Featured Anesthesiology Members

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2020

Kelly was born and raised in the great state of Missouri. She completed both medical school and residency at the University of Missouri, School of Medicine. Kelly then ventured to Children’s Hospital, Boston, for training in pediatric and pediatric cardiac anesthesia. Returning home, she joined the cardiac anesthesia team at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 2006 and now serves as the Associate Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology. Kelly enjoys spending time with her partner in crime, Dave, their two kids, Dean and Daley, and their very large, shoe eating rescue mutt, Lambeau.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: January 2025

Sara Clarkson has been a CRNA at WashU Medicine since 2013 and has worked full-time at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for over a decade. She is a member of the pediatric cardiac anesthesia team and the Pediatric Anesthesia Gratitude Committee, and also teaches Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) to incoming SRNAs.

Sara lives in Holly Hills with her husband, Mark, her stepson, Felix, and their rescue pup, Bluey. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, yoga, hiking, scuba diving, traveling, and exploring new restaurants in St. Louis and beyond.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2023

Derek Clary, DO, is currently a CA-3 resident at WashU/BJH. Dr. Clary has lived in many different places across the country, traveling for work before starting medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2016.  After living in the Midwest for eight years now, he has grown accustomed to the niceties of the Midwest.  Although he will always consider himself a proud Californian, he now happily calls St. Louis home and plans to stay here after training.

In his past life, he enjoyed playing music and basketball. In his current life, he enjoys cooking, playing pickleball with his family and friends, and going on walks with his fiancée Melissa and their dog Tillie.

Derek reports 2023 to be one of his most exciting years yet! This year he matched into the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship at WashU/St. Louis Children’s Hospital, became engaged to Melissa, and this month they will be getting another puppy just in time for the holidays!

Fun Fact: Although he is entering Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship next year, he is still learning how to correctly hold a baby.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2021

Aaron is originally from St. Louis, MO, but grew up in Huntsville, AL. He graduated from Truman State University with a Bachelor of Science in biology in 2018. He currently works in Dr. Aaron Norris’s lab as a research technician II and has been under Dr. Norris’s direct supervision for two years.

Aaron performs experiments on specific in vivo mice strains using chemogenetics and optogenetics to gather information regarding metabolism and thermoregulation. Currently, he is studying the role of Kappa Opioid Receptors (KOR) in thermoregulation, when the KORs are activated, and how the KORs are being modulated.

Aaron was a contributing author to a paper recently published in the scientific journal eLife, titled: “Parabrachial opioidergic projections to preoptic hypothalamus mediate behavioral and physiological thermal defenses,” and is researching the role of KORs and ultimately have a better understanding of KORs endogenous ligand dynorphin.

Aaron likes to play pickleball in his free time and enjoys hanging out with his friends and sister when the opportunity presents itself. In addition, he wants to also give thanks to his mother and grandmother for having an impactful role in his life.