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 […]

Register for Diversity 1.0 and 2.0!

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Have you registered for Diversity 1.0 and 2.0? As our department engages in our culture calibration journey, we invite our colleagues to register for Diversity 1.0 and 2.0. If you participated in the sessions 3 years ago, you will notice that the sessions have been refreshed to reflect employees’ feedback. The sessions introduce participants to […]

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

School of Medicine news release •

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

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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

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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 […]

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Chair Installation of Anthony Odibo, MD, MSCE

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Today we celebrated the installation of Anthony Odibo, MD, MSCE, Chief of MFM and Vice Chair of Obstetrics, as the Virginia Lang Endowed Chair in the Department of OBGYN! Congrats Dr. Odibo, our fearless and zen leader of MFM!

PGY-2 Research Retreat

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November 16, 2022 was our Annual PGY-2 Research Retreat. We talked study design, mentorship, data analysis, IRB, instit and dept resources, scientific presentations, & had a fun interactive career panel discussion

Transgender Awareness Week

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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, […]

Meet Candice Woolfolk

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Candice is an Assistant Professor in the divisions of MFM & DCR! She has been with us for 7 years and her favorite part about her job is getting to collaborate with so many amazing people! What do you do outside of work? family? hobbies? I love spending time with my family and friends, shopping, […]

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

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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 […]

L.A.B. Award Winners – Fall 2022

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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. Bree Goodman, MDClinical Fellow, Maternal-Fetal MedicineMentors: Nandini Raghuraman & Sharman RussellTitle: Bedside forceps simulation to increase resident operative delivery experience Halley Staples, MDResidentMentor: Nandini RaghuramanTitle: […]

Mighty Dream Forum

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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

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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.

Resource Quick Links

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Upcoming Events (New) Feb 3-26: Loy A Webb’s play The Light at the Black Rep  Feb 9: Xu Guyangu Solo Exhibition Opening (Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Equity)  (New) Feb 13-17: Love Data Week (Bernard Becker Medical Library and I2)  (New) Feb 13: Middle East / North Africa Film Series – Session […]

First Residency/Fellow Retreat

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“We wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone who attended our resident-fellow mixer last night (significant others, small humans, and furry friends included!)! It was really great to spend some time getting to know all the amazing people we have in our trainee cohort outside the hospital.  Stay tuned for more events, since […]

BMES Annual Meeting – Research Announcements

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Research reveals happening! Clinical researchers under the direction of PI Yong Wang, PhD, have poster/oral presentations at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual meeting 10/13-15; OBGYN engineering collaborator Dr. Christine O’Brien also presenting! Women’s Health poster presentations: Thursday, Oct 13, 2022; 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM CDT: “Development of Uterine Peristalsis Imaging (UPI) in Normal […]

SLOCA/Families ROC Run makes a big impact

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We celebrated our team and supporters, “Shake Your Teal Feathers” on October 9th. Thank you to everyone who came out! We had beautiful weather, a positive team, and the best encouragement we could ask for! Research + clinical care + community + peer support = Amazing!  This is how we make a difference. Dr. Andrea […]

March of Dimes 2022

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We are so excited to share our faculty attending March of Dimes 2022 in St. Louis at the Four Seasons!

New Digital Interpreter Service Offers Equitable Care & Higher Patient Satisfaction

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After more than a year in the making, the OBGYN department successfully launched a video (iPad) interpreter through LAMP services. After recognizing a need for improved processes, both from a patient and business facing aspect, Clinical Operations Director, Ronald Griffin, led the initiative to establish this improved service within the department.  “It’s great to have this […]

Bisiayo Fashemi, PhD, awarded NIH Research Supplement

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Dr. Bisiayo Fashemi, a Post-doc Research Associate in the Khabele Lab, recently received a Diversity Supplement award from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through Dr. Khabele’s NIH R01-funded project titled, “Epigenetic Drug Regimens for Homologous Recombination Proficient Ovarian Cancer,” this supplement will bolster research in the area of novel […]