Siteman experts and ACS talk Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Links to an external site)

Emily Podany, MD

ST. LOUIS — Breast cancer awareness is an opportunity to remind people about the importance of knowing their risk, recognizing potential symptoms and staying up to date on recommended screenings. Dr. Emily Podany, a Washington University medical oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center, and Jason McClelland, vice president of regional development for the American Cancer Society, […]

WashU Medicine study points to new way to target filarial worms (Links to an external site)

Makedonka Mitreva, PhD, FAAM, FASTMH

Researchers at WashU Medicine have reported a promising new strategy for fighting filarial worms, a group of parasites that cause serious chronic diseases such as river blindness. The study, led by Makedonka Mitreva, PhD, Gordon R. Miller Professor of Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Genetics, tested repurposed human GPCR antagonists alongside a series of newly […]

September 2026 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 skills, and work ethic: submit here. Residents of the Month Hersh Patel Hersh is an exceptional physician and colleague. His medical knowledge is remarkable, and he has […]

August 2026 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 skills, and work ethic: submit here. Residents of the Month Ariana Rabinowitsch After meeting Ariana on the first day on firm, some of my angst subsided. I […]

July 2026 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 skills, and work ethic: submit here. Residents of the Month Cody Hart Despite this being his first time serving as a senior, he did an outstanding job […]

June 2026 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 skills, and work ethic: submit here. Residents of the Month Alyssa Bren, MD She was an outstanding senior. I learned so much from her, especially about how […]

Dr. Neil Parker joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Neil Parker joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as an Assistant Professor as of August 2026. Because of his deep love of the sciences, Dr. Parker was inspired to pursue medicine as a career early in his life, knowing it was a field where he could […]

Seven Department of Medicine Physicians Receive Knowlton Incentive for Excellence Award

WashU Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital recognized seven Department of Medicine internal medicine residents and fellows with the 2026 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 annual ceremony held on October […]

From Diagnosis to Transplant: Expanding the Possibilities of COPD Care at WashU Medicine

For many people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diagnosis comes only after the disease has already significantly affected their lives. Everyday activities become harder. Hospitalizations may become more frequent. And patients with advanced disease may begin to believe they have exhausted their treatment options. At WashU Medicine, specialists in the Division of Pulmonary & […]

Bridging public health and primary care for a healthier population (Links to an external site)

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Primary care is where medicine meets public health. The health issues that drive people to primary care clinics, from high blood pressure to anxiety, are rooted in the complex social determinants that shape health on a population level. But both public health and primary care systems are routinely under-resourced, and struggle to meet the needs […]

Dr. William Thinnes joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. William Thinnes joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as an Assistant Professor as of August 2026. Dr. Thinnes is an intensivist and pulmonologist with a focus on interventional pulmonology. His research is focused on patient-centered outcomes in the diagnosis of thoracic oncologic disorders and pleural disease. […]

Prize supports hunt for broad-spectrum antivirals (Links to an external site)

Michael Diamond, MD, PhD

Researchers at WashU Medicine led by Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor in the John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, received a $2.5 million SMART Antiviral Prize to support their search for the first broad-spectrum antivirals to treat chikungunya and related viruses. 

Three WashU Nephrology Investigators – Matsui, Sharma, and Mahjoub – Receive 2026 KidneyCure Awards (Links to an external site)

Shivani Sharma, PhD, Moe R. Mahjoub, PhD, Kenji Matsui, MD, PhD

WashU Nephrology is proud to celebrate three researchers who have been selected for the 2026 KidneyCure Awards.  KidneyCure, a foundation established by the American Society of Nephrology, supports researchers across all career stages to foster innovation and breakthroughs in kidney disease treatment.  It is the largest private foundation dedicated exclusively to kidney research in the […]

WashU Nephrologist Dr. Mabel Purkerson Receives MUSC Distinguished Alumni Award (Links to an external site)

Mabel L. Purkerson, MD, Professor Emerita of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine

Mabel L. Purkerson, MD, Professor Emerita of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, was honored by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) as a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.  Established in 1969, the Alumni Awards celebrate graduates of all six MUSC colleges who have demonstrated significant professional accomplishments and leadership.

Dr. Reuben Adatorwovor joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Reuben Adatorwovor joins the Department of Medicine as a Assistant Professor as of July 2026. Dr. Adatorwovor is an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at WashU Medicine, with joint appointments in the Institute for Informatics, Data Science and Biostatistics and the Department of Emergency Medicine. His research focuses on developing and applying statistical and computational […]

Todd A. Fehniger, MD, PhD – Samuel B. Grant Professor of Medicine

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Todd Fehniger, Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Immunology, has been named the Samuel B. Grant Professor of Medicine at WashU Medicine. Dr. Fehniger earned his BSc degree in Biological Sciences with High Distinction from the University at Buffalo. He received his PhD in Immunology and MD from The Ohio State […]

Dr. Intelly Lee joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Intelly S. Lee joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology as an instructor as of July 2026. Dr. Lee is a clinical rheumatologist and postdoctoral research fellow studying cytokine-mediated feedback loops that mediate stromal-immune cell tissue circuits in chronic inflammatory and fibrotic skin disease. Clinically, he evaluates and manages general rheumatology […]

Promising target identified against chronic blood cancer (Links to an external site)

Stephen Oh, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine

Researchers at WashU Medicine have identified a possible route to tame inflammation in myeloproliferative neoplasms — a group of chronic blood cancers — that could serve as a novel approach to treatment. The study is led by Stephen Oh, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine who treats these patients at Siteman Cancer Center, based at […]

