Profiled

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2023

Evangelos is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Anesthesiology, currently involved with the Anesthesiology Control Tower projects and the THRIVE study.

Evangelos was born in St. Louis but grew up in Greece after his family moved overseas. From a young age, he knew he wanted to become a physician, following his father’s footsteps. He studied medicine at the University of Athens School of Medicine and graduated with high honors. Post-graduation, he worked as a primary care physician in the Greek Army for six months. After completing military service, he started collaborating on clinical research projects with the Department of Medicine at the University Hospital of Patras. Wishing to care for patients in remote and underserved areas of Greece, he worked in the emergency department of the General Hospital of Sitia on the island of Crete.

Evangelos joined the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine to pursue his interest in clinical research. In the future, he aspires to pursue residency training in anesthesiology and follow a path in academic medicine.

Outside of work, Evangelos enjoys outdoor running, trying new restaurants, watching movies, and traveling. He is excited to experience the rich culture of St. Louis and explore the city.

Fun fact: Evangelos has three sisters he considers his best friends despite being grumpy about not having a brother growing up.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2024

Menelaos Karanikolas is Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and works mostly in POD 5 and in the Division of Trauma Anesthesiology. He was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and obtained his MD from the University of Athens School of Medicine. He then completed his anesthesiology residency, cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship, and pain management fellowship at WashU Medicine and received an MPH degree from the St. Louis University School of Public Health. He has practiced cardiac anesthesia in Athens, Greece, pain management at WashU Medicine, and had a faculty appointment at the University of Patras, Greece, before returning to WashU Medicine in 2010. He met Areti, his wife, while in medical school, got married during residency, and he is now the proud father of three daughters and one son.

In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, watching European basketball, and listening, DJ-ing, and dancing to Argentine Tango music.

Fun fact: Menelaos has studied Argentine Tango for several years, is a founding member of a non-profit dedicated to promoting Argentine Tango in the St. Louis area, and enjoys opportunities to dance while traveling out of state or overseas.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2023

Clayton Karimi is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. He graduated from Goldfarb's Nurse Anesthesia Program in 2014 and thereafter accepted a position with the Department of Anesthesia. Clayton works primarily with the Acute Critical Care and Trauma Service. He appreciates the variety that this offers and the comradery amongst the team. Having the ability to offer clinical support for this patient population is a privilege that Clayton enjoys. Outside of the hospital, Clayton spends his time with his wonderful family - his wife, Melissa, and their two beautiful daughters, Layla and Lillian. They love traveling the country in an RV; last year, they visited five national parks and spent a total of three months traveling. Clayton is also an avid fisherman who thoroughly enjoys his time on the water.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2019

Monica began working for the Department of Anesthesiology last year at Barnes Jewish West County Hospital. She completed her residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in 2014 and spent several years in private practice before joining the department. She is a St. Louis native, married, and has 3 wonderful children. Monica is an avid reader, although her reading list these days consists largely of Dr. Seuss, Richard Scarry, and superhero books!

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2024

Summer is a Clinical Operations Assistant for the Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology. Prior to joining the division, she worked with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and has a bachelor’s degree in geography.  She also spent some time as an Operations Assistant at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. As a Clinical Operations Assistant, she creates the daily OR schedule, coordinates observers in the OR, tracks resident assignments, assists with new employee onboarding, maintains essential departmental documentation, oversees multiple doctors’ schedules, handles weekly staffing, and ensures access to scrubs and lockers. She is a Virgo and enjoys being organized! Her favorite parts of her job are being able to help people get the information they are looking for, coordinating the schedule in a way that benefits the learners, and working with the amazing pediatric anesthesia team! Summer is passionate about creating efficient workflows that enhance our department’s operations and looks forward to continuing to contribute in this way.

Summer was born and raised in Granite City, Illinois. She is married to her husband Richie, and they have a baby girl due in December. They have two dogs, Juke (Airedale terrier + Irish wolfhound mix) and Ranger (beagle + pit mix), that they adopted and love very much! She loves to travel to new places with her husband, participate in jiu-jitsu and Pilates, hike, cook and spend time with her friends and family.

