Profiled

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.

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!

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.

Nicole was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She completed her residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005 and followed her husband to St. Louis, where she completed her Obstetric Anesthesiology fellowship under Dr. Barbara Leighton in 2006. After fellowship, Nicole left St. Louis for two years and returned to our department in 2008. She spends her clinical time at Missouri Baptist Hospital, which she often refers to as “her home away from home.” In 2015, Nicole was appointed director of obstetric anesthesiology at Missouri Baptist.

Nicole and her husband George have a 13-year-old son, Drake, who attends Chaminade College Preparatory School and an 11-year-old daughter, Nina, who attends Oak Hill School. They spend their family time outdoors in Forest Park, playing tennis and golf at Norwood Hills, and traveling with their son Drake’s hockey team. The Durkos also love dining out and discovering new local places to enjoy with friends and family.

Shourik Dutta is a CA-2 resident in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine. He grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago (Palatine, IL), before attending the University of Notre Dame where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (Go IRISH!). Following graduation, he went straight into medical school at the University of Virginia. After four years, residency training brought him back to the Midwest and to St. Louis for the first time. Shourik is in the process of applying and pursuing cardiothoracic anesthesiology. He looks forward to pursuing a career in academic anesthesiology, and has a passion for medical education and mentoring.

Outside of work, Shourik can be found making cocktails and cooking for his friends, watching Rick and Morty or Redzone on Sundays, and playing pick-up soccer or lifting. Fun fact - Shourik has survived dislocating both of his shoulders more than 20+ times bilaterally!

Daniel Eddins is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with over 15 years of experience in healthcare. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine (Exercise Science) from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, where he played soccer all four years. After his first bachelor's degree, Dan obtained his BSN at Barnes Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing in St Louis. He then matriculated to Goldfarb's CRNA program from 2017 to 2019.

During his career, he completed the Barnes Jewish Nurse Residency Program and was named Rookie of the Year in 2014. He was awarded the Tsugie Watanabe Award for outstanding CT SRNA in 2019. He also maintains his Critical Care Registered Nurse Certification. In addition to his professional achievements, Dan was named a Missouri Baptist University Athletics NAIA Champion of Character in 2008-2009 and received the NAIA Academic All-American award in soccer in 2008 and 2009.

In 2020, Dan joined the Washington University in St. Louis Department of Anesthesiology as a CRNA where he continues to provide anesthesia care to patients primarily in vascular, thoracic, and the cardiac procedure center.

Outside of his work, Dan enjoys watching and playing soccer, running, listening to music, and spending time with his family and friends. He has been married to his wife Christina for eight years and they have a beloved golden retriever. He truly loves providing anesthesia for his patients and is thankful for the opportunity to work at a world-class institution.

David was raised on his family’s farm near Troy, MO, (about an hour northwest of Barnes-Jewish hospital), and his parents still live on the farm planting crops and raising cattle. David had a great childhood playing lots of sports, working around the farm, and spending time with family – all things he still enjoys. David followed in the footsteps of his brother and two sisters and attended the University of Missouri. After a short stint as a respiratory therapist, he attended Saint Louis University for his BSN and then, ultimately, on to Goldfarb School of Nursing for the Nurse Anesthesia program. David joined the CRNA group in 2009 after his graduation and considers it one of the best decisions of his life because of the great people he has met and worked with. He recently took on the role of Director of CRNA Activities, which he considers an honor and a privilege. The other best decision of his life was marrying his wife Kahra and having three wonderful kids: Owen (11), Helene (9), and Barrett (6). He spends much of his free time with his family and coaching three of his kids' sports teams. He loves being active and being outside and looks forward to lighting the grill every Sunday afternoon for his weekly “meal prep.”

Sam Erlinger is a current resident physician in the Department of Anesthesiology. For Sam, who is from St. Charles, WashU was the launching point a career in medicine when he was offered an opportunity while in high school at SLUH to work with physician-scientist mentors through a WUSM scholars program. Following this, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish at Vanderbilt University and then went on to earn his MD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine before returning home to St. Louis for residency. He is thrilled to be training at a leading institution with great mentors while also being near family and friends.

Clinically, he values the opportunity to provide safe care to critically ill patients, see a broad range of anesthetics and surgeries and work with faculty with diverse backgrounds and interests. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys backpacking, hiking, cycling, reading sci-fi, and playing guitar. He recently moved to Benton Park and is looking forward to exploring the area.

Greg Feilner has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) within the Department of Anesthesiology since 2019. He is a 'float CRNA' within the general division, but primarily works between Pod 4 and the Center for Advanced Medicine-South County. He enjoys working with the students and teaching the SRNAs in the OR.

To answer the famous St. Louis question, he went to Lindbergh High School before obtaining his BSN from the University of Missouri-Columbia, M-I-Z!!. Greg then came to work at Barnes-Jewish Hospital where he has held numerous positions. As a new grad, he started in the ED at BJH where he loved the fast-paced trauma environment and the comradery of his peers. After a few years, Greg transferred to the SICU in 44ICU when it doubled in size from the old 84ICU. During that time, he also worked as a Flight Nurse for Air Evac Lifeteam covering all the bases across Missouri. Greg had the privilege of caring for patients in the helicopter, bringing them to Barnes, and then continuing that care during his shifts in the ICU. After that, Greg delved into management and obtained an MSN in Nursing Administration from Webster University in 2014. He worked as a house supervisor at BJH where he covered house operations, staffing, and a number of other administrative issues. He then switched directions and received his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 2019 and came back to Washu and BJH as a CRNA.

Greg and his wife Marla have been together since high school and have a son Jack (9) and a daughter Penelope (7) that love sports and spending time as a family. They have two dogs, Sarge, a chocolate Lab, and River, a Catahoula-Beagle. Greg and his family love staying active and being outdoors. He enjoys competing in mountain bike races each year and coaching his son’s wrestling team. He and his wife enjoy doing construction projects together and trying all the cuisine that St. Louis has to offer.

Joshua Fender (He/Him) has been an APP with the department since 2021. He has a BS in Fire Paramedicine from Lindenwood University. He obtained his MSN with an emphasis on quality improvement informatics, education, and leadership from Sant Louis University. Josh recently graduated with his AGACNP post-master's certificate from Goldfarb School of Nursing. He has been a recipient of St. Louis Magazine's Excellence in Nursing and March of Dimes Nurse of the Year. In his free time, you can find him mushroom hunting, cooking, and spending time with his partner Eric and their two golden doodles Riley and Zion.

Josh was named the Q3 2022 APP of the Quarter!

His nominator says, "Josh is an incredible team player. He is always helping with schedule changes and picking up extra moonlighting. He is always positive and easy to work with. He will lend a helping hand without being asked and he provides compassionate care to his patients."