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

Ream Al-Hasani, PhD
Associate Professor, Anesthesiology

Ashley DuBois, CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Ivan Torres
Assistant Supervisor for Insurance Billing

Muthu Vijayasankar, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Featured Anesthesiology Department Members Archive
Megan Para, MD
Resident Physician, Class of 2021
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2019
Megan is a third year resident from southeast Michigan, re-establishing her home in the Midwest after spending four years of medical school at Duke University. When not working on house renovation projects, Megan and her fiancé are planning international trips such as their upcoming visit to Finland. She also loves reading all genres, especially historical fiction and has continued a lifetime of dance in St. Louis with an adult ballet class. One of her favorite aspects of residency at BJH is working on a quality improvement project for perioperative blood management. She plans to pursue a career in pediatric anesthesiology.
Alexis Parkinson
Project/Program Coordinator
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2025
Alexis has been a member of the department since 2018 and is currently serving as Project Coordinator in Division of Critical Care Medicine. In her role, she creates and manages ICU resident schedules, coordinates medical student rotations in the CTICU, and supports a variety of administrative projects as the division continues to grow. Prior to joining the department, Alexis studied Heath Sciences and Psychology at Mizzou.
Earlier this year, she welcomed her first baby, Sonny, on Valentine’s Day, and when she’s not at work, she’s exploring the outdoors and checking National Parks off her family’s travel list—Yosemite is next!
Lisa Parks
Division Administrator of Clinical Operations
Department of Anesthesiology FAS Employee of the Quarter: September 2024
Lisa began working at WashU Medicine in 2017 as the Executive Secretary for the Chief of the Division of General Anesthesiology. This marked a significant career shift after a 35-year tenure in banking, where she held a middle management role overseeing 150 bank branches across three states. Seeking a new challenge where she could rely more on her individual contributions, she transitioned into academia. Over the past seven years, Lisa has immersed herself in both the academic and clinical environments, finding the experience both challenging and rewarding as she continues to learn each day.
As the Division Administrator of Clinical Operations, Lisa oversees and supports the administrative staff working with the General, CT, Trauma, and Regional divisions, as well as the Directors of Clinical Operations. Additionally, she serves as the International Specialist for these divisions, collaborating closely with the HR Visa team to onboard international faculty and assisting visitors who wish to observe procedures in the ORs. Her role is centered on helping clinicians by minimizing their administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on their expertise.
On the personal side, Lisa has two children, a bonus son, and three grandchildren. Consistency has been a hallmark of her life—she has been married for 41 years and has lived in the same home for 39 of those years. She and her husband also built a two-bedroom cabin on 40 acres near Rolla, Missouri, which they frequent on weekends. Lisa treasures time spent with her local grandchildren, who live just 10 minutes away, although she wishes the others lived closer.
Lisa feels honored to be chosen as Employee of the Quarter and is grateful for the recognition.
Yolanda Parsons
Grant Specialist II
Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2021
Yolanda joined the research division as a grant specialist II in September, 2020. She assists with the pre- and post-award grant application process. The mother of two received her Masters in higher education from Saint Louis University, where she also worked as a financial specialist for over 15+ years. Outside of work, Yolanda loves writing about the “what-if’s” of life and hopes to see her work on The New York Times Best Sellers list.