Author: Allison

DEIA Committee hosts Dr. Chemen Neal on “Health Equity Solutions: Cultivating and Leveraging Diversity”

On Wednesday, 11/8/23, the Washington University in St. Louis Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology had the privilege of learning from Dr. Chemen Neal, who is both an Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology and Executive Associate Dean for Equity & Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer at Indiana University School of Medicine.  The 2-hour session included […]

Dr. Gomez-Lopez published in eBioMedicine

Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez’s paper “Blockade of IL-6R prevents preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes” was published in eBioMedicine. Evidence before this study Prematurity remains as the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality before five years of age globally. One in every three preterm infants is born to a pregnant individual with inflammation of the […]

Annual Procedure Night for Medical Students featuring Residents and Fellows

Every fall we recruit our residents, fellows, and faculty to lead various hands-on stations for a three-hour period. We recently hosted this event to great success! Thank you to everyone who joined us. A big thank you to our residents and fellows who helped teach! Residents: Dr. Alexis Allihien, Dr. Sarah Combs, Dr. Kati Turner Fellows: Dr. […]

WashU ObGyn at 3rd Annual Health Equity Seminar with the First Ladies of St. Louis

Left to right: Kim Snyder, REI Clinical Nurse; Tori Whelan, Assistant Professor; Bridget Huysman, MFM Fellow; Dineo Khabele, Dept Chair; LaShanda Jackson, W&I Women’s Health Educator and Outreach Coordinator; Darius Whitaker, IDEA2s Program Manager; and Bisiayo Fashemi, Research Associate (not pictured) On November 4, 2023 the Department of OBGYN at Washington University in St. Louis […]

Portrait of Dr. Sarah England Unveiled

Sarah England, PhD, Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Director of the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine, recently received distinctive recognition of her exceptional research accomplishments and service in the field of obstetrics and […]

Saying Goodbye to Dr. Carter

Dr. Ebony Carter, former division chief, and associate professor of MFM, is leaving the department, “I am writing to share bittersweet news that Dr. Ebony B. Carter, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, will be leaving our Department at the end of October 2023. She has been named chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel […]

L.A.B Award Winners – Fall 2023

Congratulations to the latest recipients of the Department of OB/GYN’s Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey (L.A.B.) Award named in honor of Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey—the enslaved women whose sacrifice, without consent, nearly 200 years ago allows surgical repair for women with vesicovaginal fistulas today. Bridget Huysman, MD, MPH (bio) Project: Birth experiences of discrimination and racism on labor and delivery Mentor: Candice […]

Dr. Sonn was named “Exemplary Educator”

The Exemplary Educator Award, established in 2022, recognizes current Washington University faculty members with at least six years of service as faculty in an academic teaching setting who are actively building a legacy as an educator through contributions in one or more domains of education and mentorship. Congratulations to Dr. Sonn!

Meet Dr. Farners Amargant i Riera

Farners Amargant i Riera, PhD, (she/her) is our new Assistant Professor for Ob/Gyn and CRepHS. She started with us this month. Dream the impossible, go out and make it happen. Where did you grow up? In Girona, a beautiful region in the north of Catalonia, Spain. What is your favorite part about your job? Every […]

Meet Dr. Victoria Whelan

Dr. Victoria Whelan (she/her) is an Assistant Professor for ObGyn. She has been with us for one month! Be curious, not judgemental. Ted Lasso Where did you grow up? The coasts – NYC, NJ, and the Bay Area of San Francisco What is your favorite part about your job? The interaction with patients. It is […]

Meet Dr. Sara Wood

Dr. Sara Wood (she/her) is the new Division Chief of Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. She just started in October! Failure is the greatest equalizer. It is in the rising that separates the excellent from the great. My mom Where did you grow up? Audubon Iowa – a small farming town in southwest Iowa that […]

R01 Grant Recipients

Peinan Zhao, PhD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, received a new five year R01 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) with co-principal investigator Molly Stout, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan. The R01 grant provides […]

Dr. Carter: Living Well: The Maternal Crisis (Links to an external site)

Dr. Ebony Carter, Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, speaks with First Alert 4′s Taylor Holt on the maternal crisis in the United States. Black women in the United States are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery than any other race. [We have] different community events that are commenting moms and babies to […]

