Portrait

Rachel Mojdehbakhsh
UW Health Fellow
Gynecologic Oncology


Rose, Mojdehbakhsh co-author study in Gynecologic Oncology

UW Department of Ob-Gyn Gynecologic Oncology Fellow Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, and Stephen Rose, MD, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, co-authored a multi-site study recently published in Gynecologic Oncology. 

In “Radical hysterectomy case volume and cervical cancer treatment in the era of COVID-19: A multi-site analysis of National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers” Mojdehbakhsh, Rose, and co-authors evaluated the number of radical hysterectomy cases, cancer stages, and biopsy-to-treatment time for cervical cancer after the pandemic, as opposed to pre-pandemic levels. 

“Our study identified major shifts in the diagnosis and management of cervical cancer after the pandemic's onset, including a decline in radical hysterectomy case volume, a shift to later stage at diagnosis, and delays in surgical and radiation-based therapy. Lower overall surgical volume may be the result of a decline in the detection of early-stage disease.”

Read the whole article here.

**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson


Mojdehbakhsh selected as BIRCWH Women’s Health Scholar

Congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn resident and incoming gynecologic oncology fellow Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD! Mojdehbakhsh was selected to be a Women’s Health Scholar in the UW  Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program.

As a Women’s Health Scholar, Mojdehbakhsh will have access to UW BIRCWH monthly seminars and research training opportunities, connect with a network of BIRCWH mentors, and receive financial support for a research project. She will participate in the BIRCWH program throughout the research year of gynecologic oncology fellowship. The BIRCWH Program is funded through the Office of Research for Women’s Health (ORWH) at the NIH.

Incredible work, Dr. Mojdehbakhsh!


Mojdehbahksh gives oral presentation at SGS conference

Congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-3, who gave an oral presentation at the 2022 Society of Gynecologic Surgeons annual meeting in San Antonio, TX!

Mojdehbakhsh presented “Efficacy and Safety of a Restrictive Blood Transfusion Protocol in Gynecologic Surgery Patients”, a project that was mentored by Ahmed Al-Niaimi, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology. FPMRS Division Director Dobie Giles, MD was moderator of the session where Mojdehbakhsh presented.

Incredible work, Dr. Mojdehbakhsh!


Congratulations to Women’s Health Symposium poster award winners Mojdehbakhsh and Bailey!

On October 14, 2021, the UW Department of Ob-Gyn hosted the annual Women’s Health and Health Equity Research Lecture and Symposium​. This year’s virtual event included the keynote presentation “Health Equity and Quality of Care: The Case of Maternal Mortality and Morbidity” by Elizabeth Howell, MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Nearly 200 people attended the event! You can watch some of the presentations here.

The Symposium also included a poster session. Two posters were selected by a panel of UW faculty to receive Best Poster awards. Please help us congratulate the poster winners!

UW Ob-Gyn resident Rachel P. Mojdehbakhsh, MD, MS, PGY-3 earned a top poster award for the poster “Efficacy and Safety of a Restrictive Blood Transfusion Protocol in Gynecologic Surgical Patients”. Co-authors on the poster include Rana Al-Rubaye, MD; Dandi Huang, MD; Joseph Connor, MD; and Ahmed Al-Niaimi, MD.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow Erin Bailey, MD, MS earned a top poster award for the poster “A Spatial Approach to Examining Individual and Disparity-Level Factors and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.” Co-authors include Maria Kamenetsky, MS; Alexa Lowry, MD; Ronald Gangnon, PhD; and Kara Hoppe, DO, MS.

Congratulations to the poster award winners, and thanks to everyone whose hard work contributed to this incredible event!



