgical and Obstetric/Gynecologic Workload of Medical Officers: Findings from 10 District Hospitals in Ghana. Archives of Surgery, Arch Surg. 2012;147(6):542-548.doi:10.1001/archsurg.2012.449.
  • Sampson, JB. (2004). Critical Challenges in Africa. Critical Care Connections, Vol 3(4).   
  • Buckenmaier C, Lee EH, Shields CH,Sampson JB, Chiles J. Regional Anesthesia in Austere Environments Regional Anesthesia & Pain July- Aug 2003 vol. 28(4).
  • Sampson, JB. (2002). Anesthesiology Leadership in Medical Preparedness for Biological and Chemical Atrocities. American Society of Anesthesiology Newsletter, 66(3).
  • Sampson JB. Anesthesiology Leadership in Medical Preparedness for Biological and Chemical Atrocities American Society of Anesthesiology Newsletter Mar. 2002 vol. 66(3).