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
Catherine Gould, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Parita Jani, MD
ACTA Fellow
Sherry McKinnon
Manager of Clinical Research, Regulatory and Compliance
Andrew Schaffer, MD
Resident Physician
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Melissa Hector-Greene, MD, PhD
Resident Physician, Class of 2023; ASAP Scholar
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2022
Melissa was born and raised on the sunny island of Jamaica. She worked briefly as a high school teacher in Kingston, before deciding to follow her dream of becoming a physician-scientist. After studying Biochemistry at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, she worked as a lab tech/manager in a cancer lab in Boston. She considers herself a Bostonian at heart. She migrated south to Duke University where she earned an MD and PhD in Pharmacology and Molecular Cancer Biology. There, she accidentally became a vascular biologist. At the same time, as a medical student, she discovered her love of all things cardiac anesthesia.
At WashU, she is in the ASAP Residency Research Track and has successfully completed her fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology. She is currently in the dedicated research phase of her program, where she hopes to blaze the trail for anesthesiologists participating in life-saving basic and translational cardiovascular research. Her current project focuses on uncovering the mechanisms of inherited dilated cardiomyopathies, with the goal of developing precision medical therapies that extend and improve the quality of life for heart failure patients. She is a big proponent of interdisciplinary and team science, and enjoys her current collaborations with cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, biophysicists, and informaticians.
Outside of work, Melissa loves to travel and learn about diverse cultures, and hopes one to day to visit every continent. She is a tennis enthusiast and has been to all four Grand Slams. She’s always up for a game, as long as it’s >50F and not actively precipitating. She also likes to garden, paint, and spend time with her husband Shanti and seven-year-old daughter Gabi.
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.