WashU Fellow’s Work in Kenya Strengthens Cancer Research and Care

When Dr. Kandice Roberts, a hematology and oncology fellow at WashU Medicine, arrived at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, Kenya, she expected to learn. What she didn’t anticipate was how deeply the experience would reaffirm her commitment to building long-term, sustainable partnerships in global cancer care. “I was struck by […]

“Friend of Rehab” Award Presented to Robert Young, MD, MS (Links to an external site)

Robert Young, MD, MS

National Rehabilitation Awareness Week is celebrated every year on the third week of September. In 2025, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Rehabilitation Department celebrated National Rehabilitation Awareness Week from September 15-21, culminating in an awards luncheon recognizing those who made a difference in rehab. The “Friends of Rehab” award is given to a colleague outside of the […]

2024-2025 Annual Report – DOM Vice Chair for Education

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Page index: A word from the director | Community | Membership | Member Impact | Membership Renewal | Academy Longitudinal Courses | Academy Workshops | Teachfest Royale | Celebrations | Education Day 2024 | 2024 Academy Awards | Academy Grants & Impact | Your Input Matters | Looking Ahead | Academy At A Glance | […]

WashU Medicine works to integrate AI into MD curriculum (Links to an external site)

Steven J. Lawrence, MD, a professor of medicine and an assistant dean for curriculum at WashU Medicine, collaborates with Quinn Payton, a fourth-year medical student

As a medical student at WashU Medicine, Quinn Payton often questioned how her professional identity might evolve in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). She knew she wanted to care for patients — with that, she felt confident. Rather, she wondered what that would look like in five years, 10 and beyond.

WashU researchers honored with NIH Director’s Awards (Links to an external site)

Andrew L. Young, MD, PhD

Three researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have received prestigious and highly competitive awards through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. The awards support unconventional approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research.

WashU PCCM Researchers Awarded Rosenau Family Research Foundation Grant for Cystic Fibrosis Project (Links to an external site)

Tom Brett, PhD, and Jennifer Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD

St. Louis, MO – Congratulations to Tom Brett, PhD, and Jennifer Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD, in the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, on receiving a three-year grant from the Rosenau Family Research Foundation. Their project, “Investigating the role of a novel TMEM16A isoform in cystic fibrosis,” will explore new mechanisms of CF lung […]

September 2025 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 Dr. Megan Price: “She had an extremely challenging clinic patient with multiple very severe medical co-morbidities in […]

Dr. Samuel Zetumer joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Samuel Zetumer joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine as an Assistant Professor in October 2025.  He was born and raised in San Diego, California, and graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Mathematics.  He then attended the University of California, San Francisco, where he obtained a […]

Dr. Conor Grant joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Conor Grant joins the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases as an Assistant Professor in October 2025.  He graduated from Trinity College Dublin with an honors degree in Medicine in 2013.  Since graduating, he pursued his clinical specialty training in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine at several university hospitals in Ireland, […]

Dr. Amani Khalouf joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Amani Khalouf joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine as an Instructor in October 2025. She was born and raised in Damascus, Syria before moving to the United Arab Emirates in 2013 to pursue her medical degree in Medicine and Surgery in University of Sharjah, UAE, while simultaneously working on […]

Dr. Aubriana McEvoy joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Aubriana McEvoy joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology as an Assistant Professor in October 2025.  She earned her BA in Economics from the University of Michigan MD with high honors and from the University of Washington MSCI from Washington University, St. Louis Internship in Internal Medicine at Washington University, St. […]

Hospitalists Contribute to Diabetic Ketoacidosis Protocol Improvements (Links to an external site)

Margo Girardi, MD, SFHM, and Gina LaRossa, MD

Margo Girardi, MD, SFHM, and Gina LaRossa, MD, contributed to an abstract and article that were featured in the Society of Hospital Medicine’s Journal of Hospital Medicine. The article, titled “Putting SQuID on the menu: A subcutaneous insulin protocol for diabetic ketoacidosis,” demonstrates how using a subcutaneous insulin protocol on hospitalist units for low-to-moderate severity DKA […]

Barriers Remain to Widespread Use of Polypills for CVD Therapy in High-Income Nations As Testing Continues (Links to an external site)

Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc

The World Health Organization (WHO) added cardiovascular polypills to its 2023 Model List of Essential Medicines, and research continues to show that these medications are effective at preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACD) among various other forms of cardiovascular disease. Yet experts say obstacles remain to the adoption of these medications in high-income developed nations.

