Profiled

Department of Anesthesiology - FAS Employee of the Quarter: January 2025

Originally from St. Louis, Katie earned her undergraduate degree from Northwest Missouri State University. After, she moved to Nebraska and worked as a ministry partner on campus and in various financial positions. Five years later, she moved back to St. Louis and began working for WashU Medicine in November 2019. Katie, now a Grant Specialist II, joined the Department of Anesthesiology in July 2022. She has a background in the research administrative process with both pre- and post-award experience. Katie and her husband, Ben, have a spunky and beautiful daughter. Katie loves meeting new people, board games, swimming, and video games.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: April 2021

Preeta is from India and spent her childhood in a historic town named Chettinad, known for its cuisine, and she spent her school years in an Irish boarding school.

Her medical journey commenced in India, and she completed medical school and residency in anesthesiology at CMC, Vellore. In pursuit of career advancement, she traveled across the world to Minneapolis in 2009 and worked as a postdoctoral associate doing animal research at the University of Minnesota. She completed a second anesthesia residency at the University of Pennsylvania and a Pediatric Anesthesia fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and never left.

Preeta is currently an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Anesthesiology and Director of the Fetal Anesthesia Program and has helped develop the program. Her other area of specialized focus is in pediatric liver transplants. On the academic forefront, she is passionate about medical education and simulation and is the clinical immersion leader for the new medical student curriculum, which launched this year. She enjoys teaching and working with residents, fellows, and CRNA’s.

Her husband, Ige, works in Infectious Disease at WashU, and their 5-year-old, Diya, is spirited and keeps their age in check! She enjoys tennis and is happy to orchestrate a “Wash U Grand slam” for those interested. Hiking and traveling are favorites too.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: July 2024

Lauren Gibson, MBA, MHA, has dedicated the past 10 years of her career to WashU Medicine, where she currently serves as the Director of Education & Business Administration. Known for her strategic acumen and dedication to fostering growth, Lauren plays a pivotal role in leading our education programs and administrative teams.

Outside of her professional commitments, Lauren is a fiercely devoted fan of Florida State University, her alma mater, showcasing unwavering support for the university's endeavors. She finds joy in traveling to sporting events — a recent highlight being the Monaco Grand Prix.

Beyond sports, Lauren has a deep-seated passion for international travel, seeking out destinations that offer rich culinary experiences, vibrant cultures, and breathtaking scenery. Her travels serve as both a source of relaxation and an opportunity for personal enrichment.

Lauren continues to combine her professional expertise with her personal interests, aiming to make a positive impact both professionally and through her adventurous pursuits.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: December 2024

Amy is a Certified Medical Coder in the Department of Anesthesiology. She has over 17 years of experience in the medical field, starting her career as a program assistant in the Kidney/Liver Transplant Department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In 2015, Amy transitioned to WashU Medicine, where she worked as a medical secretary for HPB/Transplant.

While serving as an Administrative Coordinator for Acute and Critical Care Surgery, Amy decided to pursue a medical coding certification. She achieved her certification in 2021 and began working with the Department of Surgery before joining the Department of Anesthesiology in 2023.

Outside of her professional life, Amy enjoys reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her two grandchildren. She is also passionate about painting and crafting. Together with her husband, Amy runs a small business specializing in sublimation printing. She focuses on creating ornaments, baby blankets, and tumblers, while her husband designs shirts.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: August 2022

Marie has been a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) with the Department of Anesthesia for eight years. She completed her BSN from Southeast Missouri State University in 2006 and received her DNP/CRNA degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2014. Her DNP focused on using a multimodal approach to treating PONV relating to laparoscopic procedures.

Marie initially worked in BJH as a registered nurse in the SICU/Trauma Unit prior to anesthesia school. She was fascinated with the autonomy and research opportunities granted as a trauma ICU RN. Currently, Marie is in the float CRNA pool and practices in all PODS on the south campus, PVT, north campus, and the South County CAM. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at the Goldfarb School of Nursing. She started as a CRNA working at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and the Orthopedic Center and transferred to the South division in 2018. She helped build the Epic Anesthesia electronic medical record from 2015-2018, and participated as both an instructor and a Super User during the “Epic Go Live” in 2018. Recently, Marie has joined the Case Review Committee (CRC) and looks forward to reviewing cases and guiding quality improvement initiatives to improve patient safety. She also has volunteered to be a mentor for the new CRNAs entering the department in 2022. She hopes she can help new CRNAs acclimate and excel in WUDA.

