Abby Spencer, MD, receives APDIM Dema C. Founders Award

Abby Spencer, MD

Abby Spencer, MD, MS, FACP, Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Medicine and Director of the Academy of Educators at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, received the APDIM Dema C. Daley Founders Award that honors a member of the internal medicine community recognized nationally as an educator, innovator, […]

Earth Day

Make every day EARTH DAY graphic

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now offers a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG and includes 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is Planet vs Plastics. One key way […]

Passover: A Time-Honored Jewish Holiday (Links to an external site)

Happy Passover

Passover, known as Pesach in Hebrew, is among the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. It commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, as recounted in the biblical book of Exodus. Lasting for seven or eight days (depending on tradition), Passover is a time of reflection, remembrance, and celebration.

Artificial Intelligence for Cardiovascular Care

Thomas M. Maddox, MD

Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division at WashU Medicine, and colleagues recently published two articles outlining the current opportunities for AI to impact cardiovascular care. These articles highlight how AI is poised to affect almost every aspect of cardiovascular care. ” says Maddox. “Our group hopes that this work helps prepare […]

ACC Updates HFrEF Decision Pathway, Reinforcing the Four Pillars of Therapy

Thomas M. Maddox, MD

The document also strengthens advice regarding which medications should be started in all patients Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division at WashU Medicine, and colleagues recently published an Expert Consensus Decision Pathway (ECDP) for the many decisions required in the management and treatment of patients with heart failure with […]

Easter Holiday

Happy Easter

Easter is a Christian holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as described in the New Testament of the Bible. It is considered the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church. Easter is often associated with the arrival of spring and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the […]

Holi – Hindu Festival

HOLI - Festival of Colors

Holi is a vibrant and colorful Hindu festival celebrated predominantly in India and Nepal but also observed by communities around the world. Also known as the “Festival of Colors” or “Festival of Love,” Holi typically takes place in March, marking the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. The Holi festival always […]

In vivo ablation of NFκB cascade effectors alleviates disease burden in myeloproliferative neoplasms

Stephen T. Oh, MD, PhD

Study in Blood dissecting the role of NFκB signaling effectors in MPN disease biology Stephen T. Oh, MD, PhD, Co-Chief and Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and has been published in Blood. The WashU group of researchers previously identified hyperactivation of NFκB […]

Celiac Disease Program

Celiac disease, sometimes called celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and some oats. Gluten consumption can cause celiac disease at any age. Although some people are found to have celiac disease as infants, it is common for celiac disease to be […]

Baggstrom Earns FASCO Award

Maria Baggstrom, MD

Maria Quintos Baggstrom, MD, FACP, FASCO, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has been awarded the FASCO – Fellow of ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) distinction. The Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) distinction recognizes members for their extraordinary volunteer […]

Chheda Receives Dr. Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust – Catalyst Award

Milan G. Chheda, MD

Milan G. Chheda, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Oncology, received the Dr. Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust – Catalyst Award, to fund his project titled: Genetic arming of Zika virus to treat patients with glioblastoma. The Trust is managed by Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a nonprofit consultancy, which makes funding decisions on […]

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

December 25th is celebrated as both a religious holiday and a global cultural and commercial event. Around the world, people have observed this holiday through a variety of traditions and practices that are both religious and secular. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose […]

Department of Medicine 2024 Fellowship Matches

Department of Medicine

Please join us in congratulating this year’s residents, current chief residents, former graduates, and our divisions on another successful fellowship match! Our Internal Medicine residents successfully matched: Department of Medicine Fellowship Match Results by Division Allergy & Immunology Cardiovascular Critical Care Medicine Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Gastroenterology Hematology/Oncology Nephrology Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Advanced Heart […]

New Director of the Forum for Women in Medicine (FWIM)

Namrata Patel, MD

I am pleased to announce that Namrata Patel, MD, has accepted the role of Director of the Forum for Women in Medicine (FWIM). Dr. Patel is an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics in the Divisions of General Medicine and Hospitalist Medicine, respectively.  Dr. Patel received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Emory University. […]

CareSTL Health Celebrates 54th Anniversary Gala

CareSTL Event

CareSTL recently celebrated their 54th Anniversary Gala held Thursday, November 16th at the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium, CareSTL Health is a community-based healthcare system that provides healthcare services to underserved, underinsured, and uninsured populations. They help to shape healthy lifestyles in our community. Their mission is to improve health outcomes in our community by […]

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving graphic

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. The fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday […]

DOLF Co-Founder and Director Dr. Gary Weil receives the prestigious Kyelem Prize

Gary Weil, MD

We are pleased to share the news that DOLF Director, Gary Weil received the 2023 Kyelem Prize at the annual Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD). Described by some as the “Oscar” of neglected tropical disease (NTD) research, this prize recognizes people in the field who have been particularly effective in bringing […]

