People

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2026

Léa was born and raised in Strasbourg, France, right at the border with Germany, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science in Neuroscience, and a Doctorate in Neuroscience — all from Strasbourg University. As a graduate student in the Yalcin Lab, Léa studied the contribution of the amygdalo-cingulate pathway in depression and its comorbidity with chronic pain and found that depression in humans and depression-related behaviors in mice were strongly associated with impaired myelination in the brain. Léa then had the unique opportunity to be a visiting scientific consultant at the Madagascar Biodiversity Center to help supervise MSc students and lead workshops on scientific writing and communication. She was also lucky enough to join on a few field trips and see some wild lemurs.

In October 2022, Léa moved to St. Louis for her postdoctoral training at WashU Medicine in the McCall Lab. Her research focuses on understanding how traumatic events such as pain or substance use disorder change the way organisms cope with their environment. Her current work aims to determine the effect of fentanyl withdrawal on pain and negative affect and the role of noradrenergic modulation of glial cells in those behavioral changes.

Outside of the lab, Léa enjoys hiking across Missouri and national/state parks, playing board games with her friends, and trying to improve her very limited art skills.

Medical School: WashU Medicine

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2025

Andy is currently an intern in the Department of Anesthesiology. A St. Louis native, he grew up in south city before completing both his bachelor's degree at WashU and Medical Doctor at WashU Medicine, and joining the residency program in 2024. Andy is passionate about education and equitable access to care, himself a product of WashU's medical education outreach programs. He is still open to many subspecialty paths, and has developed a particular interest in pediatric anesthesiology. He is certain, however, that medical education will remain a large part of his career, and is involved with projects in anesthesiology education at WashU and UM.

Outside of the hospital, Andy tries to stay active and outdoors - favorites include biking, hiking, skiing, and taking walks to look at historic architecture. He has been a member at the Missouri Botanical Gardens for two decades and religiously attends its events. Andy has 2 cats, bakes sourdough bread, and is a tea snob. He and his partner enjoy spending time with family, especially their niece and nephews.

Medical School: University New Mexico School of Medicine 

Residency: Denver Health Emergency Medicine Residency Program 

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2024

Richard Benzinger, MD, PhD, currently serves as Interim Vice Chair for Education for the Department of Anesthesiology. He grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, where he learned to drive cars with manual transmissions on hilly streets. He received his BS in biology from the California Institute of Technology in 1993, followed by a PhD in neurobiology and an MD from the University of Chicago. He joined our department as a resident in 2001, couples-matching with his wife Tammie, who is now the Hugh Wilson Professor of Radiology.  Dr. Benzinger has made invaluable contributions to our team, including serving as Chief Resident, the William Owens Research Fellow in Anesthesiology, and the residency program director from 2011 to 2018.  Clinically, he is a member of the liver transplant team and works in the CPAP clinic. Outside the OR, he enjoys working on his house, traveling, and caring for his collection of geriatric cats.