Our Team

Gillian Mayersohn is a pediatric psychologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, and the Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Training Director. Gillian serves as the psychologist for Solid Organ Transplant, Dialysis, and The Heart Center/Cardiology. Her primary areas of clinical specialization are in end stage organ disease, solid organ transplantation, ESRD/dialysis, and congenital heart defects. She provides clinical services to both inpatients and outpatients using evidence-based interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Behavior Management, Motivational Interviewing). Her clinical and research interests include pre-transplant psychological evaluations, adjustment to and coping with chronic illness, adherence, training/supervision, program development/quality improvement, quality of life, neurodevelopmental outcomes, and post-traumatic growth.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, baking, and watching sports especially college football.

Kelly Meyer is a current Neonatal-Perinatal medicine fellow at Washington University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Joining Dr. Ortinau’s Cardiac Neurosciences group was a perfect match for her passions: diving into the intricacies of cardiac physiology, focusing on a patient population with a high need for mechanical circulatory support, and working to improve the antenatal counseling experience for families. Prior to her fellowship, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology with an emphasis in Sociology from The University of Tulsa and subsequently completed her medical school training at the University of Missouri – Columbia.  She moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 2018 to pursue her pediatric residency training followed by a chief resident year at Children’s Mercy Hospital before returning to her hometown, St. Louis, for fellowship. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, biking, and drinking caffeine in any form.

Erin O’Brien grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas and earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Arkansas. She then spent 2 years at Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a research assistant in the Allergy/Immunology Department, with a specific focus on food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis. She attended the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for her medical school training and completed her pediatric residency at Washington University.  She is currently training as a Neonatology fellow at Washington University.  When not focusing on research or taking care of babies in the NICU, she enjoys watching Arkansas sports, doing outdoor activities, trying new restaurants in St. Louis, and traveling to see friends and family.

Noah Riley is from Illinois, and attended Drury University in Springfield, MO. There he graduated with a BA in Clinical and Behavioral Neuroscience and was also a member of the baseball team. He currently is obtaining his master’s degree in Clinical Research Management at Washington University. His specific research interests include brain development, cognitive reserve and social determinants of health. Outside of research, Noah enjoys traveling, golfing and watching both Chicago Cubs baseball and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball.

Joshua Garrett is from the St. Louis area and is a current undergraduate student at Wheaton College, where he is majoring in biology and business economics. Upon graduation, he hopes to attend medical school and explore his interests in pediatric health and the impacts of holistic treatment on the health of medically-underserved individuals. Outside of his studies and research, Joshua enjoys singing, spending quality time with friends and family, and exploring many local parks and golf courses.

Jessica Patel is a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, and plans on majoring in Neuroscience. She is also a pre-health student from Chicago, Illinois (Go Cubs!). When she is not in the lab, She loves to read, cook, and go on walks.

Ben Pointer grew up in a southern Missouri town too small for stop lights. He is a current undergraduate at Saint Louis University majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology on the pre-med track. In the future, he plans to attend medical school where he can further explore his interest in rural medicine. At SLU, he regularly meets with people from various disadvantaged backgrounds to learn from their stories. Outside of school, he loves cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs, playing basketball with friends, and kayaking with friends and family.