Featured Anesthesiology Members

Kelsey Arends is a member of the Marketing & Communications team within the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. With a Bachelor of Journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism, Kelsey thrives on the art of storytelling and content creation, crafting captivating stories that bring her colleagues’ work to life.

Prior to transitioning to the Medical School, Kelsey served on the Danforth Campus in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a marketing and communications strategist. During this time, she pursued her MBA part-time at Olin Business School, graduating in 2023. She has enjoyed using this new skillset in her role at WUDA.

In her free time, Kelsey enjoys being outside, whether that’s running, walking her dog, Willa, traveling to places where she can hike, reading a good book, or spending time with the people she loves in the sunshine. She is running 50 (half or full) marathons in every state, so you can find her running the perimeter of Forest Park on any given morning.

Kelsey is so thankful to work with such amazing colleagues and is honored to be the Q2 2024 Employee of the Quarter. She is looking forward to many more years at WashU!

Maureen began her journey in Washington University Anesthesiology Department in 2002 as the transcriptionist for the CTICU intensivists and admin to the Director of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Dr. Eric Jacobsohn. In 2006, Dr. Avidan became the division chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology with Maureen expanding her indispensable role within the division. As Dr. Avidan transitioned to the chief of the Division of Clinical and Translational Research (DoCTR), Maureen transitioned seamlessly to work with the clinical research program, where she made substantial contributions to investigators, helping with the rapid and impressive growth of the clinical and translational research program. In 2019, Dr. Avidan became chair of the department, and Maureen served as administrator to Dr. Ellen Lockhart, Vice Chair for Faculty Development, and Dr. Courtney Hardy, Vice Chair for Clinical Operations, before becoming Dr. Avidan’s assistant in 2020. Maureen is looking forward to retiring at the end of this academic year, traveling to visit friends and family.

Dr. Umeshkumar Athiraman is currently an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Neurological Surgery and the Director of Neuroanesthesia. His laboratory research is focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms of anesthetic conditioning-induced neurovascular protection and developing anesthetic conditioning as a therapeutic tool for various central and peripheral nervous system disorders. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children.

Karam Atli , MD, is a resident physician in the Department of Anesthesiology. Prior to joining Washington University in St. Louis for residency, she earned her MD at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and master’s degree in Biotechnology with a concentration in Biodefense and National Security Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

She is an avid researcher and currently working on multiple large-scale multi-center clinical trials, studying patient recovery after total intravenous anesthetic versus inhaled anesthetic and the utilization of machine-augmented intraoperative monitoring in systematic quality improvement. She is interested in combining her background in biotechnology and national security with her clinical career as an anesthesiologist. Outside of work, she’s traveled to over 20 countries and enjoys exploring the local cuisine and culture. She enjoys playing the violin, dancing, and is working on attaining her pilot’s license.