Staff Spotlight Deann Gavney

Deann Gavney

Deann Gavney joined WashU Medicine in 2017 as a clinic administrator in Orthopedic Surgery and transitioned to Neurology as the clinical operations director in 2020. She has a passion for operations management and enjoys the fast-paced and challenging working environment in Neurology. In her role, she has the opportunity to work with the incredible in-clinic […]

MS Society Fellows Gear Up to Take On MS (Links to an external site)

Farris Taha

Farris Taha, who received a Sylvia Lawry Physician fellowship, enjoys a challenge, and for him, there’s no bigger code to crack than MS. “I was immediately drawn to MS mainly because of the complexity of the disease and the incredible advancements of the past decade,” says the 30-year-old neurology fellow at Washington University in St. […]

Bauer Huang appointed as new section head of Neonatal Neurology

Sarah Bauer Huang

Sarah Bauer Huang, MD, PhD, has been appointed head of the Section of Neonatal Neurology, effective July 1, 2025. Chris Smyser, MD, will step down from this position to focus on his role as associate director of the Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology.    Smyser joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in […]

Dai joins Adult Neurology Residency Program leadership

Cathy Dai

Xing “Cathy” Dai, MD, is the newest member of the Adult Neurology Residency Program leadership team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She will join Salim Chahin, MD, MSCE, Renee Van Stavern, MD, and Gregory Wu, MD, PhD, as an associate program director, starting July 1, 2025. She began transitioning into the […]

Staff Spotlight Jacki Mallmann

Jacki Mallmann

Jacki Mallmann began her career at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 1998 as a part-time administrative assistant in the Department of Psychiatry. She spent fourteen years working at the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center, where she gained invaluable administrative research experience by working on multiple NIH-funded studies, IRB submissions, data entry, general […]

Fessler promoted to vice chair of clinical affairs for Neurology

Jim Fessler, MD, has been promoted from associate vice chair to vice chair of clinical affairs effective January 1, 2025. Fessler joined the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in February 2024 as associate clinical vice chair and professor of neurology in the Section of Epilepsy, with faculty appointments […]

Faculty Profile Miranda Orr

Miranda Orr

Miranda Orr, PhD, associate professor of Neurology, is co-director of the Tracy Family Stable Isotope Labeling Quantitation (SILQ) Center. Orr came to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she was an associate professor in the Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. […]

Faculty Spotlight Jeffrey Neil

Jeff Neil, MD, PhD, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended St. Ignatius Jesuit High School; the same high school attended by Mike Noetzel, MD, former Director of Pediatric Neurology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Neil and Mike didn’t cross paths at school, as Mike played football and Neil played trombone, though Neil […]

Staff Spotlight Lisa Aten

Lisa Aten started working in the medical field over 30 years ago. She was initially in the retail business and was an area sales manager for Dillards Dept. stores. Even then, she loved working with people and helping them. The retail business demanded a lot of time, and she felt she needed to be home […]

Ushe appointed as new ombud for WashU Medicine

Mwiza Ushe

Mwiza Ushe, MD, MA, professor of neurology, has been appointed as one of two new ombuds for Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Ushe was appointed alongside Alison Antes, PhD, associate professor of medicine. Their terms begin Jan. 1, 2025. The goal of the Office of the Ombuds is to meet and provide […]