Trung Q. Vu

Biography

Trung Q. Vu, M.D., M.S., is Clinical Professor, Vice Chair for Critical Care Medicine Services, and Chief of the Division of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care at the University of California, Irvine Health. He also serves as Co-Medical Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Vu received his M.D. from the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine, completed his anesthesiology residency at the University of Maryland Medical System, and completed a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.

Vu has played a central role in developing critical care infrastructure at UC Irvine Health. He established the Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellowship program in 2013, growing it to train two fellows annually, and served as Program Director until 2021. He spearheaded the development of an ECMO program, which became the only ECMO center in Orange County, and helped establish a cardiovascular intensive care unit with 24/7 in-house coverage by anesthesia intensivists. Under his leadership, the Anesthesiology Critical Care Division has expanded to include 10 faculty members and 7 nurse practitioners.

Vu has contributed to medical education through extensive teaching activities, including developing curricula for residents and fellows, leading simulation-based training programs, and serving as faculty mentor to numerous physicians. He has served on multiple professional committees, including as leader of the ACCM Program Director Central Application Task Force and as a member of the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists Service Chief Advisory Council. His research has been published in journals including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Cell Biology, and Critical Care, with work spanning basic science investigations of neural proteins to clinical studies on hemodynamic management and goal-directed therapy.

Education

• M.D., University of California, Irvine College of Medicine, 2004
• M.S. in Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 2000
• B.S. in Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 1996

Distinctions

• Fellow of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM), 2020
• Physician of Excellence, 2023-2024
• Most Thoughtful Pre-Op Discussion Award, 2013
• Golden Bucket Award, 2011