People

Medical School: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: February 2023

Chris Murphy, known as “Turk” to most, has been a faculty member since 2021. He attended the University of Arkansas for undergraduate, graduate, and medical school. He did a preliminary surgery internship at the University of Florida, and then moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to complete his residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Following residency, he completed a fellowship in critical care medicine at Washington University in St. Louis before deciding to stay on as faculty. He splits his clinical time in the operating room as a member of the trauma anesthesia team, and in the ICU rotating between BJH and several of our community ICUs. His primary interests are resident and fellow education, wellness, trauma, and mechanical circulatory support.

When not working Turk enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristin, and their dogs, Molly and Cooper. He is obsessed with sports and is a lifelong fan of the Razorbacks, Cubs, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Falcons. On days off, he enjoys playing video games, reading, and is a connoisseur of fine cinema—especially when it comes to bad horror movies, the cinematic perfection of National Treasure, or the masterpiece that is the Fast and Furious saga.

Fun fact: Prior to medical school, Turk earned a master's degree in recreation & sports management while helping to run the department of intramural sports at the University of Arkansas for two years as a graduate assistant!

Medical School: The Pritzker School of Medicine
Internship: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri

Medical School: University of Chicago

Residency: WashU Medicine

“During my anesthesia residency here at Washington University in St. Louis, I had the great fortune of experiencing firsthand the welcoming and invigorating environment of St. Louis Children's Hospital. This environment is what drew me to pediatric anesthesia in the first place and what convinced me to pursue a career in this field. From the very first days of my training as a junior resident, I quickly appreciated the extent to which the faculty here are dedicated to achieving excellence in resident and fellow education and patient care. After a taste of a few "fellow-level" cases as a CA-2, I knew that pursuing my training here would expose me to a variety of challenging clinical pathologies and prepare me to independently manage the full spectrum of health and disease in pediatric patients. My experience to date in fellowship has confirmed all of my expectations from residency. My research as a resident focused on dissemination and implementation of novel technologies in the perioperative setting, in particular, I helped to develop a telemedicine-based decision support system for the operating room called the Anesthesiology Control Tower. As I begin a path towards further training in pediatric cardiac anesthesia, I am starting to explore clinical research related to topics such as intraoperative management of patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation. Whatever a person's clinical or academic interests may be, Washington University in St. Louis/St. Louis Children's and the faculty here have the resources to help any trainee launch the career of their choosing. Having grown up in Minnesota, I have always appreciated the friendliness and atmosphere here in St. Louis. I completed medical school in Chicago, and I can appreciate a city such as St. Louis that manages to offer a broad range of activities without the traffic, the cost, and hectic pace common in some bigger cities. While many fellows live in the Central West End, my wife and I have a lovely home just a few miles south of the medical campus that suits all of our needs perfectly. Whatever our hobbies may be, from trail running to poetry, literature, and theater, St. Louis has always provided an abundance of opportunities that allow both of us to follow our passions.”

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2022

Amjad is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology & Emergency Medicine. He is one of our Emergency Medicine & Critical Care Intensivists and you can usually find him working in the ER, the 8200 ICU, or in the Community at Christian Hospital ICU. He is also one of our EMS Division faculty members working with the Des Peres Department of Public Safety.

Amjad is the oldest of seven siblings (six brothers & one sister). He was born in Baton Rouge Louisiana (Geaux Tigers!) but grew up as a nomad having lived in five states & three countries. Because of his love for the desert, he initially thought he was going to stay in New Mexico forever; having completed not only his high school & undergraduate studies there, but also medical school, residency in Emergency Medicine (2013), and fellowship in Emergency Medical Services (2017). He came to WashU because of the amazing multidisciplinary critical care fellowship program and instantly fell in love with the warmth and kindness of the people that make up the school and especially the departments of Anesthesiology & Emergency Medicine. The amazing support, acceptance, kindness, and familial feel of the place convinced him to stay on as faculty.

Amjad is extremely passionate about education, and you will often find him concocting new and innovative ways to make classically difficult topics simple. You can find him either lecturing in a classroom or pulling out a ventilator after rounds to have learners try out the various modes of ventilation on themselves. He has won multiple awards for his work in education and is one of the current coaches for the new Gateway Curriculum at WashU SOM. He is also the medical director for the Jefferson College Paramedic program and proud to be graduating his second class in June 2022.

Off campus, he loves to spend time with his three children Nadia (6), Malik (3) & Layla (2) and his better half Rehab (yes, she has heard all of the jokes before, but it actually means welcomeness & expanse in Arabic). His hobbies include fixing various household and mechanical objects by taking them apart and putting them back together (usually finding he somehow has extra parts & screws left over after the project is complete). You wouldn’t expect it, but he is quite good with a deck of cards and if you can corner him with one, he would be more than happy to show and teach you a trick or two. Finally, you can easily make his day by challenging him to game of chess anytime.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2025

Juliet Mwirigi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. Her research focuses on targeting cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) with peripherally restricted compounds to relieve pain. By integrating molecular biology, transcriptomics, and imaging, she aims to uncover how CB1Rs function in distinct sensory neuron subtypes across species-paving the way for more translatable, non-opioid strategies for chronic pain relief. Juliet is also a recipient of the prestigious HHMI Hanna Gray Fellowship. She unwinds with movies, stock charts, and weekend hikes—her perfect trio for balance and inspiration.