Author: Allison

Black Family Wellness Expo

We loved seeing the faces who joined us for the Black Family Wellness Expo! The event was held at Christian Hospital on Saturday, March 25!

Paper awarded 2023 Impact Award from SGS/AJOG

“D-mannose vs other agents for recurrent urinary tract infection prevention in adult women: a systematic review and meta-analysis” co-written by our own Dr. Jerry Lowder, was awarded the 2023 Impact Award from SGS/AJOG!

Meet Tammy Odom

Tammy Odom (she/her) is a Senior Department Accounting Assistant. She has been with us for 16 1/2 years! What is the best part about your job? Helping my co-workers to find the best answers and solutions to process things in a timely manner. What’s something that most people don’t know about you? Not sure. There […]

Class of 2027 ObGyn Residents Announced

✨ We are absolutely thrilled to welcome this new intern class of 2027! ✨ Emma Altieri Katherine Brow Catherine Burns Katherine Carbonell Sarah Cohen Laura Granger-Howard Alexandra Houston-Ludlum Ngantu Le Allison Whorton Congrats to the WashU Med students who matched into ObGyn! Thank you to all our advisors, letter writers, and teachers who inspired these […]

Associate Professor of ObGyn, Yong Wang, on developing new imaging technology

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed new imaging technology that can produce 3D maps showing the magnitude and distribution of uterine contractions in real time and across the entire surface of the uterus during labor.  “Imaging tech produces real-time 3D maps of uterine contractions during labor” by Jacquelyn Kauffman […]

Meet Carrie Gower

Carrie Gower (she/her) is the Practice Manager for MFM and Fetal Care! She has worked in the department for 5 years. You can often find her buzzing around COH 10! Never stop trying to learn or to grow yourself. Don’t settle, always strive for the best. Best piece of advice she has ever received! What […]

Meet Emily Constantini

Emily Constantini (she/her) is a Patient Billing/Services Representative I for COH 7! She has been with us for right around 3 months. We are lucky to have her! When asked about the best piece of advice she was ever given, she mentioned this from her best friend: No one has power over you, unless you […]

Dr. Khabele is tackling disparities impacting people of color

WashU ObGyn Department Chair, Dr. Dineo Khabele, is the first Black Chair at the institution. She has firsthand seen the disparities in care and is set to be proactive in mending the problem. “Sometimes it feels hopeless, and sometimes people feel sort of dejected or like they can’t do anything. I want to let people […]

Residency DEIA Committee Hosts Live Broadcast

Last night, residents, students, and attendings gathered to view Michelle Alexander speak in regard to her book, The New Jim Crow, and race in America today. Delicious Ethiopian food catered by Meskerem was enjoyed! When asked about what keeps her hopeful, Alexander admitted that it’s hard to always be hopeful. But she has witnessed small […]

Celebrate Black History Month

“It must be acknowledged that these advancements were made through the exploitation of enslaved women’s bodies…” Dr. Marion Sims, historically known as the Father of Gynecology, had surgical instruments named after him and monuments erected after he developed gynecologic surgical techniques, specifically vesicovaginal fistula repair. However, his surgical techniques and instruments were developed on the […]

WashU Named in Top 10 in Blue Ridge Ranking

WashU’s Deptartment of OBGYN has once again achieved a US TOP 10 RANKING! Funds awarded to our department by the National Institutes of Health totaled $6.4M in 2022, as reported by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research #BRIMR. Congrats to our amazing & dedicated research teams!

Amber Richardson

Amber Richardson (she/her) is Supervisor/Medical Assistant for OBGYN-COH 710. She has been with the department for 7 years! [My favorite part of my job is] The team I work with. They make the workplace enjoyable. I love being a part of the day-to-day office life with the team we have. Amber Richardson What’s something that […]

Chris Higginbotham

Chris Higginbotham (she/her) is a Financial Analyst for the Business Office. She has been with the department for 2 years. We are so happy to have someone like her greeting everyone on COH 10! [Most people don’t know] I got married in Heidelberg, Germany, and I have my motorcycle certification! Chris Higginbotham What do you […]

DINEO KHABELE ASKS: HOW CAN WE DO BETTER (Links to an external site)

Dineo Khabele, MD, FACOG, FACS, a specialist in gynecologic oncology, is head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine. She made history when she assumed that role in 2020, becoming the first Black department head at the medical school. She points out, however, that many such schools in the U.S. have […]

Dr. Santi in “Fast-Acting Nonhormonal Male Birth Control Prevents Pregnancy in Mice” (Links to an external site)

