Category: News

Nephrologist Steven Cheng is the New Program Director for Internal Medicine’s Residency Program (Links to an external site)

Steven Cheng

WashU Nephrology congratulates Steven Cheng, MD, who has accepted the position of Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital. After receiving his medical degree and completing an internal medicine residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, Dr. Cheng entered the Nephrology Fellowship at WashU, and upon graduation in 2006 joined our […]

WashU Celebration of Inventors 2023 (Links to an external site)

Sixth Annual Celebration of Inventors.

Congratulations to Department of Medicine’s Rita Brookheart; Lynn Cornelius; Philip Cuculich; Brian Finck; Jeffrey P. Henderson; Michael Holtzman; Keely McDonald; Rodney Newberry; Christine Pham; Arthur Romero; Fumihiko Urano; Kangyun Wu and Huimin Yan

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 […]

Sina Jasim, MD awarded AACE Rising Star in Endocrinology (Links to an external site)

On May 5, during the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology’s (AACE) 32nd Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, Sina Jasim, MD received the AACE Rising Star in Endocrinology Award.  The prestigious award nationally recognizes member individuals who are within ten years of completing their endocrine fellowship and have demonstrated actionable outcomes in outstanding leadership, teamwork or innovation, […]

Expanding Veteran Care: Expanding Kidney Transplant Services at St. Louis VA

Each year, 450 Veterans undergo kidney transplantation, and VA’s National Transplant Program is dedicated to providing Veterans with expanded access to kidney transplant care and support. VA most recently added a ninth national kidney transplant center, but Dr. Anuja Java, Director of the Kidney Transplant Clinic at the John J. Cochran VA Hospital in St. […]

Dr. Fumihiko Urano featured in PBS Wolfram syndrome documentary  (Links to an external site)

Dr. Fumihiko Urano

In April, Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD was featured in the documentary “Colorado Voices: Ellie White,” to raise awareness of the rare genetic disorder, Wolfram syndrome. The short documentary was published by Rocky Mountain PBS and tells the story of Colorado college student Ellie White, who lives with the disorder. Although the disorder is very rare […]

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 […]

March 2023 Kudos and Awards

Thank you, residents and interns, for all you do for one another and for your patients. Though often under-appreciated, your work does not go unnoticed.  Help us highlight the kindness, clinical judgement, resourcefulness, and work ethic.​​​​​​​Nominate a resident/intern for Housestaff of the month or just share something good.  March 2023 Inpatient Resident of the MonthCosette Champion “In […]

Obituary: Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, 71

Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD

Dear colleagues, It is with great sadness that I inform you that Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD, a highly regarded professor emeritus of medicine and former director of the rheumatology fellowship training program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, drowned April 30, 2023, while fishing in the North Fork River in Ozark, […]

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 […]

Red flags indicate risk for early-onset colorectal cancer (Links to an external site)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified four important signs and symptoms that signal an elevated risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. These red flags may be key to earlier detection and diagnosis of early-onset colorectal cancer among younger adults. The number of young adults with colorectal cancer has nearly doubled […]

Dr. Zainab Mahmoud Receives Eisenberg Scholar Award (Links to an external site)

Zainab Mahmoud, MD

The Paul and Patti Eisenberg Scholar Award is presented annually by the Washington University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Division to fund junior faculty research that broadly focuses on cardiovascular disease. Funds should be used to generate key preliminary data and/or to develop new areas of research. Dr. Zainab Mahmoud is this year’s recipient of the […]

Leadership Announcement – Vice Chair of Ambulatory Clinical Operations, Safety and Quality

Maya R. Jerath, MD, PhD

I am pleased to announce that Maya R. Jerath, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy & Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) has been appointed as Vice Chair of Ambulatory Clinical Operations, Safety and Quality for the Department of Medicine. Dr. Jerath received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University […]

Kulkarni Lab investigates modulating host immune response in the lungs in severe pneumonia

Hrishikesh Kulkarni MD, MSCI, from the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine recently had two manuscripts published in Science Immunology and a Phase 3 clinical Trial on complement inhibition in COVID-19 in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Lung epithelial cell–derived C3 protects against pneumonia-induced lung injury The complement cascade is made up of innate immune defense proteins that protect […]

Cherabie named ‘Let’s Stop HIV Together’ ambassador (Links to an external site)

