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
Katie Holzer, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2025
Katie Holzer, PhD, LCSW, is an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the administrative director of the Center for Perioperative Mental Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a Master of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD from Saint Louis University’s School of Public Health and Social Justice.
Before joining the department, Dr. Holzer worked as a clinical social worker in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatry at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Her research focuses on improving mental health outcomes for older adults and enhancing patient engagement in clinical research.
A St. Louis native, Dr. Holzer enjoys exploring the city with her husband, Deven, and their two energetic sons, Bobby (6) and Charlie (3). In her free time, she likes reading, traveling, playing tennis, and volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Erin Hooper, CPNP-PC
Nurse Practitioner
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2023
Erin Hooper is a board-certified pediatric Nurse Practitioner who recently joined the Pediatric Pain Management team in the Department of Anesthesiology. She helps manage patients with acute pain on the inpatient Pediatric Pain service as well as with Chronic Pain conditions in the outpatient setting.
Prior to working with the Department of Anesthesiology department, Erin worked in the neonatal intensive care unit, and also coordinated care for children with medical complexity and special health care needs. Erin enjoys translating research into practice through education, and being a resource for patients and families.
Outside of work, Erin enjoys spending time with her husband Robert, and their three children Violet, Layla, and Brett, and keeping up with their busy schedules, sports events, and activities.
Hongzhen Hu, PhD
Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2019
Hongzhen is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology. Dr. Hu earned his PhD from The Ohio State University. He joined the Center for the Study of Itch in the summer of 2014. His lab aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying somatic and visceral hypersensitivity in the skin and visceral organs focusing on ion channels as drug targets. Outside of work, besides gardening, he also enjoys running and traveling with his family.
Dake Huang, MD
Resident Physician
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2025
Dake is a third-year anesthesia resident originally from southern California. He received his undergraduate degree in neuroscience at UCLA. He then went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Iowa. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his partner and their two dogs. In his free time, Dake loves running, binge-watching TV shows, and traveling as much as possible.