Department of
“The FDA has approved the first daily contraceptive pill for over-the-counter sale, enhancing access to pregnancy prevention options. Dr. David Eisenberg, Chief Division of Complex Family Planning at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, talks about new developments in over-the-counter birth control. Dr. Eisenberg says that the pill, containing an ingredient used in birth control since […]
PhD student Kaci Martin from the Frolova lab received the Rosalind Kornfeld Student Leadership Award from the Academic Women’s Network last week. This award is given to a graduate or medical student that has demonstrated outstanding leadership in service to, or advancement of women within the community. Our Department Chair, Dr. Dineo Khabele, was there […]
WashU ObBGYN is proud to support Dignity Period and its mission to ensure that menstruation never stands in the way of education, work, or daily life. By partnering with this incredible organization, we help provide sustainable, reusable period products to those in need, empowering individuals with the resources to manage their periods with confidence and […]
Awards Galore! PhD student Kaci Martin from the Frolova lab received two awards from the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences last week – the Student Group Member of the Year Award and the Excellence in Research Award. If that wasn’t enough, Kaci’s PI, Assistant Professor Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor. […]
The Center for Reproductive Health Sciences recently hosted its first Game Table Tournament! Thanks to the Wellness Champion Fund from HR, the CRepHS breakroom received a combination game table complete with ping pong, foosball, and air hockey. We then pitted lab-mates and faculty against one another in an epic event! Please congratulate our champions! – […]
Women’s HERstory Month started in 1980 when a consortium of women’s groups and historians (National Women’s History Project, now National Women’s History Alliance, advocated for a week long celebration, which President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation for. It wasn’t until 1987 that Congress passed Public Law 100-9, officially designating March as “Women’s History Month”. […]
The Center for Reproductive Health Sciences was well represented this week at the 29th Annual Graduate Research Symposium, hosted by the Washington University in St. Louis Graduate Student Senate on the Danforth Campus. From left to right: Postdoctoral Research Associates Juan Ferreira, PhD (Santi Lab) and Sara Pietroforte, PhD (Amargant i Riera Lab) participated as […]
Dr. Whitney Grither received an ORCA Mentored Investigator Grant! The Mentored Investigator Grant provides funding for trainees (post-doctoral fellows or clinical fellows) who are working under the supervision of a mentor who is a recognized leader in the field of ovarian cancer research. Applicants must have an MD or a PhD degree. The grant provides […]
Maggie Mullen, MD, MSCI awarded the Foundation for Women’s Cancer Move4Her Research Grant! “It is an absolute honor to be supported by the Move4Her participants and the Foundation for Women’s Cancer. Thanks to this award we will be able to pursue groundbreaking research that has the potential to improve the lives of women with ovarian […]
The Black Family Wellness Expo is at the intersection of community and connection, bridging medical professionals with those who need it.
8ight Ways to Wellness is the framework that guides all of the programs and resources offered through WashU Human Resources Employee Well-Being. This challenge is an opportunity to learn about these evidence-based strategies to improve your overall wellbeing and reduce your risk of disease. Developed by WashU faculty, Dr. Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, the 8ight […]
SGO/FWC Service Award “I am truly honored to receive the SGO Service Award. It has been my pleasure to serve the SGO and its mission. I hope to continue to support the SGO and its efforts to prevent andcare for women’s cancers. Thank you for this honor.” David Mutch, MD 2024 Annual Meeting Presidential Abstract […]
MD/PhD student Dustyn Levenson in the Gomez-Lopez Lab was selected to present her work in a Block Symposium at “Immunology2024,” the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), and will receive a 2024 AAI Trainee Abstract Award. We are incredibly proud of her hard work! Congratulations, Dustyn! #AAI2024
WashU Medicine OBGYN’s Discuss the Importance of Addressing RED-S in Adolescents and Professionals Dr. Andrea Hagemann, Gynecologic Oncologist, led a discussion with Dr. Dineo Khabele, Gynecologic Oncologist, and Dr. Maggie Dwiggins, Pediatric Gynecologist, who shared valuable insights into the importance of recognizing and addressing Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in both adolescent athletes and […]
Phase 2 medical students stuffing 1000 period kits for non-profit Dignity Period. Dignity Period’s mission: “To impact period poverty around the globe by improving access to accurate menstrual information and distributing high quality washable/reusable menstrual hygiene products. We are motivated by the belief that those who menstruate should do so with comfort and in dignity.” […]
The following information was curated by: Dr. Halley Staples (bio), DEIA Committee. Alexa Irene Canady, MD (1950 – present) Alexa Irene Canady was born in Michigan in 1950, where she ultimately attended University of Michigan and received a B.S. in zoology. Prior to her graduation, Canady nearly dropped out due to lack of self-confidence, however, […]
The following information was curated by: Dr. Bridget Huysman (bio), DEIA Committee. From February 28 to March 1 we recognize the Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha Days of Recognition. Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey were three enslaved women who underwent multiple experimental surgical procedures without anesthesia under the care of James Marion Sims. Take a moment during these […]
Dr. Matthew Powell has received a 2024 Dean’s Impact Award! The 2024 Dean’s Impact Awards recognize faculty who have demonstrated enduring commitment to advancing the careers of others through exceptional mentorship and sponsorship. The time and commitment of mentors and sponsors are too often underrecognized, but without leaders like them, we could not achieve our potential as a School of Medicine.
