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
Andrew Griesbaum, ACNP
Nurse Practitioner
Qin Liu, PhD
Professor of Anesthesiology
Jake Meinkoth
Clinical Informaticist
Sydney Tyler, MD
Resident Physician
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Abby Hegeman
Senior Coordinator of Department Payroll and Administration
Department of Anesthesiology – FAS Employee of the Quarter: June 2025
Abby has been in the St. Louis Metro area all her life but moved to St. Louis City in 2019. She has been with WashU Medicine for almost seven years. She has been with the Department of Anesthesiology for a year and a half and has loved every minute of it. Outside of work she loves learning history, reading, traveling, and spending time with her 3 cats.
Bernadette Henrichs, PhD, CRNA, CCRN, CHSE
Director, CRNA Education and Research; Director, Nurse Anesthesia Program
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2019
Bernadette is the Director of CRNA Education and Research in the Department of Anesthesiology and is also Professor and Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. Dr. Henrichs earned her MSN and PhD from Saint Louis University. Outside of work, Dr. Henrichs enjoys cycling. Several years ago she rode 200 miles in one weekend to raise money for multiple sclerosis.
Erin Herrera, CRNA
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2024
Erin is proud to call herself a BJH/WashU lifer. Her journey began in 2005 as a night-shift patient care technician in the MICU, and this year, she is celebrating 20 years at BJH, now serving as an assistant professor in the School of Medicine. Over the years, she has held a variety of roles, including patient care technician, ICU nurse, student nurse, and now faculty. She feels incredibly fortunate to have had these opportunities and to work alongside such exceptional colleagues in a remarkable and inspiring department. Along the way, she has built lifelong friendships and connected with many incredible people.
A native St. Louisan and proud resident of the city, Erin can often be seen commuting to work—rain, shine, or cold—on her signature mint-green Vespa. She lives in the Shaw neighborhood with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and a giant African sulcata tortoise. She enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring her vibrant neighborhood, and walking through Tower Grove Park.
Outside of her professional life, Erin stays busy coaching soccer and leading a Girl Scout troop. She has a passion for traveling with friends and family, discovering new restaurants, and staying active at the gym. For her, working at WashU has been a cornerstone of her career, and she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Alex Hincker, MD
Chief of Fetal Surgery Anesthesiology; Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2020
Alex was born and raised in Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and biology. After medical school at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Alex joined the department in 2013 as an anesthesia resident. He subsequently completed fellowships here in both obstetric anesthesiology and pain management. Combining these sometimes disparate interests, his research focuses on neuropathic pain, opioid analgesia, and management of the high-risk parturient. Clinically, Alex can be usually be found at Barnes Jewish Hospital on Labor and Delivery or in the ORs, though he also spends time at Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Progress West Hospital. He is particularly excited about his role as Chief of Fetal Surgery Anesthesiology, where he works in a large and talented interdisciplinary team to coordinate in-utero surgery on fetuses with a variety of complex pathologies. Outside of the hospital, Alex enjoys working out and taking in the St. Louis’s greatest offerings, including the local craft beers, accessible hiking trails, and Sugarfire BBQ.