Rainer Lenhardt, MD, MBA is Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Louisville. He received his medical degree from the University of Vienna, where he also completed his residency in anesthesia and general intensive care. Dr. Lenhardt subsequently pursued internships in internal medicine at the Universities of Bologna, Barcelona, and Valladolid, and a postdoctoral research fellowship in anesthesia at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Lenhardt serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Perioperative Care of the Obese Patient and is an active peer reviewer for multiple medical journals. He has authored 49 research articles in peer‑reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. His research focuses on obesity, thermoregulation, airway management, and coagulation, with an emphasis on improving perioperative safety and outcomes in high‑risk surgical populations.