Joseph N. Cherabie, MD, MSc

Joseph Cherabie, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a clinical ambassador for the national Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign, which is led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

2023 COVID Pandemic Awards

The COVID pandemic created tremendous adversity for many individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. Many of our faculty, fellows, residents, and staff were instrumental in helping the Department thrive despite these challenges. The Department of Medicine (DOM) is seeking nominations to recognize outstanding individuals for our Department of Medicine COVID Pandemic Awards in three categories: See details […]

Dr. Jean S. Wang Received American College of Gastroenterology’s Community Service Award

Dr. Jean S. Wang

Jean S. Wang, MD, PhD, FACG, is a Professor of Medicine at WashU where she serves on the Community Outreach and Engagement Leadership Team and the Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities Leadership Team at the Alvin J. Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Wang was the recent recipient of the American College of Gastroenterology’s […]

In Memoriam: William A. Peck, MD (Links to an external site)

William “Bill” A. Peck, MD, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at his home in St. Louis, MO, USA (Fig. 1). He was 89 years old. Dr. Peck was a founder of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and a pioneer in the bone and mineral field—making seminal contributions to bone biology […]

Earth Day 2024

Earth Day Graphic

Planet vs Plastics 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. […]

Investigational drug may improve stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma patients (Links to an external site)

Shown are multiple myeloma cells from a patient. An international phase 3 clinical trial led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown that the investigational drug motixafortide — when combined with the standard therapy for mobilizing stem cells — significantly increased the number of stem cells that can be harvested, compared with treatment with the standard agent alone. If approved, the combination with motixafortide potentially would improve stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma patients.

The standard treatment for patients with multiple myeloma often includes stem cell transplantation in which the patient’s own stem cells are harvested and stored while the patient receives intensive chemotherapy to kill the cancer. Then, the patient’s stem cells are returned to the patient to help with recovery. But for a significant proportion of patients, […]

Institute for Public Health center transforms by adding research arm, new mission and new name (Links to an external site)

Effective April 4, the Center for Health Economics and Policy at the Institute for Public Health is undergoing a transformation that will feature a broader mission and a new name: the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy and Economics Research. The new center will retain what is valuable to students, faculty and the community and […]

Leadership Announcement – Division of Oncology

Amanda F. Cashen, MD

It is my great pleasure to announce that Dr. Amanda Cashen has agreed to serve as Associate Chief for Hematopoietic Malignancies, replacing Dr. Peter Westervelt who is stepping down late this summer after an exceptional term in this position. Amanda first joined the Washington University family over 25 years ago as a medical student. After a […]

Grant supports training physician-scientists in cancer research (Links to an external site)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support training and mentorship for early-career physician-scientists. This relatively new funding opportunity — called Stimulating Access to Research During Residency (StARR) — will provide support for early-career physicians pursuing careers in cancer research.

Global Health Center – now co-funded by Department of Medicine

Global Health Center graphic.

The Global Health Center at Washington University is nowco-funded by the Institute for Public Health along with the Department of Medicine which can help support, sustain and complement one another. In today’s interconnected world, a disease threat anywhere is a disease threat everywhere. Through research, education and partnership, the center advances health equity in low-resource settings around […]

Dr. Sharon Cresci Co-Authors Statement From American Heart Association on Gene Testing Guidance

Dr. Sharon Cresci

The American Heart Association has released a new co-authored statement on Gene Testing and interpreting incidental identifications of genetic variants. Rapid advances in genetic technologies have led to expanding use of diagnostic, research, and direct-to-consumer exome and genome sequencing. Incidentally identified variants from this sequencing represent a significant and growing challenge to interpret and translate […]

Dr. Christine Yokoyama, received the Dermatology Foundation 2023 Dermatologist Investigator Research Fellowship Award

Christime Yokoyama, MD, PhD

Fellowship Award for Regulation of Epidermal Homeostasis by Centrosomal Proteins. Dr. Christine Yokoyama, Instructor in Medicine in the Division of Dermatology was announced as one the 2023 Dermatology Foundation Research Award Recipients. Dr. Yokoyama is Graduate of the Washington University Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and currently a member of the Oliver Langenberg Physician Scientist Training […]

Scientists aim to develop vaccine against all deadly coronaviruses (Links to an external site)

