Members of the Frolova, Amargant i Riera, and Santi labs attended the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science (UMSRS) meeting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this month. Sara Pietroforte, Mahima Marichetty, Mari Kuljanishvili, Sharvari Deshpande, Kevin Prifti, and more presented posters and Sara Pietroforte and Ritu Dave gave oral presentations, for which Ritu won […]
Dr. Shweta Bhagwat, Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Santi lab, presented her research at the 2026 Society for the Study of Reproduction (SGP) Annual Meeting. She gave an oral presentation titled “Bacterial endotoxin LPS dysregulates sperm function via TRPV4-mediated calcium signaling” and also presented a poster on this work. Bhagwat also received the SGP Rising […]
Congratulations to Ritu Dave, MSTP student in the Frolova Lab, on receiving 1st Place for Oral Presentation at the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science (UMSRS)! Her presentation, “Longitudinal Characterization of a Bioengineered Myometrial Microtissue,” highlighted innovative research using engineered tissue models to advance our understanding of myometrial biology.
Congratulations to Dr. Farners Amargant i Riera on receiving her first NIH R01 award from NICHD! This highly competitive five-year, ~$2.3 million grant will support research into the mechanisms driving age-related inflammation in the ovary. The long-term goal is to develop new strategies that improve reproductive and overall health for millions of women. An exciting and […]
WashU Medicine’s Dr. Farners Amargant i Riera has been named a recipient of a 2026 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Grant for Junior Faculty from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR). The award will support her project, “Identifying ovarian secreted proteins that drive systemic aging in females.” The research aims to deepen understanding of […]
When it comes to cancer care, access to leading experts, innovative research, and a team dedicated to each patient can make a meaningful difference. Here in St. Louis, Siteman Cancer Center brings together specialized care and groundbreaking research to help advance the future of cancer treatment. In Episode 63, Alexis Zotos sits down with Dr. […]
David Mutch, MD, WashU Medicine professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has completed his term as president of the Society of Pelvic Surgeons. The organization convenes surgeons from across the globe and three specialties — gynecology, urology and colorectal surgery — to improve research, diagnosis and patient care.
The Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at WashU Medicine recently welcomed a world-renowned embryologist, Dr. David Gardner, PhD, AM, FAA, for a special guest lecture and luncheon attended by faculty, trainees, researchers, and staff. Held on October 23rd on the WashU Medical Campus, Dr. Gardner delivered […]
Congratulations to Dr. Bisi Fashemi, recipient of a Poster/Abstract Award at the inaugural Levi-Montalcini Symposium on Frontiers in Organoid Research hosted by the WashU Center for Regenerative Medicine. This well-deserved recognition highlights the contributions she has made to advancing the field.
WashU Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Division of Complex Family Planning attended the Society of Family Planning Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The meeting was a chance to connect with colleagues and alumni from across the country. Current Complex Family Planning fellows Rachel Crebessa, MD, and Ava Moorhead, MD, were joined by fellowship alumna Jayme Trevino, […]
Resident, Dr. Allison Whorton, was awarded a Dr. David G. Mutch Residency Research Scholarship. Congrats on this accomplishment! The title of her presentation is, “Laparoscopic hysterectomy and excision of ureteral endometriosis with concurrent nephroureterectomy ” She will present at the Global Conference on MIGS in Boston in November 2026. Dr. Whorton’s primary investigator is Dr. Elise […]
The Khabele Lab proudly participated in the annual Families Run for Ovarian Cancer in Tower Grove Park. Organized by St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness (SLOCA), the event raises awareness and support for those affected by ovarian cancer. Lab members enjoyed joining fellow community members for a morning of running, walking, and advocacy in support of […]
The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology is pleased to announce that Christine Jackson, DO, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Division of Family Planning, and Alyssa Kosturakis, MD, MS, Assistant Professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and CRepHS, have been selected as WashU-Women’s Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Scholars, effective September 1 and October […]
Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente have chosen a multidisciplinary team from WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare to receive the 2026 Bernard J. Tyson Award for Pursuit of Healthcare Equity. The national honor goes to health systems and partners that make lasting progress toward closing gaps in patient care. The team was recognized for its work […]
In a healthy pregnancy, a finely tuned maternal immune response prevents the mother’s body from rejecting the growing fetus. But in some pregnancies, this response goes haywire, leading to a potentially dangerous complication known as chronic placental inflammation. To understand what drives this inflammation, researchers led by Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, PhD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology […]
Presentations abound! Mahima Marichetty, Yasuko Arimura, Mari Kuljanishvili, and Sharvari Deshpande all presented posters at the 2026 DRSCB/Dev Bio/CRM Retreat at the Missouri Botanical Garden highlighting research on ovarian aging and oocyte quality. Sara Pietroforte, PhD, had a poster and an oral presentation.