Fun fact: She has her blue belt! Summer has been doing jiu jitsu for almost four years and has competed multiple times. Her husband is a brown belt and competes as well.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2021

Paul joined the Department of Anesthesiology in 2012 after completing his residency and fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He grew up in England and attended medical school at King’s College London. It was there that he met Dr. Avidan and his relationship with Washington University began. After completing residency Paul completed a critical care fellowship and now splits his time between the ICU and general ORs.

Paul is involved in many areas within the department, especially with the large expansion of our critical care footprint. He is the medical director for the Critical Care Advanced Practice Providers, co-medical director of the eICU and was recently appointed to Academic ICU Operations Director. He is passionate about continuing the mission of critical care both in the academic and community settings.

When not at work Paul enjoys spending time with his wife, Tara, and the boys, Thomas and Luke. They love to travel and spend time together outdoors. Recently they have all been enjoying biking here in St. Louis as well as Michigan and Florida (now that everyone is off their training wheels!) Paul also enjoys working on projects at home and enjoying his Southampton neighborhood in South City.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2023

Bryan Kidd is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and intensivist, spending his clinical time in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit and operating rooms. He grew up in St. Joseph, Illinois, and graduated from medical school at Southern Illinois University. He completed his residency training at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and then came to St. Louis to complete dual fellowships in cardiothoracic anesthesiology and critical care medicine.  He loves working with residents and fellows, and particularly enjoys demystifying the mechanical circulatory support devices so prevalent in his patients’ care.

Naturally, he fell in love with a surgeon, Allie, whom he married this spring. Together they are raising a sweet and disobedient bernedoodle named Lucy. In his free time, Bryan enjoys traveling, cooking, and making cocktails for his friends and family.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2025

Chandler is a second year anesthesiology resident at WashU Medicine. His journey began on the soccer field, where he played Division I collegiate soccer while earning his undergraduate degree in Memphis. He went on to attend medical school at the University of Tennessee, continuing to build both his academic and athletic discipline.

A St. Louis native, Chandler was determined to return home for residency at WashU/BJC, where he could establish lasting roots in the community that shaped him. He and his wife recently welcomed their second daughter and enjoy spending family time exploring St. Louis favorites like the Zoo and Grant’s Farm.

Chandler is passionate about mentoring future anesthesiology residents and is currently exploring fellowship opportunities as he looks ahead in his medical career.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: April 2022

Ahalya Kodali, MD, is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist in the Department of Pediatric Anesthesia at Saint Louis Children's Hospital. Dr. Kodali completed her residency at Boston University Medical Center in 2019 and continued her training in Pediatric Anesthesia at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. After completion of her fellowship, she stayed on as an attending physician. Apart from clinical duties, she is involved in developing and running the pediatric anesthesia simulation center for the fellowship program as well as other educational activities for residents and medical students. Outside of work, Dr. Kodali is an avid video gamer and "techie" who likes to build her own computers.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2025

Belma Kulovac is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist from Charlotte, NC. Originally from Bosnia, she immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of seven, shortly after the war. Belma’s journey into healthcare began with earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC Charlotte in 2012, where she gained valuable experience working in a Level 1 Trauma ICU.

Her passion for anesthesia led her to Wake Forest University, where she earned her Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia in 2020. During her graduate studies, she met and married her husband, Mirnes, and together they moved to St. Louis after her graduation.

Upon becoming a CRNA, Belma began her career at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she has enjoyed working in all the PODs on the main campus and various other BJH sites. This fall, she will transition to a permanent position at BJH West County while continuing to serve at off-site locations.

Outside of work, Belma is an avid foodie with a love for travel and new experiences. Whether exploring nature on a hike or discovering hidden gems at local coffee shops, she enjoys embracing new adventures. Belma and Mirnes are the proud parents of a baby boy, Bilal, and are excited to embark on this new chapter of their lives.