Nelson Aquino has been a Senior Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in Boston Children's Hospital's Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine for 15 years. 

Nelson received his undergraduate Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Seton Hall University. He earned a Nurse Anesthesia Degree from Northeastern University. 

Dr. Aquino has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovative research, and advocacy in transforming perioperative care for TGD individuals nationally and internationally. His pioneering work, particularly in establishing the specialty anesthesiology team, is known as the Gender Affirming Surgical Perioperative Program (GASPP). His research includes understanding how gender-affirming care and anesthesia management are associated with perioperative and adverse outcomes for gender-diverse young adults having gender-affirming procedures.

Dr. Aquino has significantly advanced anesthesiology practice by developing and implementing the first gender-affirming Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway for chest masculinizing surgery. This protocol reduced hospital stays and observed a 45% decrease in median surgical drainage output, leading to fewer patients needing to return to the operating room within 24 hours for hematoma evacuation. 

As a Co-Principal Investigator alongside Dr. Cravero, Nelson created a multicenter database known as PARTAY (Perioperative Anesthesiology Registry for Transgender Adults and Youth), which includes two pediatric and four adult academic hospitals. This database collects and benchmarks national data, informing clinical practice, advocacy, and meaningful solutions to address critical gaps in care for transgender patients. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, Nelson is enhancing the relevance of gender-affirming care, especially in today’s challenging political climate.