New Assay Could Revolutionize Detection and Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Grant Challen, PhD

More accurate detection of a specific molecular marker in leukemic cells will help assess measurable residual disease and guide treatment decisions, improving patient outcomes, report investigators in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics Grant A. Challen, PhD, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, lead investigator, has been published […]

Six Department of Medicine Physicians Receive Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award

The awardees are pictured from left to right: Joshua Siner, MD, Walter Schiffer, MD, Intelly Lee, MD, Erin Dyer, MD, Morgan Schoer, MD, Rigo De Jesus Pizarro, MD

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital recognized six Department of Medicine internal medicine residents and fellows with the 2023 Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award. This award recognizes and fosters a new generation of compassionate, skilled physicians who show extraordinary care for the patient.  The physicians were celebrated during the 39th […]

Department of Medicine Faculty Honored at the 2023 Academy of Educators Annual Education Day

Academy of Educators

Sponsored by the Academy of Educators, the annual Education Day was held on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, to celebrate educational excellence across the School of Medicine. This year’s theme was Climate Change – Adapting the Environment to Today’s Learner. The event featured a variety of educational workshops and roundtables, a keynote address from Stuart Slavin, MD, […]

Veterans Day

Thank You Veterans graphic.

Veterans Day is a federal holiday observed on November 11th by the United States to honor all who have served the country during war or peace, whether they are dead or alive – although it is primarily intended to thank our living veterans. First known as Armistice Day, President Woodrow Wilson set aside the day […]

V Foundation Award Given to Kelly Bolton, MD, PhD

Kelly Bolton, MD, PhD

Kelly Bolton, MD, PhD, physician-scientist at Washington University School of Medicine, is the recent recipient of The Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research. The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a premier cancer research charity, recently announced the first recipients of A Grant of Her Own: The Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research. Eleven […]

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10th as a day to promote mental health awareness, education, and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. World Mental Health Day is […]

Embracing Caregivers Patient-Centered Rounds

As a hospitalist, Mark Williams, MD, has spent quite some time considering how we can improve the patient experience, during hospitalization and in the follow-up care once released. He recently wrote an editorial to an article about the experience of family caregivers in an American hospital as their loved one went through the transition of the ICU […]

Spotlight on WashU General Medicine

Dr. Schmidt, meets with patients for checkups at West County at the clinic.

The mission of General Medicine is to provide the highest quality patient care, to educate and train physicians of peak caliber, and to conduct research, all in the context of academic primary care internal medicine. Jennifer M. Schmidt, MD, FACP, a general internist in the division shares with us more about her job and why […]

Medical Research and Groundbreaking Medicines in the Battle Against Obesity

Mecial Research and Groundbreaking Medicines in the Battle Against Obesity

Obesity is a major health problem in our country because of its high prevalence and its causal relationship with multiple, serious medical diseases. There is no organ system in the body that isn’t adversely affected by excess body fat and it is the second most common cause of preventable death after smoking. Having a body […]

Cassandra Fritz, MD selected for JAMA Network Open’s Editorial Fellowship Program

Cassandra Fritz, MD, MPHS, Assistant Professor from the Divisions of Gastroenterology and General Medicine & Geriatrics is one of six inaugural fellows selected for the JAMA Network Open’s Editorial Fellowship program. The program mission is to engage a cadre of promising junior faculty in the editorial process to advance research and scholarship that addresses the needs […]

Claudia Cabrera  – ASH Minority Hematology Graduate Award/F31

Claudia Cabrera

Claudia Cabrera, WashU Graduate Student in Molecular Genetics and Genomics, recently won the ASH Minority Hematology Graduate Award (MHGA) along with the NIH/F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31-Diversity). If those honors aren’t enough, she’s also the first women from her family, born and raised in Cuba, who has graduated college […]

National Suicide Prevention Week – September 10th – 16th, 2023

National Suicide Prevention Week graphic

National Suicide Prevention week and National Suicide Prevention month both happen during the month of September, however it’s important we offer support throughout the year. To help save a life, it’s vital to raise awareness of this leading cause of death and to help one another see how they can help support this cause in […]

Cresci receives NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Award

Determining Potential Mechanisms of Worse Outcomes in Black HCM Patients Sharon Cresci, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Genetics in the Cardiovascular Division and Associate Director of the WashU Barnes-Jewish Hospital Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, recently received a five-year R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The grant is entitled […]

DEI Faculty Diversity Scholars Program Awardees

Three Department of Medicine Faculty Receive the Diversity Scholars Program Awards The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has awarded Felicia I. Gomez, PhD, Felipe Almeida de Pinho Ribeiro, MD along with Jesus M. Jimenez, MD, PhD the Faculty Diversity Scholars Program Award. The mission of the DEI is to: The purpose of the DEI […]