Our Maternal-Fetal Medicine faculty joined together to celebrate at the March of Dimes “Signature Chefs Gala” in St. Louis. This event annually celebrates our local patients alongside philanthropic leaders and top culinary talent. Katherine Bligard, MD, MA, was awarded “The 2026 Heroes for Babies” award. Dr. Bligard, Assistant Professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine […]
Congratulations to Drs. Wang and Ratts on receiving an NIH R61 award of approximately $2 million over five years for their project, Development and Validation of Uterine Peristalsis Imaging (UPI) for Predicting Uterine Receptivity and Frozen Embryo Transfer Outcomes. The team will develop and validate Uterine Peristalsis Imaging (UPI), a novel technology designed to objectively measure uterine […]
Congratulations to Drs. Santi and Zhao on receiving a prestigious NIH R61 award of approximately $2 million over five years! Their project, WHICH-ART: A Sperm Functional Assay to Guide Personalized ART Decisions, aims to advance precision fertility care by developing a novel assay to assess sperm function and help guide personalized treatment decisions. This innovative approach […]
WashU OBGYN gynecologic oncologist, Brooke Sanders, MD, talked with the University of Chicago. “Do We Have the Courage? Pregnancy, Policy, and the Price Surgeons Pay.”
WashU Medicine OBGYN gynecologic oncologist Molly Morton, MD, explains which symptoms deserve medical attention, from unusual bleeding to ongoing bloating. Most symptoms are not caused by cancer, but new or persistent changes should never be ignored. Read the full article to learn when to seek care and how early evaluation can make a difference.
Our team, including Candice Woolfolk, PhD, April Lewis, MD and WashU OBGYN Residency Alum and community doctor, Halley Staples, MD, spent Saturday, September 26, at the BJC Commons celebrating expecting families and the community that supports them. Every donation and every conversation helped bridge the gap between patients and care. Thank you to everyone who […]
This weekend, WashU Medicine’s Fertility & Reproductive Medicine Division joined OUTmed at Tower Grove Pride in St. Louis. Our volunteers staffed a booth sharing health information and connecting with the community. Thank you to everyone who helped us represent WashU and share resources with our neighbors.
Complex Family PlanningEshani Dixit, MDCarle Foundation Hospital Maternal-Fetal MedicineSarah Cohen, MD, MPHWashU Medicine Kelsey McNew, MD, PhDDuke University of Medicine Lindsay Woodward, MDBaylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center Reproductive Endocrinology and InfertilityErika Mauban, MDPrivate Practice, WashU OBGYN Residency Alum Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic SurgeryKellen McCormick, MDCorewell Health Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Gynecologic OncologyJosie […]
Pedal the Cause is a charity bike ride that funds cancer research in St. Louis. Our team, Gyn Onc’s Teal on Wheels, rides each year to raise awareness of uterine, ovarian, cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Just in time for Pedal the Cause each year, September has been established as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM), […]
Dineo Khabele, MD, Chair of WashU OBGYN & Gynecologic Oncologist, joined Matthew Powell, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist & President of SGO, and Sandra Brooks, MD, MBA, CEO of ACOG, to take part in the 5k for the Foundation for Women’s Cancer in partnership with Siteman Cancer Center.
Lindsey Barton and Jayme Bartles have been best friends for most of their lives and even became pregnant at the same time. But when both pregnancies became complicated, their friendship and the expert care of Dr. Amanda Zofkie, a WashU Medicine Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, became sources of support. Dr. Zofkie cared for both women during […]
Our Dr. Michael Nelson Alumni Society came together at Olive + Oak in Webster Groves for their annual dinner and night of celebrating memories, trainee education, and mentorship. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
WashU Medicine OBGYN hosted its annual Career Day, giving residents a firsthand look at the range of professional opportunities within obstetrics and gynecology. Attendees connected with physicians from across the St. Louis area, gaining insight into both private and academic practice through panel discussions. The 2026 fall agenda featured panels moderated by WashU faculty, highlighting […]
WashU Medicine OBGYN Chair Dineo Khabele, MD, has been selected as a 2026–2027 fellow in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program at Drexel University College of Medicine. She joins Pamela Woodard, MD, chair of WashU Medicine Radiology, as one of 99 faculty leaders nationwide chosen for this year’s cohort. Read […]
WashU Medicine OBGYN’s Katherine Bligard, MD, MA, sat down with the Fetal Therapy Nurse Network’s podcast, The Fetal Frontline, to talk about mentorship, the realities of fetal surgery, and what it means to build a career in maternal-fetal medicine. Give episode 6 a listen to hear her story.
