Profiled

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: March 2025

Jessi is an NRSA-funded postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Jose Moron-Concepcion. Born and raised just outside of New Orleans, LA, their interest in science began during their time as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi. While working in a preclinical psychopharmacology lab, they developed an early interest in refining and developing animal models for studying co-morbid pain and substance use disorders. This interest blossomed into a passion for pain and addiction neuroscience that they continued to pursue during their graduate training at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Their graduate work identified sex-specific contributions of the endogenous cannabinoid system in mediating the anti-nociceptive, or pain-relieving, effects of alcohol. Jessi’s current research is furthering this line of investigation by investigating neural substrates underlying pain-opioid interactions, with an emphasis on concurrent opioid and alcohol use.

Outside of the lab, Jessi enjoys spending time with their loved ones, chasing around their rambunctious toddler, and cooking, baking, and eating as much delicious food as they can. As a New Orleans-native, food is their passion, and while at WashU, Jessi’s goal is to find the best food St. Louis has to offer.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2022

Nick has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with the Department of Nurse Anesthesia for almost two years. He is primarily based at Missouri Baptist Medical Center as part of the cardiothoracic team for the past eigh years and occasionally floating to BJH POD3/CPC for the last two years.

In 2002, he completed his BSN from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he was also a Mizzou Cheerleader. After working in the SICU at Boone Hospital for a brief stint, he returned to school at Webster University where he received his MS in Nurse Anesthesia in 2006 and then his DNAP from the University of Michigan in 2019. His future plans include obtaining further certification in simulation and possibly a PhD.

Nick believes in contributing back to his profession by teaching. Since 2009 he has taught anesthesia at Webster University, SIU-Edwardsville, and Goldfarb. Nick is currently the associate program director for the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Webster University. He is also their director of simulation in charge of simulation curriculum and simulation research. His current focus is 3D printing in simulation and collaborative biomedical innovation in simulation.

Since joining WUDA, Nick has enjoyed the interaction between the dichotomy of private practice and that of academia. Nick believes that the team approach on the cardiothoracic team has expanded to include the anesthesiology intensivists, improving the program for the long term and increasing patient safety. He looks forward to continuing that process.

A St. Louis native (Marquette High School - go mustangs!), Nick is married to his wife Regan, and has a son Abel (15) and daughter Olive (11). He has a sister who is a professional golfer who he hasn’t beaten in golf since he was 12.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2021

Charl de Wet, MBChB, obtained his medical degree at the University of Pretoria and started anesthesia residency training in South Africa. He was a resident in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care at the University of Chicago and subsequently completed a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Stanford followed by a pediatric cardiac anesthesia fellowship at University of California San Francisco. He joined the Department of Anesthesiology 2000 and is currently professor of anesthesiology and surgery. He has been the medical director of the Cardiothoracic ICU since 2005. His main areas of interest include TEE, cardiothoracic anesthesia and adult cardiothoracic critical care. Prior to entering medical school, he played cello and piano and was a piano major at Peabody Conservatory of music in Baltimore where he studied with Leon Fleisher.

Charl ran his first marathon in 2009 in St. Louis and has since completed 16 marathons including Boston, New York, Chicago, Paris and Berlin. His favorite marathon is Paris which he has done 5 times now. He enjoys running with colleagues and residents and has completed several half marathons and has twice taken part in the 200 mile relay race from Mount Hood to the coast in Oregon.

During the COVID pandemic, he started Duolingo French and is trying to reach a 2-year streak. His main passion in life is classical music and opera, and post-COVID, he hopes to travel more, attend concerts, and visit friends all around the world.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2020

Danielle has been with the Department of Anesthesiology since 2011 after being in the Insurance Billing and Coding field since 1998. She joined the department as a Metavision Analyst and then was promoted to Supervisor over Insurance Follow Up and Appeals. As with the ever-changing landscape in the medical field, her role evolved and progressed into the role of the Manager over Insurance Follow Up and Appeals. She has recently accepted a new role as the Assistant Billing Director and is looking forward to taking on some new challenges ahead.

Danielle currently resides in Arnold with her significant other of 8 years, Mike, and their 76-pound German Shepherd, Nila. Outside of work, she spends a lot of time with Mike renovating their 64-year-old house and making upgrades everywhere. When not working on the house, she loves to spend time with Mike and Nila enjoying as much of their “fun” hobbies, which include traveling, camping, hiking, riding their Harley, and venturing out to the woods with their UTV Side by Side. "Work hard, play hard is how to keep balance in life!"