DOLF reaches final stage of onchocerciasis clinical trial in Liberia (Links to an external site)

The full surgical team at Bong Mines Hospital, Bong Mines, Liberia (May 2026)

A WashU Medicine-led research team is nearing a major milestone in a clinical trial in Liberia aimed at improving treatment for onchocerciasis, or river blindness. The study, Safety and Efficacy of Novel Combination Regimens for Treatment of Onchocerciasis, has reached its final stage, with participants undergoing final examinations and surgical nodule removal procedures 24 months after […]

From ashes and adversity to a new career path (Links to an external site)

Image credit: Sara Moser / WashU Medicine

Farahnaz Tooryalai’s career journey began 7,228 miles away.  “I came from a country where war disrupted every part of life, where women and girls were denied basic rights and their voices and dreams were often silenced,” Tooryalai said. “When I left my home country, I packed an entire life in my suitcase: a suitcase of dreams, hopes and ambitions.” 

Dr. Daniel Aldea joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Daniel Aldea joins the Department of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division as an Assistant Professor as of September 2026. Dr. Aldea completed his undergraduate study in Mathematics and English Literature at Washington University in St. Louis before attending medical school at Boston University School of Medicine. He went on to do internal medicine training […]

How I Became a Global Oncology Leader (Links to an external site)

Thomas Odeny, MD, PhD

Thomas A. Odeny, MD, MPH, PhD, is a medical oncologist and implementation scientist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he also leads the Global Oncology Initiative. His clinical focus is lymphoma and virus-as­sociated malignancies such as Kaposi sarcoma, and his research focuses on improving cancer care and clinical trial access in […]

Dr. Kristin Mondy joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Kristin Mondy joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases as a professor as of September 2026. Dr. Mondy has served as the inaugural Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas from 2017 until this past spring of 2026. She […]

Emily F. Cole, MD, MPH, FAAD – John Cochran VA Medical Center Chief of Dermatology

I am pleased to announce that Emily F. Cole, MD, MPH, FAAD, has been selected as the new Chief of Dermatology at the John Cochran VA Medical Center. Dr. Cole is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Dermatology at WashU Medicine. She specializes in complex medical dermatology, with particular clinical and research interests in […]

ISPE names Butler as Fellow (Links to an external site)

Anne Butler Mobley, PhD

Anne Mobley Butler, PhD, MS, an Associate Professor of Medicine at WashU Medicine, and secondary faculty in the Bursky School of Public Health and the School of Medicine Division of Public Health Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE).

Huffman, Mahmoud and Vijay Publish Circulation Perspective on CKM Syndrome Guideline (Links to an external site)

Mark Huffman, MD, MPH and Zainab Mahmoud, MD, MSc, along with cardiology fellow Aishwarya Vijay, MD

WashU Medicine Cardiovascular Division faculty members Mark Huffman, MD, MPH and Zainab Mahmoud, MD, MSc, along with cardiology fellow Aishwarya Vijay, MD, have published a perspective in Circulation addressing implementation of the newly released 2026 AHA/ACC/ADA/ASN Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome.

Former KL2 Scholar Awarded NIA Funding for Alzheimer’s Caregiver Research (Links to an external site)

Jacquelyn Benson, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the WashU Division of Palliative Medicine, has recently been awarded funding from the National Institute on Aging to conduct a randomized controlled trial to test a 1:1, paraprofessional peer-delivered multicomponent support intervention for family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Reno Awarded Bursky School of Public Health Community Engagement Award (Links to an external site)

Hilary E.L. Reno, MD, PhD Professor

Hilary E. L. Reno, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine the Infectious Diseases Division at Washington University School of Medicine, secondary faculty with the WashU Bursky School of Public Health, and Medical Director of the St. Louis STI/HIV Prevention Training Center (STL PTC) has been awarded the 2026 WashU Bursky School of Public Health Community Engagement Award in […]

Rajan Sah, MD, PhD – Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Endowed Professor of Cardiology

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Rajan Sah has been appointed the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Endowed Professor of Cardiology at WashU Medicine. He exemplifies the qualities this endowed professorship recognizes, including outstanding translational research, clinical excellence, and transformative leadership in innovation and scientific discovery. Dr. Sah completed his MD and PhD […]

Dr. Melida Castelblanco joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Melida Castelblanco joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research as an Instructor as of September 2026. A biologist by training, she completed a Master’s in Applied Microbiology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona before earning her PhD in Health from the University of Lleida in Spain, where […]

Dr. Vanessa Kung joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Vanessa Kung joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases as an Assistant Professor as of August 2026. Dr. Kung completed MD, PhD training at the University of Wisconsin, internal medicine residency at Emory University, and infectious disease fellowship at the University of Colorado. In 2023-2026, she was the Deputy Director […]

Dr. Abhishek Bhandari joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Abhishek Bhandari joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine as an Instructor as of August 2026. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Dr. Bhandari studied at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan, Nepal, completing medical school and an internal medicine residency. After his training, he worked at […]

IDSA renews Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence designation of BJH program (Links to an external site)

Sena Sayood, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, leads the BJH-ASP Team as medical director. ID division faculty members Kevin Hsueh, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Mike Durkin, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, also serve on the BJH-ASP team

The Barnes-Jewish Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (BJH-ASP) has been renewed as an Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence. This designation recognizes hospitals that consistently provide high-quality stewardship services, advance innovative stewardship practices, and demonstrate a strong commitment to improving antimicrobial use and reducing resistance.