August is National Wellness Month

August National Wellness Month

In honor of National Wellness Month, it seems fitting that we discuss what wellness really is … and how we define wellness based on our individual characteristics. People often think about wellness in terms of physical health — nutrition, exercise, weight management, etc., but it is so much more. Wellness is a holistic integration of […]

Don’t Let Food Allergies Control You

Food allergies are immunological reactions that occur shortly after eating a certain food. Even a small amount of the food that causes an allergy can trigger symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, difficulty breathing or even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. Food allergies are one of the many adverse reactions to food that a […]

WHO Includes Polypills on Essential Medicine List

Mark Huffman, MD, Professor of Medicine of Cardiology and Co-Director of the Global Health Center and Anubha Agarwal, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine of Cardiology and Co-Director Program in Global Cardiovascular Health announced that the WHO have included the Polypill on their Model List of essential medicines (EML). “Essential medicines are those that satisfy the […]

July is UV Awareness Month

UV exposure (ultraviolet radiation exposure) is the root cause of most skin cancers, however there are many safeguards you can take to help #practicesafesun year-round. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and treatment may involve much more than a mole removal. Skin cancer – especially melanoma, is the most serious […]

Independence Day

St. Louis, MO skyline with fireworks.

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Fourth of July has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations dates back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental […]

Third Space Endoscopy with Dr. Ahmad Najdat Bazarbashi

Cancerous lesions, pre-cancerous lesions, placing stents for obstructions and managing patients with biliary tree and pancreatic disease are all part of a day’s work for Dr. Ahmad Najdat Bazarbashi. Bazarbashi is one of the faculty in the WashU Gastroenterology Division, specifically in the section of Biliary & Interventional-Endoscopy and is director of the Third Space […]

Powderly will receive faculty achievement awards

William G. Powderly will receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2023 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced.  Powderly, MD, the Dr. J. William Campbell Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine, will receive the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award. Powderly, an infectious diseases specialist and public health leader, has made […]

Kidney donor updates for those with HCV and COVID-19

The association of donor hepatitis C virus infection with 3-year kidney transplant outcomes in the era of direct-acting antiviral medications Tarek Alhamad, MD, MS, MBA, Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of Transplant Nephrology, Division of Nephrology, recently had two manuscripts published in JAMA Open and the American Journal of Transplantation regarding new findings of […]

Fogarty Fellowship proves pivotal for Dr. Agarwal’s career

Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc, at the 20th Anniversary of Global Health Fellow and Scholars.

Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, has much to be thankful for, including the recent addition of her son born on January 1st of this year. She attributes much of her current success to her time as an NIH Fogarty fellow from 2017-2018 while based in India. The Fogarty Global Health Training […]

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is meant as a day of observance for us to honor those who lost their lives while serving our country in the U.S. military. Originally it was known as Decoration Day, and began in the years following the Civil War and was officially designated a federal holiday in 1971. Many observe Memorial Day […]

Innovative Research Opens the Door to ACS Grant for Dr. Russell Pachynski

Russell Pachynski, MD

The American Cancer Society recently awarded 90 new Research and Cancer Development Grants funding researchers at 67 institutions nationwide. These grantees are leading innovative discoveries that advance the ACS mission to end cancer for everyone. Dr. Pachynski’s work concentrates on developing new approaches to fighting prostate cancer by modulating the immune response. This four-year grant […]

Seasonal Allergies Overflow Your Bucket

Allergy Graphic

Spring brings flowers and warmer temps but it can be a difficult time if you are an allergy sufferer. Seasonal allergies flare up when there’s a lot of pollen in the air causing allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.  Allergy season or pollen season as many refer to … applies to many different plants that […]

Learn Ways to Help Prevent a Stroke for National Stroke Month

Prevention is the best strategy to help avoid having one. When it comes to dealing with strokes, every second truly does matter. Nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke remains untreated. And every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. 795,000 strokes happen each year and chances are if you […]

2nd Annual DOM Women in Medicine & Science Seminar

The 2nd Annual Department of Medicine Women in Medicine and Science Seminar hosted by Advancing Women in Academic Medicine (AWAM) and the Forum for Women in Medicine (FWIM) was held last Friday, April 28th via Zoom. The virtual seminar, “Leadership and Promotion – the chicken or the egg?”, offered a foundation to learn the critical skills, strategies and resources […]

Paint, Paper and Watercolors with Dr. Raya Saba

When she’s not busy pursuing her third year of fellowship in the WashU Oncology division, Dr. Raya Saba finds time to get creative with paints and other mediums. Growing up in Damascus, Syria, Raya’s parents were followers of art, literature, and music, and her Mom enjoyed painting with oils. This introduction from her family began […]