$6.4 million supports studies of cardiac muscle function in heart failure (Links to an external site)

WashU Medicine researchers have received two grants from the NIH to study the roles of troponin — a critical protein in the heart — in various forms of heart failure. (Image: Sara Moser/WashU Medicine)

Michael J. Greenberg, PhD, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received two grants totaling almost $6.4 million to investigate the complex roles of troponin — a critical protein in the heart — in various forms of heart failure. In particular, Greenberg’s research will […]

Publication reviews 15 years of DOLF accomplishments and looks toward disease elimination (Links to an external site)

The Death to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis (DOLF) project at Washington University in St. Louis

The Death to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis (DOLF) project at Washington University in St. Louis recently celebrated 15 years of conducting clinical and translational research to test new treat­ments to support the elimination of two major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), namely lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis (also known as river blindness).

Women’s History Month (Links to an external site)

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March offers us an opportunity to celebrate Women’s History Month.  This annual event honors women’s achievements and contributions throughout history.  The theme for the 2025 Women’s History Month is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” The theme recognizes the powerful influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership.

Clinical considerations for thyroid dysfunction among older adults (Links to an external site)

Sina Jasim. MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research at WashU Medicine

Sina Jasim, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research at WashU Medicine, and Maria Papaleontiou, MD, associate professor of internal medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes at the University of Michigan, have published a narrative review in Thyroid®, the official journal of the American Thyroid Association. 

Nasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents (Links to an external site)

Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a nasal vaccine against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, or bird flu, which has jumped from wild birds to livestock to humans. When tested in rodents, the vaccine elicited a strong immune response and prevented infections in animals exposed to H5N1.

Since it was first detected in the U.S. in 2014, H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has jumped from wild birds to farm animals and then to people, causing more than 70 human cases in the U.S. since 2022, including two fatalities. The virus continues to circulate among animals, giving it the opportunity […]

Immunotherapy reduces plaque in arteries of mice (Links to an external site)

An immunotherapy reduces plaque in the arteries of mice, offering a potential new strategy to treat cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by WashU Medicine researchers. An artery from an untreated mouse (top) shows more plaque (orange) than that of a mouse treated with the antibody-based immunotherapy (bottom).

Scientists have designed an immunotherapy that reduces plaque in the arteries of mice, presenting a possible new treatment strategy against heart disease. The antibody-based therapy could complement traditional methods of managing coronary artery disease that focus on lowering cholesterol through diet or medications such as statins, according to the findings of a new study led […]

Breath carries clues to gut microbiome health (Links to an external site)

WashU Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers found that an analysis of compounds exhaled in breath can be used to infer which microbes are living in the gut, paving the way for a rapid, non-invasive breath test to monitor and diagnose gut health issues.

The human gut is home to trillions of beneficial microbes that play a crucial role in health. Disruptions in this delicate community of bacteria and viruses — called the gut microbiome — have been linked to obesity, asthma and cancer, among other illnesses. 

Ramadan (Links to an external site)

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This year, the holy month of Ramadan is to begin on Tuesday, February 17 – Thursday, March 19, 2026. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and holds great significance in the Islamic faith. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, prayer, self-reflection, and increased devotion to Allah.

Kirmani Receives Lifetime Achievement Award (Links to an external site)

Nigar Kirmani, MD Professor of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases

On November 14, 2025, Nigar Kirmani, MD, professor of medicine, was honored at the Semi-Annual General Staff Meeting and presented with the BJH Medical Staff Association Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes physicians at Barnes-Jewish Hospital with over 25 years of distinguished service, honoring their exceptional contributions, leadership, teaching, and patient care.

A tribute to Stuart A. Kornfeld (1936–2025) (Links to an external site)

David C. and Betty Farrell Professor of Medicine, Stuart A. Kornfeld, MD, assistant professor Wang-Sik Lee, PhD, and associate professor Balraj Doray, PhD, look over test results in the Clinical Sciences Research Building on April 10, 2019. MATT MILLER/WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Half-century of research illuminates how cells work in health, disease - Kornfeld reflects on knowledge gained from longest running NCI grant - Stuart Kornfeld, MD, has led the field of glycobiology — the study of sugars bound to proteins — for decades, fueled by the same grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that first supported his lab more than 50 years ago. He reflects on his career and the advances made possible by the NCI's longest running research grant.

A giant in the field of biomedical research, Stuart Arthur Kornfeld, MD (Figure 1), passed away in St. Louis on Sunday, August 17, 2025, following complications from Parkinson’s disease. Stuart was the David C. and Betty Farrell Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM). His leadership roles at WUSM, where […]

WashU startups attract record-setting $1.7 billion in private-sector investment over past year (Links to an external site)

St. Louis-based biotech company Wugen, which is developing cell-based immunotherapies for hard-to-treat blood cancers, is among the WashU startups that collectively have attracted a record-setting total of $1.7 billion in private-sector investment over the past year.

