Principal investigator

Zachary A. Vesoulis, MD, MSCI

Zachary A. Vesoulis, MD, MSCI

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

Zachary A. Vesoulis, MD, MSCI research interests are in the application of electrical and optical monitoring devices to the function of autoregulatory systems in the central circulatory system and how patterns of dysfunction contribute to brain injury.

2023 Vesoulis group photo
Our 2023 lab team: (top-left clockwise) Christopher McPherson, Anthony Barton, Hayley Friedman, Devon Swofford, Natasha Lalos, Amanda Duncan, Alexandra Binaei, Rakesh Rao.

Faculty

Jagruti Anadkat, MD

Jagruti Anadkat, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

Hayley Friedman, MD, MS

Hayley Friedman, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

Steve M. Liao, MD, MSCI

Steve M. Liao, MD, MSCI

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

Steve Liao, MD, MSCI grew up in Taiwan before moving to southern California for high school (Los Altos High) and college (UCLA). He came to St. Louis for medical school and continued his pediatric training at St. Louis University School of Medicine. Liao completed his fellowship training in newborn medicine and received a MS degree in clinical investigation at Washington University in St. Louis.

Christopher McPherson, Pharm D

Christopher McPherson, Pharm D

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

McPherson is a clinical pharmacist in the NICU at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. His research interests include pharmacologic treatment of the PDA and the neurologic implications of sedation in preterm infants.

Rakesh Rao, MD

Rakesh Rao, MD

Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

Rao’s research interests include hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, therapeutic hypothermia, and neuroimaging.

Halana Whitehead, MD

Halana Whitehead, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Newborn Medicine

John Zempel, MD, PhD

John Zempel, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology

Zempel is a Child Neurologist and director of the EEG laboratory at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He has an interest in neonatal neurology, epilepsy in children, autism, pediatric sleep disorders, and Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

Trainees

Stephanie Diggs, MD

Stephanie Diggs, MD

Clinical Fellow

Natasha Lalos, MD

Natasha Lalos, MD

Clinical Fellow

Callie Marshall, MD

Callie Marshall, MD

Clinical Fellow

Devon Swofford, DO

Devon Swofford, DO

Clinical Fellow

Research

Anthony Barton

Anthony Barton

Senior Research Coordinator / Lab Manager

Anthony Barton joined the WUNDER lab in 2008 as a research assistant. In 2011 he transitioned to his current role as one of the lab’s two Research Coordinators. Anthony recently completed his certification in Clinical Research Management.

Alexandra Binaei

Alexandra Binaei

Clinical Research Study Assistant II

Amanda Duncan

Amanda Duncan

Clinical Research Coordinator I