Henderson receives a Hypothesis Fund award for Bacterial Infection Research

Jeffrey R. Henderson, MD, PhD

Jeffrey P. Henderson, MD, PhD, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, WashU Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, recently received an award from the Hypothesis Fund. In order to understand the interplay between bacteria and the immune system, Henderson uses an interdisciplinary approach. His project may revolutionize our understanding of how bacteria evade host defenses. Henderson adds, […]

Three faculty members awarded $3 million NIMH grant for HIV prevention in Africa (Links to an external site)

A Ugandan member of the ICHAD team (right) discusses the Suubi4Stronger Families study with a mother in the Masaka district of Uganda. (Photo: Thomas Malkowicz/WashU)

Fred Ssewamala, PhD, William E. Gordon Distinguished Professor at the Brown School and director of the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD); Proscovia Nabunya, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School and co-director of ICHAD; and Juliet Iwelunmor, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director for global health and dissemination at WashU Medicine, have […]

Global Studies Examine Hypertension Management and Barriers to Care (Links to an external site)

The ANDES study team after a meeting with the Ministry of Health in Lima, Peru. The WashU team: front row, first from left Dr. de las Fuentes; second from right Dr. Lindsay Underhill; back row Davila-Roman.

At WashU’s Global Health Center in the Institute for Public Health, teams of cardiologists, implementation scientists, and other experts are spearheading efforts to address one of the world’s most common and treatable risk factors for cardiovascular disease: hypertension. These efforts span multiple NIH/NHLBI-funded studies underway in Peru, Nigeria, India, and the United States.

Hospitalists Form Addiction Medicine Subcommittee to Tackle Patient Care Issues (Links to an external site)

From left to right: Benjamin Hoemann, MD, Thomas Hoyt, MD, Alex Lane, MD, Randy Laine, MD, Alyssa Moller, MD, and Corey Shy, MD

In 2023, several like-minded hospitalists noticed a gap in patient care, provider knowledge, and research within the division and hospital regarding the treatment of patients with addiction. These physicians—Benjamin Hoemann, MD; Thomas Hoyt, MD; Alex Lane, MD; Randy Laine, MD; Alyssa Moller, MD; and Corey Shy, MD—decided to come together to discuss these issues and […]

Five DOM Faculty Receive 2025 ASCI Awards

""

The American Society for Clinical Investigation recently announced the 2025 Awardees for the Young Physician-Scientist Award along with the Emerging Scientist Awards. The ASCI Council Young Physician-Scientist Awards (YPSA) recognize physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research. With these awards, the ASCI seeks to encourage […]

Leadership Announcement – Section Head of General Cardiology

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Alan Braverman, Professor of Medicine and Alumni Endowed Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases, has been appointed the inaugural Head of the new Section of General Cardiology in the Division. Dr. Braverman received his MD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine in 1985. He went on to […]

Honoring Excellence: Q and A with Dr. Cassandra Fritz of the Washington University in St. Louis Internal Medicine Residency Program (Links to an external site)

Cassandra Fritz, MD

This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2025 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February […]

Hirbe and Oh Elected for ASCI 2025 Members

Drs. Angela Hirbe and Stephen Oh

Angela C. Hirbe, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Director, Adult Neurofibromatosis Clinical Program, WashU Medicine Division of Oncology, along with Stephen T. Oh, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-Chief, WashU Medicine Division of Hematology recently were selected for The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) 2025 Members. The ASCI is a […]

National Institutes of Health Awards PRIDE Grant

(L-R) Drs. Arbeláez, Brookheart, Reeds

Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases Grant  Ana Maria Arbeláez, MD; Rita Brookheart, PhD; and Dominic Reeds, MD, WashU Medicine clinician–researchers and directors, were recently the recipients of one of three National Institutes of Health Grants. This grant offers funding for the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE) […]

Balancing Life, Love, and Loss: Dr. Debra Parker Oliver’s Inspiring Journey (Links to an external site)

Dr. Debra Parker Oliver

In this heartfelt episode, Kim Sorrelle sits down with Dr. Debra Parker Oliver, Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, to explore the profound intersection of caregiving, grief, and resilience. Drawing from her personal journey caring for her husband, Dr. Oliver shares insights from her extensive research and her memoir, Legacies From the Living Room: […]

Development of a metabolome-based respiratory infection prognostic during COVID-19 arrival

Jeffrey R. Henderson, MD, PhD

Jeffrey P. Henderson, MD, PhD, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, at WashU Division of Infectious Diseases, was recently published in ASM Journals with new insights into the development of a metabolome-based respiratory infection prognostic during COVID-19. Henderson highlights that the supportive environment at WashU Medicine played a crucial role in making this work possible, […]

Understanding muscle insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome  (Links to an external site)

Decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipids in human skeletal muscle are associated with metabolic syndrome

