Our success is intimately linked to the accomplishments of each and every member of our department.
Each month, four members are nominated and featured to celebrate their commitment to patient care, education, and research.
Current Featured Anesthesiology Department Members

Ream Al-Hasani, PhD
Associate Professor, Anesthesiology

Ashley DuBois, CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Ivan Torres
Assistant Supervisor for Insurance Billing

Muthu Vijayasankar, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Gabrielle Fernandez, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2026
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2024
Gabrielle is a CA-2 anesthesiology resident and was born and raised in St. Louis. She earned her BA at Miami University in Oxford, OH, studying psychology and Spanish linguistics. She then earned her MD at the University of Toledo. She is enjoying making connections and delving deeper into the field of anesthesiology here at WashU Medicine.
Outside of work, Gabrielle spends much of her time between her kitchen and Tower Grove Park. She enjoys concerts and traveling, and she is teaching herself how to grow tomatoes and speak Italian.
Katherine Fesler, CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2020
Katie was born and raised in St. Louis. She went to undergraduate school at Mizzou and graduate school at Webster University. Katie has been with the department since 2011. Initially, she rotated between adults and pediatrics, but PEDs has been her home for the last 8 years. She lives in Brentwood with her husband Adam, their two kids Ethan (5), Addie (3), and their golden retriever, Truman. She and her family enjoy traveling, biking, spending weekends at her family lake house, and cheering on the Cardinals.
Ben Fiori, RN
Senior Manager of Clinical Trials and Operations
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2025
Ben Fiori, has been a vital member of the Division of Clinical and Translational Research (DoCTR) since joining the Department of Anesthesiology in May 2019. He earned his bachelor of science in biology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2012 and his bachelor of science in nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College in 2015. Over the years, he has held several roles in the department, progressing from research nurse coordinator to nurse manager, and currently serves as thesenior manager of clinical trials and operations. Fiori brings a unique and valuable skill set to the research team, with extensive experience in managing clinical operations both in academia and for contract research organizations. His work has spanned early-phase bioequivalence and bioavailability studies, as well as Phase I–III drug and device trials across diverse areas such as oncology, surgery, cardiology, and anesthesiology. He currently oversees a team of approximately 45 research staff and leads initiatives related to clinical trial feasibility, staffing, and protocol execution.
Ben grew up in Calhoun County, Illinois. Outside of work, he enjoys playing volleyball, gardening, cooking & baking, camping, and spending time with his husband, friends, two dogs (Bella and Duke), and two cats (Lou and Mac).
Maureen Flanagan, RN, MSN
Nurse Practitioner
Department of Anesthesiology APP of the Quarter: December 2022
Maureen Flanagan (She/Her) is a nurse practitioner from Dallas, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2014 and went on to earn her RN and MSN from Yale University in 2017. She has been practicing in the Surgical ICUs here at BJH since her graduation in 2017. In her free time, she loves exploring new places around the world, cooking new pasta recipes, and spending time with her dog, Luka.
Maureen was named the Q4 2022 APP of the Quarter! Her nominator says, “Maureen works hard in difficult situations and goes above & beyond to provide great care for her patients. She’s smart and is a true team player.”