Anuja Java Receives Inaugural Foundation for Women’s Health Grant to Study Preeclampsia and Complement Pathways (Links to an external site)

Anuja Java, MD

Anuja Java, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and transplant nephrologist at WashU Nephrology, has been awarded a prestigious research grant from the Foundation for Women’s Health.  Her project, one of the foundation’s inaugural $1 million awards, investigates the role of complement system dysregulation in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia.

August 2025 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. Interns of the Month Dr. Ghandi Hassan: “He greatly impressed clinic support staff at the PCMC. He had a visit with […]

Meet the Researcher: Kameron Bradley (Links to an external site)

Kameron Bradley

A new preprint by Kameron Bradley of the Jeffrey Millman Lab, titled “Divergent Cell-Type Specific Hypoxia Responses in Human Stem Cell–Derived and Primary Islets,” sheds light on how different types of insulin-producing cells respond to oxygen deprivation, which is a common challenge in cell transplantation therapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Leveraging AI to improve NF1 patient care: Comparing clinical entity extraction methods (Links to an external site)

Figure illustrating the general project workflow.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) showcases how modern AI methods are advancing clinical and translational research in Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Conducted by Levi Kaster, BS, Ethan Hillis, MS, Inez Y. Oh, PhD, Elizabeth C. Cordell, MD, Randi E. Foraker, PhD, MA, Albert M. Lai, PhD, Stephanie M. Morris, […]

Innovative approach helps new mothers get hepatitis C treatment (Links to an external site)

Giving postpartum mothers with hepatitis C the opportunity to start antiviral treatment while still in the hospital after giving birth — and delivering the medication to their bedside before discharge — significantly increases their odds of being cured, according to a new study at WashU Medicine. (Image: Sara Moser/WashU Medicine)

Hepatitis C, a bloodborne virus that damages the liver, can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death if left untreated. Despite the availability of highly effective treatments, the prevalence of hepatitis C infection remains high, particularly among women of childbearing age, who account for more than one-fifth of chronic hepatitis C infections globally. Within […]

Microbiome instability linked to poor growth in kids (Links to an external site)

Researchers at WashU Medicine found a link between an unstable, fluctuating gut microbiome and poor growth in children in a study that sequenced the genomic material from fecal samples collected over nearly a year from eight toddlers in Malawi. (Image: Getty Images)

Malnutrition is a leading cause of death in children under age 5, and nearly 150 million children globally under this age have stunted growth from lack of nutrition. Although an inadequate diet is a major contributor, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found over a decade ago that dysfunctional communities of gut […]

Urano brings expertise to national coverage of wolfram syndrome and its diabetes effects  (Links to an external site)

Fumihiko Urano, MD

On August 4, The Washington Post published an article titled “She was fit and healthy. Why did she get diabetes?” featuring the expertise of Fumihiko Urano, MD, PhD. Dr. Urano is a Professor of Medicine and of Pathology and Immunology with WashU Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, and Director of the Wolfram Syndrome International Registry and […]

Dr. Syeda Ashna Fatima Kamal joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Syeda Ashna Fatima Kamal joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hospital as an Instructor in September 2025. She brings a diverse and robust background in internal medicine, oncology, and palliative care to her role. She was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and spent much of her formative years in Dubai, United Arab […]

Transforming global heart health: The polypill strategy (Links to an external site)

Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. These conditions, which include atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, cause one in three deaths globally and one in five in the United States. Beyond that stark reality, those living with the conditions may contend with disability, psychological distress, financial burden, and […]

Dr. Jesse Zaretsky joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Jesse Zaretsky joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Oncology as an Instructor in August of 2025. His clinical and research interests focus on understanding mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy to guide better treatments for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and other cancers. Therapies that activate the immune system to fight cancer […]

