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
Michelle Jacob, AGACNP
Nurse Practitioner
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2024
Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mizzou in 2004 and spent several years working in mental health before returning to school to pursue her BSN. After graduating from UMSL’s nursing program in 2008, she began her nursing career at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, first in the Neuro/NSGY ICU (10400) and later in the SICU (8400). She was part of the transition to the new SICU (4400) before deciding to further her education. Michelle is a graduate of Goldfarb’s NP programs, holding an MSN in Adult/Gero NP and a post-MSN in Acute Care Adult/Gero NP. She has worked with various intensivist groups throughout the metro area and joined the department in 2018.
Michelle primarily practices at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, Illinois, where she lives with her husband, son, three dogs, and turtle. Reflecting on her work, she shares, “The best part of my job is serving my community and being part of such a great team at Memorial.”
Fun fact: By the time Michelle was in 6th grade, she had lived in six different states: Texas, Indiana, Tennessee, Delaware, Maryland, and Kentucky.
Danish Jaffer, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2023
Danish joined Washington University School of Medicine as a resident in 2016 and has been with the institution since. During that time, he completed a fellowship in obstetric anesthesiology and went on to become its program director. His academic passions include taking care of vulnerable populations, teaching residents, and making the fellowship the best place in the nation to learn about obstetric anesthesia. At home, he loves to spend time with his wife, wrestle his two kids, take care of his garden, and play video games.
York Jiao, MD
Director of Anesthesia, Shriners Hospitals for Children St. Louis
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: January 2021
York is an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology. He was born in China and grew up in Connecticut. He studied Biomedical Engineering as an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis and completed medical school and residency at the University of Connecticut before returning to St. Louis. York is the Director of Anesthesia at Shriners Hospitals for Children St. Louis and is also an active member of the acute pain management team at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He has an interest in the application of data science to operational problems in anesthesiology and healthcare. York lives in St. Louis with his wife Tina, an emergency medicine physician, and their 2-year-old son, Dresden.
Jessica Justmann, MD
Director, Pediatric Pain Management; Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2022
Jessica Justmann is an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology. She completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation followed by fellowships in adult and pediatric pain management at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She treats both pediatric and adult patients with chronic pain conditions, and works to restore their function. In her free time, she spends as much of her time outside as possible hiking and camping with her children, as well as gardening and running. When inside, she sews her own clothes and holds the household record for the highest score in Just Dance.