Within WUDA, Marie enjoys mentoring and teaching SRNAs during their clinical rotations. She is amazed at how the department has expanded, adapted, and persevered during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is grateful for being a vital component during the many challenges WUDA has endured. She is humbled by the collaboration and adaptability of all departments including both Washington University and BJH. The cohesiveness and support exchanged between both Washington University and BJH toward improving all aspects of patient care is what inspired Marie initially to join WUDA while working in the SICU. Marie feels empowered working in the Department of Anesthesiology. She drives to promote education, research, and safe evidence-based clinical practice every day.

Outside of work, Marie is married to her husband, a Saint Louis native, and has a 2.5-year-old daughter. She enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and going to the beach. She loves watching the Cardinals and is so excited to see Albert Pujols back in Saint Louis!

Fun fact, Marie grew up in New York, Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee. She received a full athletic college scholarship and played Division 1 softball (third- base)! She met her husband while playing for a co-ed softball team made up of her former SICU coworkers and surgeons.

Jeff is a research technician in the Creed Lab at the WashU Medicine Pain Center. Across multiple institutions, Jeff has contributed to research on how the brain works in motivation and decision-making. Before coming to St. Louis, Jeff graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Kansas in 2023, where he did research on stress and social anxiety. Then, he completed a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health studying risk-taking and addiction. He joined the Creed Lab in July 2024, and studies how the brain is affected by chronic pain and how that leads to symptoms of depression. He hopes to stay in St. Louis and continue his research career by joining a neuroscience PhD program. Outside of the lab, Jeff enjoys reading, rock climbing, and spending time with his partner and their two cats.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: February 2023

Janice has worked in the Department of Anesthesiology for 44 years -- it will be 45 in December 2023. She attended college at Drake University in Des Moines, IA, but returned to back to University City — her hometown where she still resides. Outside of work, Janice enjoys spending time with her grandkids and loves the beach.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2025

Cesar Gonzalez, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and clinical psychologist at the Washington University Pain Center. He specializes in pre-surgical psychological evaluations, psychological assessments, and outpatient psychotherapy, with a focus on pain psychology. In addition to chronic pain, Dr. Gonzalez provides evidence-based care for anxiety, depression, insomnia, adjustment to chronic illness, and stress management, drawing on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and mindfulness-based strategies.

Outside of work, Cesar can usually be found at a Cinema St. Louis screening, hunting for records, checking out new restaurants, or trying to land a first serve on the tennis court.

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: November 2020

Vivian is an Instructor in the Department of Anesthesiology. She grew up in Cuba where she graduated from the University of Havana with a B.S. in Biochemistry. She moved to Chile in 2003 and later obtained her PhD in Neuroscience from University of Valparaiso.

During her graduate program in Chile, she became engaged in studying fundamental biophysics of potassium channels which lead to joining the laboratory of Dr. Christopher Lingle at Washington University's Department of Anesthesiology in 2010. In the Lingle Lab, she has been studying the physiological roles of Ca2+ and voltage-regulated BK-type potassium channels and their regulatory subunits. Her current research focus is to understand how ion channels impact epithelial homeostasis and inflammation. This has led to the discovery that a particular form of BK channel is selectively expressed in goblet cells and protects against inflammation.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children, traveling, reading, visiting family and friends. She is a fan of St. Louis Cardinals. Fun fact: “This is the first time in my life that I am able to vote for a President (so excited!)”

Department of Anesthesiology Featured Member: September 2024

Emily is the Associate Chief CRNA for Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. She graduated with a BSN from Truman State University and a degree in Nurse Anesthesia from Webster University.

During her collegiate career, she has played soccer for both Division 1 and Division 2 schools, where she served as team captain and all-region selections.

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, ages 7 and 9, who are currently very active in many sports (including soccer!) She also enjoys cooking, attending City games with her husband, and planning family trips.