Khabele Delivers Keynote at Meharry Research Week

In September, Dr. Dineo Khabele, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, delivered the Keynote address at Meharry Research Week at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Khabele spoke on the topic of OB/GYN related cancers. Every summer, the Office of Medical Student Research hosts the WUSM Meharry Summer Research Program (Meharry […]

R00 grant for ovarian aging research

Farners Amargant i Riera, PhD, was awarded an R00 for her project titled, “Mechanotransduction mechanisms of ovarian aging.” Dr. Amargant i Riera will examine how the increase in the biomechanical properties of the ovary with age are spatially and hormonally regulated and how they influence follicle transcriptome through the YAP1 pathway. Overall, the proposed studies […]

Meet Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez

Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez (she/her) is a Professor in ObGyn, CRepHS, and Pathology and Immunology. She will officially be on the team in October! I’m deeply passionate about research that directly benefits our community. Our team is dedicated to unraveling the complexities of pregnancy complications with the aim of discovering effective prevention strategies. To achieve this […]

Match Day: Incoming Fellows 2024

Welcome New OBGYN Fellows 2024! Shannon Beermann, MD – MFM – Washington University Raina Advani, MD – MFM – Emory University Joshua Brill, MD – GO – University of Minnesota Deanna Wong, MD – GO – UCLA Rand El Sharaiha, MD – REI – University of Toledo Christine Jackson, DO – Complex Family Planning – […]

2023 Match Day: Our Chiefs

Congrats to our Chiefs on their Fellowship Match! ⭐️ Shannon Beerman, MD – MFM at Washington University ⭐️Elizabeth Buckley, MD GynOnc at Montefiore ⭐️Melissa (Missy) Cantave, MD MIGS at Mayo Clinic – Florida ⭐️Vanessa Fuentes, MD MIGS Cleaveland Clinic – Florida ⭐️Caroline Min, MD MIGS at Columbia University

Dr. Williams featured in ‘People’ magazine (Links to an external site)

One of the most common menopause symptoms, hot flashes usually last between two and five minutes and are often more intense in the two years leading up to menopause itself (defined as 12 months with no period), says Dr. Makeba Williams, an OB-GYN and associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis who is a certified […]

WashU OBGYN represents at STL OBGYN Society

Drs Mittal, Combs, Wood, McCourt, Khabele, Bligard, Raghuraman, and Whelan attended the STL OBGYN Society meeting. The September Topic: “Medication Management of Obesity”

WashU OBGYN celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and National Latino Day

Almost 20% of the US population is Latino. With this growing number, the population is on track for 1 in 3 people to be Latino by the year 2050. Despite this increase, Hispanic doctors make up only 6% total of the physician population. “Increasing the total number of Latino physicians in medicine is imperative for […]

2023 National Postdoc Appreciation Week

Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! WashU has a diverse community of over 850 postdocs from different parts of the world.  Their commitment to research, teaching, and mentorship not only enhances the academic community at Washington University, but also plays a pivotal role in advancing science, technology, and scholarship across the country and around the world. We […]

R21 grant for labor research

Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was awarded an R21 for her project titled, “Metabolic mechanisms of uterine contractility in labor.” The objective of the project is to determine the mechanisms driving obesity-related labor dysfunction. This research may lead to new options for pharmacologic and behavioral interventions to optimize myometrial energy […]

R01 grant for research on maternal opioid use

Jeannie Kelly, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Yong Wang, PhD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, were awarded an R01 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The project is titled, “The Opioid in Pregnancy: Imaging of Oxygenation, Inflammation, and Development in Brain & Placenta […]

Dr. Mullen receives 2023 Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award

Dr. Maggie Mullen has been awarded grant funding through the 2023 Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in partnership with Pelotonia & AACR,  Targeting platinum chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. **This two-year grant starts in September.** These accomplishments are impossible without our amazing research and clinical teams and the sponsorship of our […]

Meet Darius Whitaker

Darius Whitaker (he/him) is the Program Manager for our DEIA initiative in the department. He has been with us for almost a month! What is your favorite part about your job?  My favorite part of my job is being able to help enhance and create inclusive working environments. In addition, I enjoy being able to […]

Meet Dr. Lebovic (Links to an external site)