UW Ob-Gyn presentations at 2023 Society of Gynecologic Oncology conference

UW Ob-Gyn faculty, advanced practice providers, fellows, and residents prepared an impressive slate of presentations and posters, and served in key leadership roles, for the 2023 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer! Here are just some of their exciting contributions to the conference, which took place March 25-28, 2023 in Tampa, FL:

Associate Proefssor Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS:

Vice Chair of the Patient Education Committee

Professor Ellen Hartenbach, MD:

Poster: “The genomic profile of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the association with platinum-resistance”

Poster: “Thromboembolic Events in Gynecologic Cancer Patients Treated with Chemotherapy”

Ob-Gyn Resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD:

Poster: “Radical hysterectomy case volume and cervical cancer treatment in the era of COVID-19: A multi-institutional analysis” 

Gynecologic Oncology Fellow Lauren Montemorano, MD:

Poster: “Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Recruitment in the Virtual Era: An Evaluation of Program Websites and Survey of Applicant Preferences” (Lauren Montemorano MD, Connor C Wang MD, Ankitha Madde MD, J Stuart Ferriss MD, Bunja J Rungruang MD, Ryan Spencer MD, MS)

Poster: “The genomic profile of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the association with platinum-resistance” (Lauren Montemorano MD, Jessica D Lang PhD, Zoey Shultz BA, Alma Farooque BA, Meredith Hyun MS, Richard Chappell PhD, Ellen Hartenbach MD)

Poster: “A comparison of early-occurring and late-occurring incisional hernias after trans-umbilical versus circumbilical midline laparotomy in gynecologic oncology patients” (Connor C Wang, Alexandra Andes, Aaditi Naik, Lauren Montemorano, Ahmed Al-Niaimi)

Joanne Rash, PA:

Special Interest Session for Allied Health Professionals: Provider Wellbeing: Hope to be Found

Rash finished her board terms as the first elected APP representative on the SGO board!

Professor Stephen Rose, MD:

Poster: “Radical hysterectomy case volume and cervical cancer treatment in the era of COVID-19: A multi-institutional analysis”

Associate Professor Ryan Spencer, MD, MS:

Spencer was selected to serve as the SGO representative on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ political action committee (Ob-GynPAC).

Spencer received the Congressional Ambassador Award, given annually to SGO members who have worked hard to educate our elected and appointed officials in Washington, DC, to promote health care policy changes and annual federal funding increases to positively impact the field of gynecologic oncology and the women who are impacted with gynecologic cancer malignancies.

Chair, SGO Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee

Co-Lead, Gynecologic Oncology Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE) Task Force

Poster: “Gynecologic oncology fellowship recruitment in the virtual era: an evaluation of program websites and survey of applicant preferences.” (Senior author on this multi-institutional project with Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Medical College of Georgia.)

Presentations during SGO Program Directors Network meeting:

Gynecologic Oncology SLOEs

Updates from the ABOG Reproductive Health Summit

Associate Professor Sumer Wallace, MD, MS:

Serves on Policy, Quality, & Outcomes task force for the Health Policy and Socioeconomic committee

Ob-Gyn Resident Connor Wang, MD:

Poster: “A Comparison of Early-Occuring and Late-Occuring Incisional Hernias After Trans-Umbilical Versus Circumbilical Midline Laparotomy in Gynecologic Oncology Patients”

Gynecologic Oncology Fellow Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH:

Featured Oral Poster Session: “A Quality Improvement Project to Implement Oral Anticoagulant Thromboprophylaxis in Ambulatory Gynecologic Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy”

Congratulations to all on this incredible showing!


UW Ob-Gyn brings presentations, posters, film to 2023 CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting

The Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics hosted their 2023 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD February 27-March 1. Faculty, residents, fellows, students, and staff in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn brought a variety of presentations to this education-focused conference. Just some of their incredible offerings:

Discussion Den: “Recognizing Small Potholes Before You Lose a Hubcap” – Ryan Spencer, MD, MS; Bridget Kelly, MD; Jody Silva, M.Ed; Ariel Sorenson, MS

Discussion Den: “Implementing a Resident to Resident Near Peer Laparoscopic Fundamentals Skills Curriculum” – Matthew Wagar, MD; Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD; Maya Gross, MD, MPH; Sumer Wallace, MD, MS; Ashely Jennings, MD

Film Festival: “Zoom In on Abortion: Experience with a Virtual Values Clarification Workshop” – Jacquelyn Askins; Rob Garza; Elise Cowley; Alma Farooque; Zoey Shultz; Laura Jacques, MD

Oral Abstract: “Building in a Small Town: Maintaining Procedural Volume in a Rural Ob-Gyn Residency Program” – Charlotte Urban; Jody Silva, M.Ed; Ryan Spencer, MD, MS

Oral Abstract: “Practice Makes Proficient: Implementation of an Advanced Robotic Surgery Pathway for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents” – Maya Gross, MD, MPH; Matthew Wagar, MD; Sumer Wallace, MD, MS; Jennifer Karnowski, MD

Oral Abstract: “Building Bridges, Not Walls: Experiences of Medical Trainees with Values Clarification Workshops on Abortion” – Elise Cowley; Taryn Valley, MA; Alma Farooque; Zooey Shultz; Margaret Williams, MD; Laura Jacques, MD

Elise earned second place Best Oral Abstract award for her presentation!