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2022

Brandon was born in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. He spent one year at Loyola University Chicago, before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the remainder of his undergrad. While at Wisconsin, he received his BA in Psychology, participated in research, worked at a local college bar/restaurant, and worked in the AV department of the business school. Brandon always had a passion for sports, which flourished during undergrad. He became a huge Badger fan, attended Badger football and basketball games religiously, and participated in several intramural sporting events.

Upon completion of undergrad, Brandon enrolled in the Masters in Applied Anatomy program at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). During his master's program, he developed an interest in both teaching and the medical sciences. After he earned his degree, he taught gross anatomy and neuroanatomy at Cleveland State University while he applied to medical school.

Following matriculation at CWRU SOM, Brandon took on multiple leadership positions. However, he is most proud of his work at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, where he helped design and implement a curriculum that focused on mindfulness and introspection. Currently, he is a WashU Anesthesiology PGY-1. He has interests in chronic pain management, cardiac anesthesia, and critical care. Outside of work, Brandon enjoys running, hiking, golfing, and going to sporting events. He is an avid foodie and enjoys exploring the city and finding new things to learn/do. In addition to the Badgers, he is a huge Chicago sports fan. He continues to play fantasy football yearly and is the reigning champ for one of his leagues.

Fun fact: Brandon was a golf caddy for 10 yrs!

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: May 2023

Dr. John Del Rosario is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Del Rosario was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States to pursue a career in science. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in neuroscience from City College of New York, and obtained a Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from Rutgers University.

As a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Robert Gereau, Dr. Del Rosario is currently working on understanding how the peripheral nervous system adapts, maladapts, and remodels to sustain neuronal activity due to chronic pain conditions. Dr. Del Rosario utilized mouse and human sensory neurons and models of neuropathic pain to study the peripheral mechanisms that facilitate the transition from acute to chronic pain sensation in the context of ion channel dysfunction, pain-triggering injury, and channelopathies.

Outside of his work, Dr. Del Rosario enjoys spending time with his family and friends, singing, dancing, and going to church, where he is an active member of the choir.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2024

Anne is currently one of the two executive directors of business operations in the Department of Anesthesiology. She earned a bachelor’s degree from WashU and attended law school at SLU before starting her career in book publishing on the east coast. Anne then moved into philanthropy, where she spent almost seven years with the WashU Medicine Advancement team before shifting to the grant side of funding as the director of research and graduate education at SLU’s College of Public Health and Social Justice. Anne returned to WashU Medicine in 2013 as the director of research and business administration for 10 years prior to her current role.

Outside of work, Anne loves spending time with family and friends, volunteering with several nonprofits around town, cooking, gardening, reading, and working on her 100-year-old house. She is also a music fanatic and tries to attend as many concerts as humanly possible.

Fun fact: Anne has ghost written several coffee table books and has seen Ben Folds perform live more than 40 times.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: October 2022

Ding Ding is a current resident physician in the Department of Anesthesiology. She was born and raised in China. In her early years, Dr. Ding demonstrated talents in the field of physics, mathematics, and computer engineering. She received a bachelor's degree in modern physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. She then worked at the FPGA pioneer Xilinx Inc. as a project lead for a number of years.

After realizing her deep desire to become a physician and have a more personal role in helping others, she resigned from this position to enter medical school. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2019 with honors and publications in high-impact journals. Dr. Ding has shown a dedication to maintaining her high professional standard and pursuit of excellence while being a single parent and with additional obligations of caring for her aging parents.

Outside of work, she enjoys time with family, hiking, cooking, performing arts, and traveling. She will be pursuing a fellowship in regional and acute pain at WashU after residency.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: January 2024

Avi Dobrusin is a CA-3 and Chief Resident in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, he attended Emory University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Human Biology. Following graduation, Avi worked as an emergency medical technician in Atlanta and then went to Central Michigan University for medical school before moving to St. Louis for residency. Next year, he will start fellowship training in cardiothoracic anesthesiology and critical care medicine. He looks forward to pursuing a career in academic anesthesiology and medical education.

Outside of work, Avi enjoys cycling, hiking, geocaching, and cooking. His lifelong goal is to travel to visit every national park - so far he is at 15!

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: February 2023

Julie Drobish, MD, MA, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine. Originally from Pennsylvania, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College. She completed her medical degree and master’s degree in neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in 2009. She trained at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for her anesthesiology residency, followed by fellowship training in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Drobish practiced general and pediatric anesthesia at Hershey Medical Center for two years before returning to St. Louis to join the Washington University faculty in 2016. She now practices pediatric anesthesia at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Shriners Hospital for Children. She became the director of pediatric liver transplant anesthesia in 2019. Her clinical interests include anesthesia for liver and kidney transplants, management of congenital cardiac disease for noncardiac surgery, and volunteering for medical outreach trips.