Odibo Named Lang’s Endowed Chair in OB-GYN | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Anthony Odibo, MD, an internationally renowned expert in maternal-fetal medicine, has been named the Virginia S. Lang Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The endowed chair was established in 1997 by a generous gift from the Lang family through the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. This distinction rewards Odibo’s expertise in prenatal diagnosis and fetal care.

“Dr. Odibo is a leader in the field of maternal-fetal medicine, particularly in the area of ​​fetal care,” said Dineo Khabele, MD, Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor and Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and gynecology.” He is also a prolific researcher and has a reputation as an outstanding mentor and role model to residents, fellows, and faculty in his field. He deeply deserves this endowed chair, and we are grateful for the support of the Lang family.

In 2021, Odibo became director of the maternal-fetal medicine and ultrasound division within the department of obstetrics and gynecology. He is also vice chair of obstetrics for the department.

Odibo has an active clinical practice focused on prenatal diagnosis and treatment of in utero abnormalities, including twin transfusion and urinary tract obstruction.

He studies the effectiveness of fetal surgeries and diagnostic techniques before birth. One area of ​​research focuses on using microvascular imaging tools and blood biomarkers to determine whether smoking and abnormalities in the smallest blood vessels of the placenta cause smaller fetuses. Its goal is to design a reliable method to predict poor fetal growth earlier in pregnancy. This would allow doctors to intervene earlier to help prevent stillbirth, low oxygen levels, cesarean delivery and other negative outcomes.

“The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine thank the Lang family for supporting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as it continues to provide high-quality patient care and advance health reproduction through research and education,” said John. Lynch, MD, chairman of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and foundation. “We are grateful for the impact of the Lang family in advancing the foundation’s mission to enrich lives, save lives and transform healthcare and hope this appointment will advance Dr. Odibo’s work to help women have better pregnancy outcomes.”

Virginia S. Lang founded and operated an employment agency and temporary employment services in St. Louis. She married Ira Lang, owner of Lang-Kohn Inc., a dress-making company, in the 1940s.

The couple were donors to St. Louis Jewish Hospital (now Barnes-Jewish Hospital) in the 1960s and 1970s. A bequest from the estate of Virginia S. Lang also established the Ira M. Lang Endowed Chair in nephrology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 1988.

Prior to coming to the University of Washington, Odibo was on the faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa and was medical director of the Tampa Bay Fetal Care Center. Prior to that, he served on the faculties of the University of Washington and the University of Pennsylvania. In his previous position at the University of Washington, Odibo was director of the Division of Ultrasounds and Genetics and vice president for female and fetal imaging.

He is editor of the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Odibo is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Odibo obtained his medical degree from the University of Benin in Nigeria. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Kings College Hospital in London. He then completed a clinical fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, a second residency in OB-GYN at Thomas Jefferson University, and a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine in the University of Pennsylvania.