What during your training led you to choose your specialty? To me, reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) is the best field in medicine. There has been amazing progress to benefit patients and allow for more successful treatment options. I was drawn toward the combination of office visits (remote or in-person), technology (ultrasound and surgical devices) […]

Meet Megan Wolken

Megan Wolken (she/her/hers) is the Supervisor of the Clinical Office for REI! She has been in the department for almost 4 months. Never hesitate to ask questions, someone else might not have the courage. Megan Wolken, on the best advice she has recieved. What’s something that most people don’t know about you? I work renaissance […]

Dr. Makeba Williams featured in ‘Fortune’ (Links to an external site)

6 things you didn’t know about menopause and its symptoms Menopause symptoms can go beyond just hot flashes or night sweats. This life stage affects nearly a billion women globally, but it’s often misunderstood. Dr. Makeba Williams of Washington University in St. Louis explains.

Dr. Dickison selected for APGO Academic Scholars & Leaders Program 2023

Dr. Dickison was selected for the 2023 APGO Academic Scholars & Leaders Program. The APGO Academic Scholars and Leaders Program (ASL) is an initiative of the Association ofProfessors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO). Its purpose is to enhance education in obstetricsand gynecology by preparing ob-gyn physician faculty, through a rigorous 15-month curriculum, topossess the skills […]

American Cancer Society grant

Sumegha Mitra, PhD, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received a 3-year, $754,414 Research Scholar Grant, RSG-22-070-01-TBE, from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to study high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Dr. Mitra’s ACS-funded project is titled “Protein Homeostasis Network Regulates Oncogenic Signaling in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer.” “My American Cancer Society grant will study how adaptive […]

Welcome New Fellows

REI – Aileen Portugal​, MDGyn Onc – Whitney Grither, MD, PhD​MIGS – Alison Kosmacki, MD​Gyn Onc – Mark Valentine, MD, PhD​MFM – Drew Hensel, MD​CFP – Ishana Shetty, MDMFM – Julia Whitley, MD​FPMRS – Hunter Terry, MD​

Sonn Named Associate Dean of Student Affairs (Links to an external site)

Tammy Sonn, MD, has been named Associate Dean of Student Affairs effective January 2024. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs is responsible for providing proactive leadership for the delivery of programs and services to support medical students’ academic achievement as well as personal and professional development across the student lifecycle. 

Summertime scientific successes for Santi Lab

The lab of Celia Santi, MD, PhD, has been busy this summer with scientific discussions and networking opportunities! Dr. Santi presented her lab’s work on non-hormonal contraception during the “Male Contraceptive” session at the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) 56th Annual Meeting. The “Reproductive Sciences: From Innovation to Impact” SSR meeting took place in Ottawa, Canada, […]

Compadre, van Biljon publish a co-first author article in Clinical Cancer Research

Amanda Compadre, MD, and Lily van Biljon recently published an article in Clinical Cancer Research titled “RAD51 Foci as a Biomarker Predictive of Platinum Chemotherapy Response in Ovarian Cancer.” This paper demonstrates that RAD51 foci are a robust marker of platinum chemotherapy response and survival in ovarian cancer. This research was led by Mary (Maggie) Mullen, MD. […]

Dr. Ashley Veade to Serve as Associate Program Director for the Residency Program

July 25, 2023 – During this upcoming academic year, the residency leadership team is growing in accordance with ACGME guidelines given the increased development of our residency program.  After an open call for applications and an interview process, we are excited to announce that Dr. Ashley Veade was selected as our next Associate Residency Program Director!  She will […]

Apply for the 2023 Cycle 2 of LAB Awards, now introducing a “Mini Lab” Award!

The Washington University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is soliciting applications for 2023 Cycle 2 of the L.A.B. Award internal pilot grants. The goal of this program is to promote research and grantsmanship by providing pilot funding for residents, clinical fellows, postdoctoral research fellows and associates, and junior faculty in the Department who have no startup or […]

REI celebrates National World Embryologist Day

Our Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility division celebrated National World Embryologist Day! They are a part of the team who make the magic behind the scenes. Thank you to everyone who makes our mission possible!

Dr. Galakatos retires after 58 years of service

Andrew E Galakatos, MD, received his BS Degree from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1960, a medical degree from the University of Missouri in 1965, and ObGyn residency training at Barnes Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) from 1965 to 1970. He served two years in the Army and then had a two-year fellowship […]