Profiled

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.

 

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2019

Nic is the web developer for the Department of Anesthesiology. He joined the Department IT group in 2003 as a member of the helpdesk before moving to web developer in 2013. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Southeast Missouri State University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Jill, and two kids, Emma and Lucas.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2025

Lauren joined the department in January of 2023, starting as a Program Coordinator and advancing to her current role as the Assistant to the Chair. Her role is expansive, which keeps things dynamic and different every day. Some of her responsibilities include keeping the Chair’s calendar in check, coordinating faculty appointments and promotions, and facilitating department events. The ability to see the grand scale and inner workings of the department has provided her with a great understanding and passion for supporting all the mission areas that make up the department.

Lauren was born and raised in St. Louis and had the joy of working as a hospice music therapist for nearly 10 years before joining the Department of Anesthesiology. She still lives in St. Louis City with her husband, Will, their 20 month old son, Charlie, cats, Hector and Moira, and dog, Piper. She loves spending time with her family, going to local parks, watching scary movies, and listening to music.

 

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2020

Dr. Lakshminarasimhachar is an Associate Professor and works in the Cardiothoracic and General Anesthesiology divisions. He is the POD leader in Parkview and also the Director of Resident Education. He grew up in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India, where he went to medical school. After completing my anesthesia residency in India, Dr. Lakshminarasimhachar went on to complete his FRCA from Kings College Hospital, London, where he did his Cardiac and Liver Transplant fellowships. He came to St. Louis in 2004 and has been working in the department for the last 16 years. His current interest is using Point of Care Ultrasound in the perioperative care of patients.

“It has been a wonderful journey and working with the residents and other trainees in our tertiary care center is a very rewarding experience,” said Dr. Lakshminarasimhachar. “The best thing about WashU is that all the specialties are under one roof and it is a one-stop-shop for training. Teaching is my passion, and there is no better place than WashU to teach – there are so many smart and dedicated residents around eagerly willing to learn.”

Dr. Lakshminarasimhachar is blessed with a very caring wife and two wonderful kids. In his free time, he loves to play tennis and listen to Indian classical music. He is also very interested in Indian philosophy and Yoga and has been teaching high school students for the last 2 years at a Sunday School in the Hindu Temple in St. Louis.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2020

Amber was born and raised in a small-town (Perry, Missouri) up near Mark Twain Lake. She joined the department in 2013 after graduating from Goldfarb School of Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She started her nursing career in critical care 20 years ago and pursued her master’s after my twins started kindergarten in 2010.

"I take pride in my ability to connect with my patients and try to always make the best of any situation," says Amber. "I serve as the Co-Director of the CTICU APP group and work really hard to ensure our environment is a sustainable, happy, and healthy work environment. I am honored to be part of such an amazing team."

In her spare time, Amber enjoys working on DYI projects, spending time with her twins (Hannah & Gavin), her dogs, friends, and family. She loves being outdoors, cooking, and traveling in her spare time.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2020

Kim My Li is a CA-1 in the department. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and moved to Columbus, OH, when she was seven years old. She attended the Ohio State University for undergraduate education and the University of Cincinnati for medical school and was thrilled when she found out she matched to WashU for anesthesia residency. During her free time, she loves walking her 50lb. German Shepherd/Blue Heeler around Forest Park. She also loves cooking, baking when she has the chance, and hanging out with her co-residents.