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis scientists Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, (left) and Sean Whelan, PhD, lead a team working to minimize the risk of another devastating coronavirus pandemic by designing a vaccine that reduces sickness and death caused by all potentially deadly coronaviruses, including ones that have not yet affected people. The research is supported by an $8 million grant from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are working to reduce the risk of another devastating coronavirus pandemic by creating what is known as a pan-coronavirus vaccine. Such a vaccine is designed to reduce sickness and death resulting from the virus that causes COVID-19 as well as any other coronaviruses of concern, including […]

Noninvasive electromyometrial imaging (EMMI) of human uterine maturation during term labor

Noninvasive electromyometrial imaging of human uterine maturations during term labor

EMMI helps assess uterine contractions to aid in preventing preterm deliveries Dr. Phillip Cuculich, Cardiovascular Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, shared new findings that were published in Nature Communication. The group of doctors led by Dr. Yong Wang, published the “first-in-woman” study blending the disciplines of cardiac electrophysiology and obstetrics. […]

Leadership Announcement – Internal Medicine Residency Program

Steven Cheng

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Steven Cheng has accepted the position of Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital, effective April 1, 2023. Dr. Cheng will be taking over for Dr. Dominique Cosco, our current Program Director who is transitioning to a new role as the […]

Dr. Zyad Qamer joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Zyad Qamer joins the Department of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division as an Assistant Professor as of March 2023. Dr. Qamer received his undergraduate degree (BA) at New York University in economics, medical degree (MD) from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Qamer completed an internal medicine residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital where he […]

WashU Med Easing Mask Restrictions on Campus 

WashU Med Easing COVID Mask Restrictions on Campus

Starting Wednesday, March 23, WashU Medicine and BJC Healthcare will ease masking requirements on the Medical Campus, including clinical settings plus all common areas. Masks will be situational and optional for patients and visitors and their families.  Employees will still be required to wear a mask to comply with these requests:  Masking and personal protective […]

Dr. Nathaniel Hogrebe joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Nathaniel Hogrebe joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research as an instructor in February 2023. Dr. Hogrebe grew up in the St. Louis, Missouri area. He moved to Ohio to continue his education, earning his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton in 2011 […]

Dr. Xiucui Ma joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Xiucui Ma joined the Department of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division as an assistant professor in February 2023. Dr. Ma received her PhD in 2006 from Zhejiang University through a joint program with Washington University School of Medicine, where she trained in molecular biology and gene therapy. After graduation, she pursued postdoctoral research training […]

Dr. Shibali Das joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Shibali Das joined the Department of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division as an instructor in February of 2023. She received her BSc and MSc degree in Microbiology from University of Calcutta Kolkata, India. She then pursued her doctoral degree in Bio-chemistry at Bose Institute, in collaboration with University of Calcutta. Her doctoral research focused on […]

Dr. Siqi Chen joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Siqi Chen joined the Department of Medicine in the division of Oncology as an instructor in January 2023.  Dr. Chen received her PhD degree from The University of Hong Kong before joining Dr. Li Ding’s lab at Washington University in St. Louis for her postdoc research training. As a graduate student, she studied multiple […]

Dr. Christine Zhang joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Christine Zhang joined the Department of Medicine in the division of Oncology as an instructor in January 2023.  After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree (Honor I) in Genetics, Dr. Zhang realized that genetics alone, in many cases, is insufficient to fully explain human diseases. Thus, she completed her PhD in epigenetics and neuroscience at […]

Dr. Jeremiah Stitham joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Jeremiah (Jake) Stitham joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research as an Instructor in October 2022.  Dr. Stitham grew up in Amherst, New Hampshire.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire, and subsequently completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Pharmacology […]

Dr. Thomas Odeny joins the Department of Medicine

Thomas Odeny, MD, MPH, PhD

Dr. Thomas Odeny joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Oncology as an Assistant Professor as of September 2022.  His career vision in Global Oncology is to address gaps in cancer care by translating research advances to practical and scalable cancer programs in low-resource settings in the U.S. and in Africa through high-quality […]

Dr. Basia Michalski joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Basia Michalski joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology as an Assistant Professor in August of 2022.  Mohs micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology, melanoma, laser surgery (vascular lesion removal, rosacea, pigmented lesion, sun spots, tattoo removal, non-ablative laser resurfacing, photo facial rejuvenation and hair removal), botulinum toxin injection (Botox, Dysport), soft […]