APGO Surgical Education Scholars Poster: “Utilization of a Structured Adverse Event Debrief Framework to Confront Second-Victim Syndrome in Ob-Gyn Residents” – Ryan Spencer, MD, MS; Laura Jacques, MD

Poster: “Bridging the Virtual Divide: Ob-Gyn Residency Applicant Experiences with Virtual Interviews” – Laura Jacques, MD; Elise Cowley; Ryan Spencer, MD, MS

Poster: “Medical Student Attitudes Around Abortion and Reproductive Justice at One Midwestern Institution” – Erin Nacev, MD, MPH; Taryn Valley, MA; Mireya Taboada, MD, MPH

Congratulations to all the presenters!


Mojdehbakhsh published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports

Congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn resident (and soon-to-be gynecologic oncology fellow) Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-4, who published a new study in Gynecologic Oncology Reports!

In “Efficacy and safety of a restrictive blood transfusion protocol in gynecologic surgical patients”, Mojdehbakhsh and co-authors compared postsurgical outcomes for patients before and after the hospital implemented a restrictive blood transfusion protocol:

“This study found that the implementation of a restrictive blood transfusion protocol is effective in reducing the number of units of blood transfused. Moreover, we demonstrated that postoperative complications do not differ in a gynecologic surgical population after the initiation of this protocol. These findings support that adoption of restrictive blood transfusion protocols are not harmful to patients in this population.”

Read the whole study here!


Grand Rounds: Mojdehbakhsh presents “No stopping it: How telemedicine is changing how we deliver women’s healthcare”

On December 1, 2022, UW Ob-Gyn resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-4 presented the Grand Rounds lecture “No stopping it: How telemedicine is changing how we deliver women’s healthcare”.

In the lecture, Mojdehbakhsh outlined the status of telemedicine today in ob-gyn, assessed why telecontraception is safe and effective at reducing contraception access barriers, and explained how telabortion is a viable alternative to in-person provision of care.

Watch the whole lecture here!


Welcome incoming Gynecologic Oncology fellow Rachel Mojdehbakhsh!

The UW Ob-Gyn Gynecologic Oncology fellowship program is thrilled to announce Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, has matched as the incoming 2023 Gynecologic Oncology fellow!

Mojdehbakhsh completed medical school at Drexel University and is currently finishing ob-gyn residency in our department. Our selection committee was impressed by Dr. Mojdehbakhsh’s passion for medical education and commitment to providing excellent patient care. She has shown her excellence during the last 3 years of her residency, and we look forward to welcoming her into our GYN ONC Fellowship Program.

Congratulations, Dr. Mojdehbakhsh!


Mojdehbakhsh publishes in Gynecologic Oncology Reports

A new article from UW Ob-Gyn resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-4 was published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports! Co-authors on the article include UW SMPH medical student and Shapiro Summer Student Carolina Hurtado and Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, associate professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology.

In “The long game: Telemedicine patient satisfaction metrics and methods of recurrence detection for gynecologic cancer patients throughout the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Mojdehbakhsh and co-authors used a survey study and retrospective cohort study of patients who received telemedicine care between April 2020 and March 2021:

“We demonstrated a persistence in high patient satisfaction rates with telemedicine over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, patients overwhelmingly welcomed ongoing use of telemedicine in practice. Our findings are in accordance with a growing body of literature that patient reported symptoms are the most used method of detection and therefore amenable to telemedicine surveillance.”

Read the whole study here!


Gross, Mojdehbakhsh, Wang selected as 2022-23 residency chiefs

Huge congratulations to soon-to-be PGY-4 residents Maya Gross, MD, Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, and Connor Wang, MD, who were elected to serve as chief residents for the 2022-23 academic year!

