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
Catherine Foster, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2020
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2019
Cat is a resident physician in her final year of training with the Department of Anesthesiology. She’s currently looking forward to the excitement of the upcoming resident recruitment season. Outside of work, she enjoys adding to her laps of Forest Park, and exploring the vastly underrated hiking trails of Missouri.
Vinny Francio, MD
Clinical Instructor, Division of Pain Medicine; WashU Pain Center
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2025
Vinny Francio is a clinical instructor in the Division of Pain Medicine at the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. Born and raised in Brazil in an Italian family, he, like most kids in Brazil, first dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. When that didn’t work out, he pursued music with hopes of becoming a rockstar, but that path also took a different turn. His journey eventually led him to healthcare, first as a chiropractor before moving to the U.S. 15 years ago to further his education. He earned a Master’s in Clinical Research and completed his residency and pain fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Now specializing in the comprehensive management of spine and chronic pain disorders, Dr. Francio takes a multidisciplinary approach while incorporating advanced minimally invasive procedures. Since joining WashU Pain Center in October 2024, he has introduced innovative pain interventions to enhance patient care and advance medical education. Passionate about academic medicine, he values the opportunity to combine clinical practice, research, and teaching while mentoring the next generation of pain specialists.
Beyond medicine, Dr. Francio enjoys traveling and frequently lectures at national and international pain conferences, combining his love for education and traveling. When not in clinic, in procedures, or in the OR, he finds time to indulge his lifelong passions—playing soccer, guitar, and drums in his spare time. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and their two horses, supporting her equestrian hunter-jumper activities.
Benjamin French, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2021; Chief Resident, 2020-2021
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2020
Ben is one of the chief residents in the Department of Anesthesiology. He completed his undergraduate training in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, got his Masters in the History of Medicine from Oxford University, and received his MD from Columbia University.
He spent a year working for the CDC in Botswana after graduating from college and before receiving his Masters, where his research focused on novel ways to diagnose tuberculosis in HIV positive patients. Ben and his wife Hannah (OBGYN) couples matched at Washington University and have made a very happy life here, meeting some of their best friends in their respective residencies and thriving in the rich and challenging clinical environment at WashU.
Ben has served on the Resident Education Committee for the past three years and is passionate about resident education. He plans to pursue a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts next year.
In his spare time, Ben is an avid runner and has run numerous marathons and half marathons. He also enjoys cycling, spending time with his outstanding co-residents, and reading. He is currently on a Civil War and early American History bender and would love any recommendations!
Karen Frey
Clinical Research Specialist
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2020
Karen is a Senior Research Coordinator in the Division of Clinical and Translational Research (DoCTR). She has worked for Washington University for 19 years, starting as a research assistant with the Department of Psychiatry. She joined DoCTR in 2008, with a dual appointment in Neurology, and transitioned to DoCTR full-time in 2012. Karen specializes in the use of Quantitative Sensory Testing for pain management studies and is currently coordinating a study to prevent chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. She enjoys spending time outside of work with family and friends, at the batting cage with her nephews, and cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals. She hasn’t missed a home opener in 10+ years so you know where she will be on April 2nd! GO CARDS!