Hormonal birth control methods are highly effective, but for many people who take them, they have undesirable side effects. But these could someday be avoided with the advent of fast-acting nonhormonal contraceptives. In a study published February 14 in Nature Communications, a group of Weill Cornell Medicine pharmacologists report a male contraceptive that prevented 100 percent […]

Period Poverty Donation Collection

This Feb/Mar MO American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is focusing on period poverty. Period poverty refers to the inability to afford period products (pads/tampons/cups). About 40% of US people with uteruses struggle with period poverty, causing about 1/3 of low-income people with uteruses to miss work or school due to the lack of access to […]

Black History Month – Dr. Venable | DEIA Committee

**TLDR: Dr. Howard P Venable, the first Black physician faculty member at WASHU, was an accomplished ophthalmologist, who had his land in Creve Couer taken away from him and his family by the mayor in 1959 ​under the basis of racial segregation and eminent domain. It wasn’t until 2021 that the land was rededicated and […]

Nelson Alumni Society hosts First Annual Residency Career Day

On Wednesday, February 15, the Michael D. Nelson Alumni Society hosted the first annual Residency Career Day! The residents were able to hear from many of our community physicians, starting with presentations from Dr. Makeba Williams, who spoke on career values as a physician. Dr. Diana Gray** spoke on the various academic tracks an ObGyn can […]

CRepHS Valentines Bake-Off

The members of CRepHS held a Valentine’s Bake-Off and card-making party. Photos courtesy of Julie Emmerich!

Black History Month – Delmar Divide | DEIA COMMITTEE

**TLDR: Just blocks away from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the “Delmar Divide” calls to attention the stark racial makeup and socioeconomic inequity that exits immediately north and south of Delmar Boulevard. Aiming to address the striking disparities in St. Louis, the “Delmar Divine” is a shared space for collaboration and innovation among many nonprofits and social service organizations in St. […]

Meet Mel Mills

Mel Mills (she/her) is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Division of Clinical Research. She has been in OBGYN, for 4 years, and in the DCR for over one year! A co-worker once told me that change is an opportunity to learn and grow! This has always stuck with me when times are challenging to […]

Meet Fran Manyx

Fran Manyx (they/them) is a Clinical Research Study Assistant II for the Division of Clinical Research. They have been with us since last April! I love the interaction I have with patients as well as knowing I will learn something new everyday from any aspect of my job. I love having an avenue for growth […]

Zhexian Sun in featured paper

Media Advisory: New MRI method provides detailed view of the placenta during pregnancy Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new method to process MRI scans to reveal the distinct compartments of the placenta, take measurements of oxygen levels in each region and determine if there are malformations in blood vessels […]

Wang, Odibo, and others featured on the cover article of Ultrasound in Obstetrics in Gynecology

Department members Z. Sun, W. Wu, P. Zhao, D. M. Nelson, A. Odibo, Y. Wang were featured on the cover article on Ultrasound in Obstetrics in Gynecology & “Association of intraplacental oxygenation patterns on dual-contrast MRI with placental abnormality and fetal brain oxygenation” Most human in-vivo placental imaging techniques are unable to distinguish and characterize various placental compartments, such […]

Meet Ryan Stoner

Ryan Stoner (they/them) is a Clinical Research Assistant for DCR. They have been with us for a little of a month. We are so excited to have them with us! I care deeply about advocacy for marginalized people especially as it concerns the healthcare system in this country. Healthcare has historically not been equitable and […]

Leaders in maternal-fetal medicine making connections

A group of WashU OBGYN faculty and staff, and a fellow, are presenting on the topics of labor, prematurity, ultrasound/imaging, reproductive health equity, and more at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s 43rd annual “Pregnancy Meeting.” Congratulations to our accomplished OBGYN team members: Ebony Carter, MD, MPH; Emily Diveley, BSN; Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD; Cassy Hardy, RN; Jeannie Kelly, […]

Meet Michele Davis

Michele Davis is Registered Medical Assistant II for COH 7! She has been with the department for 14 months. I like caring for people. I like that I am learning something new constantly and I am never bored, However, it is the staff that makes me happy, they accept my silliness. Michele Davis What do […]

Announcing the 2023/2024 Chief Administrative Residents

Meet our 2023 – 2024 chief administrative residents! They were all voted on amongst their peers.  They are critical to the success of our team as they take on a huge leadership role in the program.  Congrats to Dr. Caroline Min, Dr. Erika Mauban, and Dr. Elizabeth Buckley! 

