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

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Katie McPhillips, CRNA

Katie McPhillips, CRNA

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2019

Katie received her master’s degree from Goldfarb School of Nursing and is currently a CRNA at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She grew up in St. Louis and has traveled the world, visiting more than 40 countries over the span of a year and a half. Katie is married with four children Paige, Allison, Ronin, and “Bogey” and she enjoys tennis, watching football, running, and travel.

Divya Mehta, MD

Divya Mehta, MD

Resident Physician, Class of 2025

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2024

Divya is a CA-II resident in the Department of Anesthesiology. She completed her medical school and anesthesiology training in India before moving to St. Louis. Prior to joining the team as a resident, she worked as a post-doctoral research associate in the Anesthesiology Control Tower (ACT). She considers herself very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to train here as well as having mentors who are interested in her professional and personal growth.

Apart from working in the operating rooms, she has a passion for research and wants to pursue a career in academic anesthesiology after residency. While her whole family is back in India, she lives in St Louis with her husband. In her spare time, she likes reading fiction, doing home improvement projects, and going on walks with her husband. She is excited to go to India this fall for her sister’s wedding!

Fun Fact about Divya: She loves listening to true crime podcasts and watching reality TV.

Jake Meinkoth

Jake Meinkoth

Clinical Informaticist

Jake is a Clinical Informaticist within the Department of Anesthesiology, where he has served since May 2023.

He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing and advertising from Webster University, and a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science from Northwest Missouri State University.

Outside of work, Jake enjoys cooking, traveling, photography, playing golf, and spending time with his wife a daughter.

Julia Merlo, CRNA, DNAP

Julia Merlo, CRNA, DNAP

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2022

Julia has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with the Department of Anesthesia for over two years. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Saint Louis University (SLU), while also playing on the SLU Women’s Soccer team. Additionally, while in nursing school Julia tutored anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology for nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, and pre-med students. After receiving her BSN, Julia worked in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital, as well as caring for patients perioperatively with the St. Louis Pain Consultants at the Mid America Spine Center.

Julia received her Doctorate of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, (DNAP) at Missouri State University School of Anesthesia in Springfield, Missouri. While in CRNA school, she was a recipient of The Crabtree Family Nurse Anesthesia Scholarship, which is awarded to students that represent excellence and outstanding achievements in anesthesia. At Missouri State, Julia completed her capstone and doctorate studies focusing on multimodal approaches to pain management. She was chosen to present her capstone and dissertation at the Missouri Association of Nurse Anesthetists (MOANA) Conference to Missouri CRNAs and SRNAs.

Currently, Julia works in the CRNA float pool and practices anesthesia throughout all the PODs on both south and north campuses at BJH and BJWC. She recently joined the WashU OB team and expanded her practice into labor and delivery.

Julia has always had a passion for teaching and sharing knowledge, which is one of the main reasons she chose to be a member of WashU’s Anesthesia Department. She loves the teaching facility and enjoys precepting and working with SRNAs and residents, as well as being a part of a team focused on research and evidence-based practice.

Julia was born and raised in St. Louis. She has five siblings (four sisters and one brother) and is a loving aunt to her four nephews and niece. In her free time, Julia enjoys reading, running, hiking, walking her dog, and spending time with friends and family. You can find her enjoying Italian cuisine on the Hill or at her favorite ice cream spot, Ted Drewes.