People

Jennie H. Kwon, DO, MSCI, Principal Investigator

Jennie H. Kwon, DO, MS, is a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine, Section Head of Hospital Epidemiology & Antimicrobial Stewardship, and the Medical Director of Infection Prevention at WashU Medicine. Dr. Kwon is dedicated to combatting antimicrobial resistance and protecting patients from healthcare-associated infections. Dr. Kwon specializes in the care of immunocompromised patients with infectious diseases. Her research is focused on novel and innovative methods to detect, prevent, and treat antimicrobial resistance, and her work is funded by the NIH, AHRQ, CDC, and multiple not-for-profit foundations. She completed a selective two year fellowship with the National Academy of Medicine in Washington, DC focused on health policy. Her experiences as a clinician, researcher, and public health advocate encompasses her goal of ensuring better quality care for all patients.

Carrie O’Neil, MA, MPH, Clinical Research Specialist

Carrie graduated from Truman State University with a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology. She then earned a M.A. in Anthropology from The University of Missouri and a MPH in Epidemiology from St. Louis University. She has worked as a research coordinator at WashU for over 10 years. She has three children and enjoys swimming, hiking, and crafting. 

Francesca (Frankie) Yerbic, BS, MLS, MHA, ASCP, Sr. Clinical Lab Technologist

Frankie graduated from Missouri State University with a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science. She recently earned a masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Webster University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, watching musicals, and spending time with family.

Kate Peacock, MPH, Sr. Statistical Data Analyst

Kate graduated from Truman State University with a B.S. in Health Sciences. She then earned her MPH from Saint Louis University in 2016. She has worked as a data analyst at WashU for about five years. In her free time she enjoys reading, hiking with her husband, and hanging out with her cat, Marty

Lucy Vogt, MPH, Clinical Research Coordinator

Lucy graduated for the University of Missouri with a BHS in Health Science and MPH in health policy and promotion. She previously worked at the Health Department within the communicable disease with much of her work focused on COVID-19. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking, binge watching Netflix, and spending time with family, friends, and her pup, Truman.

Olivia Arter, BA, Research Technician

Olivia recently graduated from WashU with a B.A. degree in Microbiology and a minor in Psychology. She is currently in the process of applying to medical school. As an undergraduate student, she worked for the Kwon Lab intermittently during the COVID-19 pandemic as a clinical research assistant. Outside of the office, she spends her time hiking, volunteering, and enjoying quality time with her loved ones.

Sajal Tiwary, AB, MD, Clinician-Scientist Training and Research (C-STAR) Resident

Sajal Tiwary graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in Molecular Biology and a certificate in Neuroscience, and went on to complete his M.D. at WashU. He is currently an internal medicine resident at Barnes Jewish Hospital. He’s thrilled to enter the world of infectious diseases! When he’s not combing through patient charts at the hospital, he enjoys being a sore loser at Super Smash Bros Ultimate and exploring the nooks and crannies of St. Louis with his fiancée.

Kelly Bono, BA, MA, Clinical Research Coordinator

Kelly Bono graduated from Lindenwood University with a B.A. in Studio Art. She recently earned an M.A. in Biology from Miami University. Prior to working in research, she was an outreach-focused formal and informal educator. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, hiking, supporting local arts and advocacy groups, and video game duels with her husband and son.

Regine Burton, BA, Clinical Research Assistant

Regine graduated from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis with a B.A. in Psychology and a Post-Bacc in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Maryville University. She has many years of clinical experience, including the Adult Psychiatry Department at WashU. She is excited to be joining the Kwon Lab! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading, traveling, running (5ks and half marathons), and checking out new brunch spots.

Sachina Mensah, BS, MPH, Sr. Clinical Laboratory Technician

Sachina graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She then earned her Masters in Public Health with a certificate in Epidemiology from Benedictine University in Lisle. A clinical laboratory scientist for about four years, she has worked with COVID, Influenza, and performed disease screening for newborns for the Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC foundation. She enjoys traveling with her husband, shopping and cooking. 

Akshay Saluja, BA, Research Technician

Akshay graduated from WashU with a B.A. in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment. He also volunteers in the emergency room at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital and teaches tennis to children with Down’s Syndrome. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, learning languages, traveling, and trying out new restaurants.

Henry Fremont, MPH, Statistical Data Analyst

Henry graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in Applied Mathematics & Statistics and earned his MPH from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He joined the Kwon Lab following six years at UW-Madison in a research group focused on climate change and health. Prior to UW-Madison he worked as a data engineer at Epic for several years. Henry enjoys music, cooking, ultimate frisbee, and spending time with loved ones.

Nora Ovchiyan, BA, Clinical Research Study Assistant

Nora graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2023 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Philosophy. She is a registered medical assistant and volunteers at the International Institute of St. Louis as a tutor and peer mentor. Her free time is spent browsing libraries, volunteering, doing Pilates, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.