WashU Medicine reaches all-time high in NIH funding (Links to an external site)

WashU Medicine secured $683 million in research funding from the NIH in 2024, a record high for the school and an affirmation of its leadership in shaping the future of medicine.

NIH grants recognize the quality and significance of WashU Medicine research in enabling life-changing advances in medicine In a testament to the quality and national competitiveness of biomedical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the school secured $683 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in federal […]

WashU research funding exceeds $1 billion for first time (Links to an external site)

David DeNardo Lab

For the first time, annual research funding to Washington University in St. Louis has surpassed $1 billion. External funding supports WashU investigators tackling big challenges from Alzheimer’s disease to air pollution to childhood depression. Research funding also ripples across the economy, sparking job growth, new construction and local spending, said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

New drug tested to reduce side effect of ‘half-matched’ stem cell transplants (Links to an external site)

Stem cell transplantation, using devices like the one shown here, is used to treat several types of blood cancers, but carries the risk of a life-threatening side effect called graft-versus-host disease. Results from a clinical trial conducted by researchers at WashU Medicine showed adding the investigational drug itacitinib to standard care for "half-matched" stem cell transplantation may reduce rates of the disease, in which the donor’s stem cells attack the patient’s healthy tissues.

Clinical trial indicates safety, fewer cases of life-threatening graft-versus-host disease than expected Adding a new drug to standard care for stem cell transplant recipients may reduce a life-threatening side effect, according to an early-stage clinical trial conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The trial showed that patients being treated for various […]

World leaders in ending blood cancer (Links to an external site)

A device transforms a patient’s white blood cells into a CAR T-cell therapy in several days in the Siteman Cancer Center Biologic Therapy Core Facility. This supports translational medicine efforts — from bench to bedside — in the fields of cellular therapy and gene therapy for treating blood cancers.

The Siteman Blood Cancer Center delivers tomorrow’s treatments today. The Siteman Blood Cancer Center, recognized internationally as a leader in innovative care, draws patients from across the U.S. and overseas. The center brings together the multidisciplinary expertise of WashU Medicine physicians who have a singular focus on treating blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic […]

Happy Hanukkah (Links to an external site)

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Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish festival. 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 is a time for reflection, […]

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. The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” or first fruits, referring to First fruits or Harvest festivals that are found throughout Africa. Kwanzaa was created in […]

Vaccine Shows Promise Against Aggressive Breast Cancer (Links to an external site)

A small clinical trial conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows promising results for patients.

A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by Washington University researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine — known […]

Complexity of tumors revealed in 3D (Links to an external site)

3d breast tumor image

A new analysis led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed detailed 3D maps of the internal structures of multiple tumor types. These cancer atlases reveal how different tumor cells — and the cells of a tumor’s surrounding environment — are organized, in 3D, and how that organization changes […]

New Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research launches with focus on Implementation Science (Links to an external site)

launch of the Midwest D-CFAR

The Center for Dissemination and Implementation announces the launch of a new Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research (D-CFAR) in Missouri, which brings together researchers from across the translational spectrum to address the HIV epidemic. This D-CFAR is part of a national network of 20 NIH-funded centers, and it is the first of its kind […]

NCI director delivers Korsmeyer lecture (Links to an external site)

W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, director of the National Cancer Institute, delivers the 19th annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Memorial Lectureship Oct. 17 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on the Medical Campus.

W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), delivered the 19th annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Memorial Lectureship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on Thursday, Oct. 17. Korsmeyer was a former WashU Medicine medical oncologist and researcher whose groundbreaking discoveries opened up […]

IDSA Honors Dr. Powderly with Society Citation Award (Links to an external site)

William G. Powderly, MD

Congratulations to Dr. Bill Powderly, MD, who was honored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) with a discretionary award given in recognition of his leadership in HIV care and research along with his exemplary contributions to IDSA and the HIV Medical Association. The Society Citation Award was presented today, October 17, at IDWeek 2024.

$2.75 million to support research of diabetes (Links to an external site)

Millman Lab member, Nathanial Hogrebe, PhD performing diabetes research.

The Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research in the Department of Medicine has received a $2.75 million gift through the Anita Palmer Corbin Trust to establish the Anita Palmer Corbin Diabetes Research Endowed Fund. The fund augments a spendable fund to support diabetes research in the division that was previously created by Corbin, who died in […]

Are patients with Alport Syndrome at Increased Risk of Aortic Aneurysms?  ASF Funds Dr. Carmen Halabi and Jeffrey Miner to Find Out (Links to an external site)

Congratulations to Carmen Halabi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Nephrology, and collaborator Jeffrey Miner, PhD, FASN, Eduardo and Judith Slatopolsky Professor of Medicine in Nephrology, who were awarded an Alport Syndrome Foundation (ASF) grant to fund research into the presence of aortic aneurysms in Alport mice.

Huffman Promotes Heart Health on Show Me St. Louis (Links to an external site)

Mark Huffman, MD

Professor of Medicine and Co-Director Global Health Center Dr. Mark Huffman appeared on KSDK’s Show Me St. Louis to recognize World Heart Day. Dr. Huffman noted that 1 in 3 people worldwide die of cardiovascular disease, and shared tips from the American Heart Association for heart health. He emphasized the dangers of ultra-processed foods, which […]

American Cancer Society and Yosemite Award $1.65 Million to WashU Medicine Researchers at Siteman (Links to an external site)

George Souroullas, PhD

Five Washington University investigators at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, have received $1.65 million total for research aimed at advancing the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) and Yosemite, a San Francisco-based oncology-focused venture capital firm, awarded the five scientists $330,000 each.

Ross honored by Association of American Medical Colleges (Links to an external site)

Will Ross, MD

Will Ross, MD, the associate dean for diversity and the Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2024 Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The honor recognizes medical leaders committed to diversifying the health-care workforce.

$12 million grant aimed at probing how vaccines induce lasting immunity (Links to an external site)

Researchers at WashU Medicine have received a $12 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to identify the factors that are responsible for long-lasting immunity against disease.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a $12 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how vaccines trigger long-lasting immune responses. The work may inform the design of new, more protective vaccines for respiratory viruses, […]

What Repeat COVID Infections Do to Your Body, According to Science (Links to an external site)

IKON Images/Adobe Stock

These days, it’s tempting to compare COVID-19 with the common cold or flu. It can similarly leave you with a nasty cough, fever, sore throat—the full works of respiratory symptoms. And it’s also become a part of the societal fabric, perhaps something you’ve resigned yourself to catching at least a few times in your life (even if […]

Physician-Scientist Ying Maggie Chen Receives VA Merit Award (Links to an external site)

Ying (Maggie) Chen, MD, PhD

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Medicine, Ying Maggie Chen, MD, PhD, WashU Nephrology, who received a four-year, $1.15M VA Merit Award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The funding will support her research on therapeutic targeting of mitochondria in uromodulin-associated chronic kidney disease (CKD). 

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur (Links to an external site)

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

October 2-4 is Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah and it is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah is also known as the “Days of Renewed Responsibility,” and begins at sunset on day one and ends at nightfall the next. The Jewish New Year […]