WashU ObGyn went to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 2024 Pregnancy meeting. Faculty, fellows, residents Nandini Raghuraman, MD, MSCI was awarded Best Oral Plenary for “The effect of supplemental oxygen for Category II fetal resuscitation on oxidative stress: a randomized controlled trial.”
Dr. Amanda Zofkie was named Clinical Educator of the Year (ObGyn) for 2023-2024. Congrats Dr. Zofkie!
Dr. Aileen Portugal was selected as an ASRM/Diversity Fellowship Research Award recipient from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Research Institute. Dr. Portugal was awarded $15,000 to support her project. The project is titled, “Language Matters: Exploring the Impact of Language Concordance on Fertility Treatment Progression.” This project will be monumental in moving the needle forward […]
The following information was curated by: Dr. Rachel Furuya (bio), DEIA Committee The DEIA committee is proud to present our third annual Black History Month programming, which will feature two of the first Black female surgeon pioneers of their time. Patricia E. Bath, MD (1942-2019) Dr. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist, research scientist, and advocate […]
The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 100,000 women develop obstetric fistulas annually. Vesicovaginal and rectovaginal fistulas are debilitating complications of obstructed labor resulting in the continuous flow of urine and/or feces, damaged pubic bones, lower extremity contractures, recurrent infections, shame, and social isolation. The surgical repair of vesicovaginal fistulas today is only […]
Yong Wang, PhD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Electrical and System Engineering, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, in collaboration with Valerie Ratts, MD, Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, is making strides in discovery related to his project titled “Understanding Uterine Function and How it Relates to Reproductive Health.” This project was recently expanded to investigate […]
The annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Congratulations to Julia Burd, MD, and Bridget Huysman, MD, MPH, Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellows in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, who are both recipients of grants from the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Dr. Burd’s project is titled “Mode of cervical assessment in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes,” and Dr. Huysman’s is titled “Racism and discrimination on L&D: Birth […]
On the weekly Science Podcast, producer Kevin McLean talks with researcher Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and pathology and immunology in the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The two discuss signaling between fetus and mother during childbirth and how understanding this crosstalk may one […]
While cancer can be a scary and overwhelming subject, ‘This is Cancer’ aims to leave listeners feeling empowered and supported. The podcast is for anyone who has been touched by cancer. By having honest, raw, and informative conversations about cancer on this podcast, they hope to bring listeners hope, resources about prevention and wellness, and […]
Dr. Kathy Bligard spoke with KSDK on birth defects. She mentioned some of the most common are heart defects, how to catch them early, and the importance of the twenty-week anatomy scan.
Diane Frances Merritt, MD obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1975 and post-doctoral training in both General Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynecology at Barnes Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine from 1975-1980. She joined the Faculty of Washington University in 1980 and rose to the rank […]
An atlas revealing the activity of individual placental cells during childbirth offers insight on what happens at the maternal-fetal interface during term labor, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The atlas provides a single-cell analysis of the human placenta and its surrounding membranes and is the first to use […]
The Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS) welcomed visiting speaker Alexa Sassin, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, on Jan. 5th as part of the CRepHS Seminar Series. Dr. Sassin’s impactful presentation on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) research was well-received by seminar attendees over Zoom and in person at BJC-IH. […]
The Education Team is excited to announce that Dr. Jennifer Mitchell will be assuming the role of Associate Clerkship Director beginning January 2024. Dr. Mitchell will be leading the OBGYN Clerkship along with (incoming) Clerkship Director Dr. Katherine Massa. Dr. Mitchell joined the Division of Academic Specialists of Obstetrics & Gynecology in August of 2022 […]
The holidays are upon us, and we couldn’t be more thankful to celebrate our awesome team!
Last night our Nelson Society met for a holiday happy hour! We were thrilled to catch up with Jennifer Smith – residency class of 2003, and Denise Meckler – residency class of 1996!
Quing Zhu, working with Matthew Powell, MD, and Cary Siegel, MD, from the School of Medicine, developed a new imaging method to better diagnose lesions in the ovaries and adjacent adnexa that may help to avoid unnecessary surgeries. This image shows a woman with pelvic mass and BRCA1 mutation. The arrows point to the right […]
The Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS) and the Center for Women’s Health Engineering (CWHE) hosted an open house event on December 5, 2023. At this collaborative event held on the Medical Campus, more than 70 attendees from the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine were able to network and learn about reproductive health research, education […]
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. 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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It takes a village, and we love our ultrasound team!
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!
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 […]