People

Medical School: Washington University
Internship: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2025

Jessi is an NRSA-funded postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Jose Moron-Concepcion. Born and raised just outside of New Orleans, LA, their interest in science began during their time as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi. While working in a preclinical psychopharmacology lab, they developed an early interest in refining and developing animal models for studying co-morbid pain and substance use disorders. This interest blossomed into a passion for pain and addiction neuroscience that they continued to pursue during their graduate training at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Their graduate work identified sex-specific contributions of the endogenous cannabinoid system in mediating the anti-nociceptive, or pain-relieving, effects of alcohol. Jessi’s current research is furthering this line of investigation by investigating neural substrates underlying pain-opioid interactions, with an emphasis on concurrent opioid and alcohol use.

Outside of the lab, Jessi enjoys spending time with their loved ones, chasing around their rambunctious toddler, and cooking, baking, and eating as much delicious food as they can. As a New Orleans-native, food is their passion, and while at WashU, Jessi’s goal is to find the best food St. Louis has to offer.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2022

Nick has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with the Department of Nurse Anesthesia for almost two years. He is primarily based at Missouri Baptist Medical Center as part of the cardiothoracic team for the past eigh years and occasionally floating to BJH POD3/CPC for the last two years.

In 2002, he completed his BSN from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he was also a Mizzou Cheerleader. After working in the SICU at Boone Hospital for a brief stint, he returned to school at Webster University where he received his MS in Nurse Anesthesia in 2006 and then his DNAP from the University of Michigan in 2019. His future plans include obtaining further certification in simulation and possibly a PhD.

Nick believes in contributing back to his profession by teaching. Since 2009 he has taught anesthesia at Webster University, SIU-Edwardsville, and Goldfarb. Nick is currently the associate program director for the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Webster University. He is also their director of simulation in charge of simulation curriculum and simulation research. His current focus is 3D printing in simulation and collaborative biomedical innovation in simulation.

Since joining WUDA, Nick has enjoyed the interaction between the dichotomy of private practice and that of academia. Nick believes that the team approach on the cardiothoracic team has expanded to include the anesthesiology intensivists, improving the program for the long term and increasing patient safety. He looks forward to continuing that process.

A St. Louis native (Marquette High School - go mustangs!), Nick is married to his wife Regan, and has a son Abel (15) and daughter Olive (11). He has a sister who is a professional golfer who he hasn’t beaten in golf since he was 12.