Join WashU Medicine OBGYN as we come together to research towards a world without cancer. Join our Pedal the Cause Team! Gyn Onc Teal on Wheels!Pedal weekend is September 19 – 20, 2026 September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month! That is PLENTY of time to sign up, recruit friends and family, and fundraise for research […]
The Master of Science in Reproductive Sciences (MSRS) program is thrilled to announce four new students who have joined a vibrant community of scholars at WashU Medicine! Sarah Slaten and Gayatri Usulumarthy are in the MSRS-Research concentration, and Maggie Di Scipio and Kaitlyn Miller are the inaugural cohort for the MSRS-Clinical Embryology concentration. Over the next two […]
WashU Medicine OB/GYN joined the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for the Save Our Sisters Black Maternal Health Expo, connecting new and expectant moms with resources, care, and support in their community. The event featured a Black Maternal Health panel with keynote speaker Dawn Harper-Nelson, an Olympic Track and Field medalist who shared her […]
New research led by WashU Medicine OBGYN looks at how care changed following the Dobbs decision. In this retrospective chart review, we compared second-trimester uterine evacuations in a restrictive state before and after the Dobbs decision. Post-Dobbs, fewer evacuations were performed via D&E, and a smaller proportion were for medical emergencies. Patients with medical emergencies […]
New research from WashU OB/GYN explores how transgender and gender-diverse patients prefer to be screened for cervical cancer. In this L.A.B. Award-funded survey study of 50 patients receiving care at the Washington University Transgender Center, we sought to describe their cervical cancer screening preferences. The majority of respondents preferred self-collected HPV tests for cervical cancer […]
Jeannie Kelly, MD, MS, Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, co-authored a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examining glecaprevir-pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) for hepatitis C treatment during pregnancy. The retrospective report, the first of its kind on this drug combination in pregnant patients, followed 14 women treated at WashU Medicine between 2024 […]
Meet Chetan Giduturi, our gynecologic oncology visiting student scholar. This program providers visiting fourth-year medical students with a four-week rotation with WashU Medicine Gynecologic Oncology. This opportunity provides funding and networking opportunities while fostering a collaborative and supportive learning environment. Students rotate through inpatient care for a large gynecologic oncology service, assist in surgery, participate […]
Check out our quarter four newsletter!
Washington University School of Medicine has received NIH/NIDA funding for a randomized controlled trial testing Contingency Management, a proven incentive-based treatment approach, to help pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorder stay in treatment longer. Overdose is a top-three cause of pregnancy-associated death, and up to 80% of patients stop treatment within a year […]
Katherine Bligard, MD, MA, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Associate Director of the Fetal Care Center, co-authored a major clinical trial published in JAMA on treating anhydramnios caused by fetal kidney failure. WashU Medicine served as one of 13 fetal therapy centers nationwide participating in the Renal Anhydramnios Fetal Therapy (RAFT) trial. The […]
MFMDr. McKenzie BarberDr. Christina Frasik REIDr. Sara Pierpoint UROGYNDr. Hannah Wavering-Walters GYN ONCDr. Sara BrennerDr. Anh Le CFPAva Moorhead, DO
Dr. Sydney Thayer and Dr. Amanda Zofkie, from the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at WashU Medicine OBGYN, are co-authors on a new study published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health: “Evaluating infant feeding practice guidelines for individuals with HIV: a pilot study using qualitative findings with healthcare workers and normalization process theory.” The study examines how […]
Hundreds of St. Louis residents attended the Inaugural St. Louis County NAACP Health Fair, a free community event featuring health screenings, wellness resources, healthcare education, community vendors, giveaways, and family-friendly activities. Candice Woolfolk, PhD, represented WashU Medicine OB/GYN at the fair, sharing information about our services and providers with attendees. Want to attend a future […]
WashU Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology participated in the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) 59th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, July 19-22. Congratulations to our faculty and trainees on an outstanding showing and for successfully connecting with leaders in the field!
Dr. Premal Thaker, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, was interviewed by her patient Kate, an ovarian cancer survivor, for Patient Worthy. Together, they discussed advice for patients and anyone navigating a cancer diagnosis, from recognizing early symptoms to advocating for testing. They highlighted the importance of knowing your family history, […]
When Jill learned her baby had a rare, potentially fatal condition, a team of highly skilled physicians brought advanced care and similar determination to beat the odds. A few days later, the couple met Katherine H. Bligard, MD, MA, a WashU Medicine maternal-fetal medicine specialist and associate director of the Fetal Care Center. Jill told Dr. […]
Bisiayo Fashemi, PhD, always knew she wanted to be a scientist. Starting in high school and continuing through her undergraduate years, the Boston native seized every opportunity to conduct lab research, with a particular focus on improving women’s health. She moved closer to her career dream by entering WashU’s Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of […]
Congratulations to our Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS) investigators, Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez and Dr. Seungbaek Lee, on their new publication, “Mapping the Human Female Reproductive Tract,” published in Nature Cell Biology. This important work provides a comprehensive map of the human female reproductive tract and represents a significant advance in our understanding of reproductive biology and women’s health. [nature.com] We are […]
Congratulations to Dr. David Mutch, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and gynecologic oncologist at WashU Medicine, on receiving a 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award from his alma mater, Carleton College! This honor recognizes alumni who have made exceptional contributions to their field, whether through professional accomplishment or service to their community. Read more about this year’s […]