Gross was selected to serve as Education Chief, while Mojdehbakhsh and Wang are Administrative Chiefs. They take over from graduating residents John Poehlmann, MD and Vienna Tran, MD.

Congratulations to the new chiefs!


Wagar published in Gynecologic Oncology

A new article in the journal Gynecologic Oncology by UW Ob-Gyn resident Matt Wagar, MD, PGY-4 examines whether enrollments in clinical trials for PARP inhibitors reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of people who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Racial and ethnic enrollment disparities in clinical trials of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for gynecologic cancers”, by Wagar and co-authors Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, Amy Godecker, PhD, Laurel Rice, MD, and Lisa Barroilhet, MD, is a retrospective review utilizing data from 15 PARP inhibitor trials on ClinicalTrials.gov. The study found:

“[Non-Hispanic] NH-Black and Hispanic patients are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials evaluating PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancers compared to NH-White cohorts. Phase II/III trials assessing PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancers do not accurately represent the populations diagnosed with these malignancies. Enrollment strategies are needed to increase diversity in PARP inhibitor clinical trials for women's cancers.”

Read the whole study here!


Mojdehbakhsh’s abstract selected for presentation at SGS Conference

​Huge congratulations to UW Ob-Gyn resident Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-3! Mojdehbakhsh’s abstract “Efficacy and Safety of Institution-Wide Restrictive Blood Transfusion Protocol in Gynecologic Surgical Patients” was selected for an oral poster presentation at the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons’ upcoming annual meeting.

Mojdehbakhsh will present during the SGS 48th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in March 2022.

Incredible work, Dr. Mojdehbakhsh!


Mojdehbakhsh published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports

A quality improvement study by lead author Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, PGY-2, was published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports. Co-authors include Stephen Rose, MD, Megan Peterson, DNP, Laurel Rice, MD, and Ryan Spencer, MD, all of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020, industry organizations like the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommended transitioning some appointments to telemedicine. Mojdehbakhsh’s study, “A quality improvement pathway to rapidly increase telemedicine services in a Gynecologic Oncology clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic with patient satisfaction scores and environmental impact”, outlines efforts at the UW Carbone Cancer Center’s gynecologic oncology clinic to move appointments to telehealth platforms over a short period of time. The study also assessed patient satisfaction with telemedicine visits, and environmental impact of moving visits online.

With multidisciplinary team planning and standardized note templates, transitioning 50% of encounters to telemedicine and achieving high rates of consent documentation were accomplished in four weeks. This increase in telemedicine represented a measurable decrease in the amount of CO  2 emissions. Additionally, patients were overwhelmingly satisfied.”

Read the whole study here – incredible work, Dr. Mojdehbakhsh and Gyn Onc division team!


First HAGO Conference was a great success!

On September 10-11, the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology hosted the first-ever Heartland Association of Gynecologic Oncology (HAGO) meeting. More than 70 gynecologic oncology professionals tuned in for the virtual conference, which included two keynote presentations and 21 research abstract presentations.

HAGO was founded in 2020 by UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gyn Onc Director Stephen Rose, MD, and the program committee included Ryan Spencer, MD and UW Ob-Gyn Gyn Onc fellowship graduates Andrea O’Shea, MD and Shitanshu Uppal, MD.

Of the 21 abstracts selected for presentation, five were from our department (Matthew Wagar, MD with mentor Sumer Wallace, MDWagar with mentor Makeba Williams, MDShannon Rush, MD with mentor Steve Rose, MDRachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD with mentor Ryan Spencer, MD; and Connor Wang, MD with mentor Spencer).

UW Ob-Gyn Gyn Onc fellow Shannon Rush, MD earned the first Award for Clinical Research for her abstract “65 Revisited: A Revised Markov Model for Evaluating Oophorectomy at the Time of Hysterectomy for Benign Disease”!

Lisa Barroilhet, MD was also an invited distillation presenter and UW Ob-Gyn Department Chair Laurel Rice, MD gave a keynote address and received the inaugural HAGO Award for Service and Leadership.

Our congratulations to everyone involved in planning and preparing the HAGO Conference – incredible work!