Author: Allison

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.

Odibo named Lang endowed chair in OB-GYN (Links to an external site)

Anthony Odibo, MD, has been named the Virginia S. Lang Endowed Chair in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shown at his installation ceremony are (from left) David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Dineo Khabele, MD, head of […]

Mutch Receives Presidential Achievement Award

We celebrated Dr. David Mutch on his announcement as the 2022 President’s Achievement Honoree The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital hosted a celebration honoring the partnership and the 2022 President’s Achievement Honoree: Dr. David Mutch, Ira C. and Judith Gall Professor, Vice Chair of Gynecology. Faculty and fellows of the department joined to celebrate at Majorette in […]

Frolova named one of 2 recipients of March of Dimes Award – Basil O’Connor Research Grant for Advancing Maternal and Infant Health (Links to an external site)

March of Dimes announces two early career scientists as recipients of the 2022 Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Awards: Dr. Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD from Washington University, St. Louis and Dr. Isaac Marin-Valencia, MD, MS from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These annual awards support outstanding investigators embarking on independent research careers who […]

Sonn wins 2022 APGO Humanism in Teaching Award

Congratulations Dr. Sonn for receiving the 2022 APGO Humanism in Teaching Award! The APGO Humanism in Teaching Award honors ob-gyn educators from APGO member departments who are outstanding role models in the teaching of ob-gyn. Awardees are recognized as not only skilled clinicians but also as outstanding educators who intentionally foster compassionate, respectful, and collaborative relationships […]

Baltimore Conference for CFP

WashU ObGyn CFP meetup at the Baltimore conference for Complex Family Planning!

Santi Lab receives funding to further develop non-hormonal female contraceptives

Celia Santi, MD, Ph.D., recently received a two-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The $435,000 award, beginning November 2022, will support her lab’s efforts in screening and characterizing a new class of female-controlled non-hormonal contraceptive agents using in vitro and in vivo assays. Dr. Santi’s research project is titled, “SLO3 inhibitors: a […]

Meet Erin Moore

Erin Moore is a ‘Executive Assistant’ for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She has been with the department for almost 8 years! I enjoy getting to know my co-workers and working with the best Dr’s around. Erin Moore What do you do outside of work? family? hobbies?  I enjoy being outside, going to concerts, and hanging out with […]

Resident DeiA Committee Presents Diversity Book Club

We discussed the New York Times regarding the Relf sisters (characters in the book) and the history of sterilization within the United States.  We believe these articles are something that can help us be closer to our St. Louis community.  We are ecstatic to bring more education to our Ob/Gyn Department to make us stronger […]

Meet Melissa Ramirez

Melissa Ramirez is the Supervisor for the Clinical Office and has been with us for 7 years. Her favorite part about her job is the team at WashU. “I absolutely love the team we have here. Everyone works together so well from clinic staff, provider’s to the scheduling teams and pre-arrival. All working together for […]

Meet Brittany Bullens

Brittany Bullens is a Scheduling and Billing Associate II and has been with us since April 2022. Her favorite part about her job is “selling” something she believes in. “The standard at Wash U is clearly excellent, so I enjoy being able to tell patients about how our physicians are involved in so many different […]

Happy Nurse Practioner Week

It is nurse practitioner week! We are thankful for all of our women’s health nurse practitioners and all they do for their patients.  Kelly Amerson Kelly Ball Katie Drennan Anna Geiger Julie Hake Stacy Selbert Nancy Tecu Danielle Turnbull Yvette Van Hook

Transgender Awareness Week

What is Transgender Awareness Week? Every year, from November 13 – 19, people around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week. This week raises visibility and awareness for the transgender community to address issues these members may endure. During this week, members of the community share stories, advance advocacy on how the public may help, […]

Maternal Morbidity After Double Balloon Catheter Management of Cesarean Scar and Cervical Pregnancies

Abstract from Obstetrics & Gynecology Journal: “We performed a retrospective cohort study of all Type 1 cesarean scar pregnancies (n=18) or cervical pregnancies (n=5) at an academic tertiary center after treatment with a cervical double balloon catheter from 2018 to 2022 to evaluate outcomes and maternal morbidity. Cervical double balloon catheter treatment was associated with […]

Mighty Dream Forum

While healthcare is a basic human right, it is rife with inequities that reach far beyond the doctor’s office. For women – and particularly women of color – the equity gap continues to show up nationally in our healthcare systems; and intersect locally in our communities, education systems, and even our workplaces. The path to […]

Resident Wellness – Pure Barre

A big thanks to the “Feurstein Wellness grant” for sponsoring our October event! Attendance was opened to the first 21 residents (of all different specialties!) to sign up for a private 1-hour barre class followed by 1-hour of social time with snacks provided. “It was a wonderful time!” – Dr. Erika Mauban, PGY-3 resident.