Santi Lab publishes “A selective inhibitor of the sperm-specific potassium channel SLO3 impairs human sperm function” (Links to an external site)

To fertilize an egg, human sperm must undergo a process in which the membrane becomes more negative inside. The ion channel responsible for this membrane hyperpolarization has long been unclear. In this publication, the Santi and Denton labs describe a screen to identify inhibitors of a strong candidate – the sperm-specific potassium channel SLO3. They […]

Dr. Carter presents “Pearls for Practice on the Physician-Scientist Pathway” for the Division of Physician-Scientists

Ebony B. Carter, MD. MPHAssociate Professor, Ob/GynChief, Division of Clinical Research Thank you to the Division of Physician-Scientists for this feature on Dr. Carter! What motivated you to become a physician-scientist?Two foundational experiences in college launched my clinical research career trajectory. First, I was awarded a Stanford Chappell-Lougee undergraduate research opportunity grantto spend a summer […]

REI division teams up with BJH, Women & Infants to improve our third-party reproduction experience for patients

Women and infants and our REI team organized a rapid improvement event (RIE) to improve our third-party reproduction experience for patients. Our third-party coordinators, Christy Wagoner and Kate Staples, along with our WashU leadership team, Dana Schull and Tiffany Little are working with our BJH team. They are led by Jennifer Hudson, Cindy Barkman-Burks, Lauren Sharpe, […]

Meet Andrea Gaona Romero

Andrea Gaona Romero is a Research Assistant II for the Carter Team doing EleVATE research project! She has been with us for about a month now. I had a teacher who once told me to take as many pictures as I could, especially of significant events. I think this has been so useful to me […]

“City of Joy” for Diversity Movie Night

The Resident DEIA committee hosted the department for viewing “City of Joy,” directed by Madeleine Gavin. The film, “follows the first class of students at a remarkable leadership center in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region often referred to as “the worst place in the world to be a woman.” These women have been through unspeakable violence spurred on by a […]

Meet Valene Garr Barry

Valene Garr Barry is a Postdoc Fellow for Clinical Research! She has been with us for a little over a year. My favorite part of my job is getting to work with all of the incredible people in our department. Valene Garr Barry Where are you from? Chicago, Illinois What do you do outside of […]

Meet Megan Steiner

Megan Steiner is a Nurse Coordinator for the department. She has been with us for 4 years [My favorite part of the job is] Working closely with the providers to ensure great care for our patients! Also, I get to tell patients the fetal sex if they do certain genetic testing and it really makes […]

First baby born in 2023 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis

Tre’Vaion Hollimon is the first newborn of 2023 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis! Tre’Vaion weighs in at seven pounds 11 ounces. He is almost 20 inches long. Parents Desiree and Shaun were not planning for a trip to the hospital on New Years, but they get to enter 2023 with a healthy baby boy! Lucky […]

Meet Kate Staples

Kate Staples is an IVF Nurse Coordinator for our Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility division! She has been with the department for 5 years! I love being a part of the patients’ journey to become parents. Kate Staples What do you do outside of work? family? hobbies?  I love to spend time with my husband and […]

Meet Dr. Jeannie Kelly

Jeannie Kelly is an Associate Professor of OBGYN for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division! She has been with us for 6 years. What’s the best part of your job? Hands down, the people! I couldn’t ask for better partners and trainees, or the amazing staff who make our department run. Getting to take care of the […]

Meet Peinan Zhao, PhD

Peinan Zhao, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Clinical Research (DCR). He has been in the department for 6 years! When asked what he would bring with him on a deserted island? [I would bring] lighter, a good knife and axe for outdoor living, a book with long story and lots of […]

Meet Kim Coombs

Kimberly (Kim) Coombs is an ‘Executive Secretary’ for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She has been with the department for over 10 years! I enjoy watching how hard our physicians work towards making our patient’s healthcare a success from behind the scenes. Our division as a whole working towards the goal of providing care to all at-risk women. […]

Meet Ken Zimmerman Jr

Ken Zimmerman Jr. is one of the Residency/Fellowship Program Administrators! Helping the Fellows achieve their educational and professional goals by assisting or completing administrative processes necessary for their Fellowship. Ken Zimmerman Jr What do you do outside of work? family? hobbies?  I have taught martial arts: Taekwondo, Judo and Cane Self-Defense for twenty years. In […]

Racial disparities in menopause

Dr. Makeba Williams talks with KMOV’s Paige Hulsey about the relationship between menopause and racial disparities. Watch below.