Profiled

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2021

Thomas graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a major in psychology and continued with graduate training at DePaul University in Chicago, IL.

He joined the Division of Clinical and Translational Research in 2018 and currently works as a clinical research coordinator in lab of Dr. Ben Palanca.

Outside of work, Thomas enjoys spending time with his family, practicing martial arts, watching anime, hiking, and chasing his almost 3-year-old daughter Rain around the house.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2025

Originally from Red Bud, Illinois, Hunter moved to St. Louis in 2013 to pursue his nursing education. He earned his BSN from Saint Louis University in 2017 and began his career in the Cardiothoracic ICU at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Building on that experience, he went on to complete his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College in 2022.

Hunter now works primarily with the Division of Acute and Critical Care Surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and is a key member of the trauma anesthesia team. He actively contributes to the department's educational and wellness efforts—serving as a CRNA mentor, a PIA SAFE Champion, and Peer Advocate, while also helping guide scholarly projects at Goldfarb. He values the department’s emphasis on evidence-based learning and enjoys passing along knowledge to the next generation of providers. Hunter is especially drawn to the complexity and diversity of the patient population he cares for.

When he’s not at work, Hunter enjoys hiking, exploring new restaurants, reading, antiquing, traveling, and spending time with his friends and family.

Max Nieva, MD, is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and serves as the Medical Director at St. Louis Children's Specialty Care Center West County, South County, and CAM South County.

Max came back to his hometown of St. Louis in 2007 as a pediatric fellow at WashU Medicine/St. Louis Children's Hospital. He intended to return to New York after fellowship but joined the faculty due to the culture and camaraderie, and has remained ever since!

Outside of work, Max spends as much quality time as possible with his 13-year-old twins, Andrew and Abigail, and his partner Dalton. When he doesn't have his kids, Max enjoys any form of exercise including group classes, yoga, tennis, and reluctantly, pickleball. He is always open to a challenge including Tough Mudders, "Murph challenge," or a walk with a friend.

Fun fact: For the last 8 years, Max has grown his hair out & shaved it to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer with the organization St. Baldrick's.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: April 2023

Rasheeq was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and moved to Columbia, Missouri, at the age of two, when his family moved for his father's ophthalmology residency. He lived there for twenty years and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia for his undergraduate studies. He majored in biology and Spanish, and studied abroad twice in college: once in Santiago, Chile, and once at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. He was also involved in brain trauma research throughout his undergraduate career. His true interest was in service and he volunteered a significant amount of time with underserved children in Columbia and around the country. Rasheeq then attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville for his medical education, initially planning to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in ophthalmology. During a required third-year anesthesia rotation, however, he discovered his interest in the field while spending a half day with a chief resident on her PACU rotation. Rasheeq graduated in 2021 and came back home to Missouri for residency. Currently, his interests include cardiothoracic anesthesiology and regional anesthesia.

Rasheeq is the youngest of three siblings and a fourth-generation physician. His wife, Nadira, is an occupational therapy student at WashU and will also graduate in 2025. In his free time, Rasheeq enjoys touring St. Louis, trying new restaurants, hiking, and playing video games. His true passion, however, is in cooking and hosting dinner parties. Fun fact: he even wrote his personal statement for his residency application about the parallels between cooking and anesthesia!

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2021

Corrin graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with an undergraduate degree in accounting and completed her MBA at Webster University after starting full time in the Department of Anesthesiology where she's been for 10 years. Currently, Corrin oversees the department’s finance and billing operations.

"I absolutely love my job and all of the different and exciting missions of the department!" says Corrin.

She enjoys spending time with her family when she's not working, and they love to travel when they get the chance. She and her husband have one daughter, Addison, who is 2 and another daughter due in April.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: June 2023

Dr. Sydney Nykiel-Bailey is an associate professor of anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She completed her residency in anesthesiology at Washington University/BJC and completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nykiel-Bailey has been on faculty for 14 years and absolutely cherishes her time teaching and mentoring the residents. She serves as the associate program director for the anesthesia residency. She is currently completing a Masters of Health Education Program and is excited to bring this expertise to the anesthesia residency program. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Nykiel-Bailey spends her time with her wonderful family – her husband, Cory, and their two daughters, Lilliane and Gwyneth. They enjoy traveling and are looking forward to a family adventure to the Greek islands this summer.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2019

Hilary earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Louis University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Baylor College of Medicine. Her research project focus was on “Emotional Intelligence in Nurse Anesthesia Practice.” She enjoys wine and travel, aspires to be a foodie, and loves being an aunt.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2019

Uchenna (Uche for short) jokingly refers to himself as “medical diplomat”, having received medical training that spans several continents. Uche obtained his primary medical degree from the University of Nigeria and holds a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research from Pennsylvania State University. He is trained in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Multispecialty Critical Care. He is an Associate Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Uche’s health services research studies health system-level and geographic variations in outcomes for critically ill patients. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, watching soccer, discussing current world affairs, and spending time with his wife and three kids.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: April 2023

Seantika joined WashU and the Department of Anesthesiology in August 2019. She is part of the research administration team as an accounting clerk for purchasing where she submits travel reports for PI’s, pays invoices, creates and approves orders, and handles day-by-day expenses for labs. Before joining WashU, Tika worked as a customer service manager and accountant for Walmart for five years while attending school at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, IL.

As a child, Seantika was born with a rare spine disorder and club foot, and she had to undergo over 20 surgeries before the age of 15. She uses a wheelchair to get around outside of her home for long distances and to support her spine. Despite this, she recently bought a car where she has hand controls installed for more freedom and independence!

Seantika is currently enrolled as a part-time student at WashU working toward a certification in Clinical Research Management. This past fall semester, she finished a financial accounting class to better develop her skills and knowledge of her current position in purchasing. In her free time, Tika loves perfecting her cosmetology skills as a makeup artist and she enjoys watching suspenseful series and movies on Netflix. She also enjoys home decorating for her new house in O’fallon, IL!

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2019

Arvind is the Division Chief and Professor of Obstetric Anesthesiology. Dr. Palanisamy completed his anesthesiology residency at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India followed by the FRCA degree from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in London. His current research interest is to understand the impact of maternal exposure to drugs (anesthetic agents, oxytocin) on fetal neurodevelopment. Though not an avowed omphaloskeptic, Dr. Palanisamy enjoys meditation, mindfulness, and a profound curiosity for all things under the sun and beyond.