Dr. Ashenafi Bulle joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Ashenafi Bulle joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Oncology as an Instructor in August 2025. He is a passionate and accomplished biomedical scientist whose career spans veterinary medicine, molecular biology, and translational cancer research across Africa, Europe, and North America. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with distinction from Addis […]

Dr. Aaron Case joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Aaron Case joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as an Assistant Professor in August 2025. He is interested in health services research, specifically understanding how to best optimize the intermediate care setting for both nursing and patient outcomes.  As more severely ill patients present to the hospital […]

Genetic study suggests ways to catch blood cancer earlier (Links to an external site)

Kelly Bolton Illustration

A new WashU Medicine study shows that acquired mutations in blood stem cells — whether arising from smoking, exposure to toxins or even normal aging — interact with mutations passed down by parents in important ways that influence a person’s lifetime risk of developing blood cancer. The knowledge could inform early detection and prevention.

Building a World-Class Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Innovate, collaborate, and delivering care that makes a difference When Dr. Matthew A. Ciorba arrived at Washington University School of Medicine in 2001, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was still poorly understood, and treatment options were limited. Today, as director of the Washington University IBD Center, he leads one of the top programs in the nation—combining […]

Trautner contributes to IDSA Clinical Guidelines for cUTIs

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Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI): Clinical Guidelines for Treatment and Management IDSA has released the first IDSA guidelines on management and treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). These guidelines provide practical advice for clinicians who manage patients with cUTIs in inpatient and outpatient settings. Barbara Trautner, MD, PhD, Co-Chief, WashU Medicine Division of Infectious […]

WashU Program Cultivates the Next Generation of Clinical Research Professionals (Links to an external site)

1st cohort of Clinical Research Professional Apprentices. From left to right: Johnson, Hanks, Berendzen, Martin-Giacalone

In a world where clinical research drives life-changing advancements in healthcare, it is critical to have a team of well-informed, skilled, and dedicated professionals to carry out clinical trials. The Clinical Research Professional Apprenticeship was developed at the WashU Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS), advancing the institute’s strong commitment to building a workforce […]

Non-canonical functions of DNMT3A in hematopoietic stem cells regulate telomerase activity and genome integrity (Links to an external site)

Luis F. Z. Batista, PhD, Associate Professor and Andrew L. Young, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, WashU Medicine Division of Hematology

Grant Challen, PhD, Professor, WashU Medicine Division of Oncology, teamed up with  Luis F. Z. Batista, PhD, Associate Professor and Andrew L. Young, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, WashU Medicine Division of Hematology, on a new research publication “Non-canonical functions of DNMT3A in hematopoietic stem cells regulate telomerase activity and genome integrity”, published this month in […]

Millman’s technology succeeds in new stem cell therapy trial, offering hope for type 1 diabetes (Links to an external site)

Jeffrey R. Millman, PhD

A groundbreaking clinical trial utilizing technology developed previously by Jeffrey R. Millman, PhD has reported promising new findings in the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D). The study, conducted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, evaluated a stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) replacement therapy known as Zimislecel. In this Phase 1/2 trial, researchers implanted SC-islets into patients with T1D to replace the […]

Joynt Maddox in new roles at AHA (Links to an external site)

Karen E. Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the WashU Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH has accepted two new roles with the American Heart Association as of July 1st. 

Katchi Named Co-Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging (Links to an external site)

Farhan Katchi, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine Farhan Katchi, MD has been appointed Cardiology Co-Director of the Advanced Cardiac Imaging (CT/MR) Program, a joint effort between Cardiology and Radiology, reinvigorating the program that was started in 2006 by Benico Barzilai, MD and Pamela Woodard, MD. He will join Scott Bugenhagen, MD, PhD who will assume the Co-Director role on the Radiology side.

Prabhu Lab publishes research on spleen-heart immune link crucial to heart attack recovery (Links to an external site)

Sumanth Prabu, MD, Lewin Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases and Chief of the WashU Cardiovascular Division

Researchers at WashU Medicine’s Center for Cardiovascular Research have discovered that specialized immune cells from the spleen play a critical role in healing the heart after a heart attack. The study, led by Sumanth Prabhu, MD, Division Chief and director of the Prabhu Lab, identifies a unique population of macrophages—immune cells that clean up cellular debris—that travel […]