Startup companies built on Washington University in St. Louis discoveries attracted a record $1.7 billion in private-sector investment over the past year, accelerating the commercialization of WashU innovations into life-changing diagnostics, therapeutics and medical devices. Among those innovations are a blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease; immunotherapies to treat aggressive blood cancers; and an AI-based […]

2025 Diabetes Day Symposium Recap (Links to an external site)

Diabetes Day Symposium

In honor of World Diabetes Day, the Diabetes Research Center of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research hosted the 2025 Diabetes Day Symposium. The event took place on Thursday, November 6, at WashU Medicine’s Eric P. Newman Education Center. The symposium brought together scientists, trainees, and clinicians to showcase research, foster collaboration, and raise awareness of cutting-edge advances in diabetes research. 

Big Ideas program to sunset, celebrating legacy of innovation (Links to an external site)

Big Ideas graphic

The Big Ideas program, which began to foster health care innovation, will officially conclude with the 2025-2026 cohort at the end of the academic year. This decision follows the planned sunsetting of the Healthcare Innovation Lab, marking a strategic shift to better integrate care delivery innovation throughout clinical operations.

Nussbaum family fuels pancreatic cancer research (Links to an external site)

WashU Medicine’s Kian-Huat Lim, MD, PhD, second from left, welcomed members of the Nussbaum family to his research lab. (Courtesy photo)

When Sam Nussbaum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in his 70s, it was no surprise to his family that he chose WashU Medicine for his care. After all, Nussbaum had spent a significant portion of his distinguished career as a physician-scientist and health-care executive at the medical school and BJC HealthCare. And during that time, […]

Genetic analysis explains rare disease severity, points to possible treatment (Links to an external site)

Normal lung tissue is shown on the left. On the right is lung tissue from a person with primary ciliary dyskinesia with a CCDC39 mutation. A large mucus plug is visible in magenta, demonstrating the severe airway problems seen in such patients with these specific mutations. (Image: Brody lab/WashU Medicine)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered why some patients with a rare genetic disorder called primary ciliary dyskinesia have worse lung problems than others with the same disorder. The discovery, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that gene therapy to restore a missing protein complex could help treat the […]

Couple make $6.5 million gift to WashU Medicine (Links to an external site)

Kyung Ja Shin Lee, MD, PhD, left, and Won Ro Lee, MD, right, paid their first visit to St. Louis in July to witness the installation of their daughter, Janet Lee, MD, as WashU Medicine’s Selma and Herman Seldin Distinguished Professor in Medicine. (Photo: Dan Donovan/WashU Medicine)

Won Ro Lee, MD, PhD, and Kyung Ja Shin Lee, MD, consider themselves fortunate people, despite having grown up in challenging circumstances. Kyung Ja escaped North Korea as a young child; both she and Won Ro grew up in poverty and lived through the Korean War. Their futures could have been significantly different had they […]

2025 Winston Fellows (Links to an external site)

Lila Dabill and David Turicek

The David and Deborah Winston Fellows in Diabetes Research was established in 2012 through a generous gift from David and Deborah Winston. Awarded annually by the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, it supports graduate students engaged in diabetes and diabetes-related research who reside within laboratories of Diabetes Research Center members. 

$3.2 million grant funds research on computational AI in fistulizing Crohn’s disease (Links to an external site)

Parakkal Deepak, MBBS, MS, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, and David H. Ballard, MD, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology

Parakkal Deepak, MBBS, MS, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, and David H. Ballard, MD, an assistant professor of radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, both of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Satish Viswanath, PhD, an associate professor in pediatrics and in biomedical engineering at Emory […]

Building the Future of General Medicine (Links to an external site)

Dr. McNairy presents keynote

On Thursday, November 20, 2025, Chief of the Divisions of General Medicine, Geriatrics and Hospital Medicine, Dr. Molly McNairy, conducted a keynote address in the Connor Auditorium of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center. When Molly McNairy, MD, MSc, joined WashU Medicine, she took on the unique challenge of re-imaging the structure of general medicine, […]

Outlook Magazine (Links to an external site)

David H. Perlmutter, MD

Decades ago, during my fellowship, I worked in the lab of a world-renowned investigator who put me on a project that everyone in the lab thought would fail. I think this mentor knew that I needed the deep dive into complex cell biology the project would entail, but he likely also understood that challenge and […]

Hospitalists Celebrate their Peers at the Second Annual Hospital Medicine Awards (Links to an external site)

Hospitalists Celebrate their Peers at the Second Annual Hospital Medicine Awards

The Social and Wellness Committee organized the Second Annual Hospital Medicine Awards on November 19, 2025. Hospitalists, APCs, and staff came together to enjoy ‘WashU-Giving’ and celebrate their colleagues in the Holden Auditorium in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center. We shared a delicious Thanksgiving meal, complete with all the traditional fixings, to help reward hospitalists for […]

Happy Hanukkah (Links to an external site)

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Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival (December 14 – 22, 2025). The central theme of Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. and the miracle of the oil. Hanukkah holds great cultural and religious significance for Jewish communities around the world, and the celebration of this festival […]

Happy Kwanzaa (Links to an external site)

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Kwanzaa is a secular festival observed from December 26th through January 1st as part of a celebration of African American cultural heritage and traditional values.