In March, Samantha Adamson, MD, PhD; Sangeeta Adak, PhD; Max C. Petersen, MD, PhD; Dustin Higgins, DO; Larry D. Spears, PhD; Rong Mei Zhang, MD; Andrea Cedeno, MD; Alexis McKee, MD, CDCES; Aswathi Kumar, MD; Sudhir M. Singh, MD;  Fong-Fu Hsu, PhD; Janet B. McGill, MD, MA, FACP; and Clay F. Semenkovich, MD had their article titled “Decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipids in human skeletal muscle are associated with metabolic […]

Multiple Hospitalists Contribute to Insightful Article about Substance Use Disorder (Links to an external site)

Dennis Chang, MD, Anthony Dao, MD, Carol Faulk, MD, and Kieran Patel, MD

The Society of Hospital Medicine has a monthly publication entitled, ‘The Hospitalist’ in which they share helpful information about a variety of topics that are relevant to hospital medicine. The October 2024 issue featured an article about substance use disorder in physicians written by Dennis Chang, MD, Tony Dao, MD, Carol Faulk, MD, and Kieran […]

Innovation by collaboration (Links to an external site)

Milan G. Chheda, MD, and colleagues at the Siteman Brain Tumor Center use their unique clinical expertise to target radiation therapy for glioblastoma. Siteman is the only cancer center offering this high level of treatment in the region.

The brightest minds solving brain cancer’s toughest challenges. Brain tumors are among the most challenging cancers to effectively treat. Depending on the tumor’s location, surgery can interfere with cognitive function, movement or language, and surgery often is not the solution because the tumor cells are invasive and intertwined with normal brain cells. Additionally, the brain’s […]

Baggstrom presented a poster at the annual AAMC Learn Serve Lead GWIMS

In November 2024, Dr. Maria Baggstrom, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology, presented a poster at the annual Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Learn Serve Lead Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) Poster Session that she co-authored with Dr. Rakhee Bhayani, Vice Chair of Advancing Women’s Careers and Professor of […]

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.

Dr. Vishwanath Jha joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Vishwanath Jha joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hematology as an instructor in December 2024. He is an accomplished postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Jaehyung Cho’s laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine, specializing in hematology, focusing on thrombosis and platelet activation. His innovative research has led to a groundbreaking discovery: intracellular ERO1α […]

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 […]

Department of Medicine 2025 Fellowship Matches

""

The Department of Medicine is proud to announce that we have 69 matched fellows. Please view the list below for more information about each. Fellowships Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship Gastroenterology Fellowship Cardiology Fellowship Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship […]

Leadership Announcement – Director of CTSA TWD and CRTC (Links to an external site)

Sweitzer

Nancy Sweitzer, MD, PhD, Named as Director of Clinical and Translational Science Award Translational Workforce Development (CTSA TWD) and Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC) at WashU Medicine. As Director of the Clinical Research Training Center, Dr. Sweitzer will oversee the training and education core of WashU’s CTSA. 

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 […]

Leadership Announcement – Senior Director of Business Operations

Jim Robison

I am pleased to announce that Jim Robison has joined the Department of Medicine as Senior Director of Business Operations. He has taken over the role Mark Womer previously held and will supervise the finances of the department; approximately $1 billion in revenue and expenses, which include patient services, endowments, grants, clinical trials, and over 780 […]

Polypill proposed to change the heart failure treatment paradigm

image of pills

A polypill is suggested containing all 4 classes of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure Justin Chen, MD, First Year Cardiology Fellow, First Author along with Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Program in Global Cardiovascular Health, WashU Medicine Cardiovascular Division, Senior Author, have published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The […]

Leadership Announcement – Interventional Cardiology

""

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Marc Sintek, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship, has been appointed as the next Director of the BJH Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Dr. Sintek has served as Associate Director of the Cath Lab since 2023 and will take the reins from Dr. Jas Singh, […]

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 […]

Dr. Ishmael Aziati joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Ishmael Aziati joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases as an Instructor in November 2024. He has been involved in collaborative research for the past decade studying emerging and reemerging infectious viral diseases. After graduating with a BSc. (Hons) in Biochemistry in 2010 from the University of Ghana. He joined the WHO […]

August 2024 Kudos and Awards

Kudos and Awards graphic

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. Inpatient Intern of the MonthDr. Karoliina Yang Dr. Yang’s […]

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 […]

October 2024 Accolade Recipients – SAFE (Supporting a Fair Environment)

""

Congratulations to the 25 Department of Medicine (DOM) Accolade Recipients McLaughlin, Amy Gastroenterology Gastroenterology Staff Bosso, Scott Gastroenterology Gastroenterology Staff Zerjav, Sharon Gastroenterology Gastroenterology Staff Ali, Yawar Department of Medicine Med Firm Resident/Clinical Fellow Coleman, Jaspur Department of Medicine Med Firm Faculty Huang, Alice Internal Medicine Cardiology Blue team (9200) Resident/Clinical Fellow Cheema, Sana Internal […]

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 […]

Leadership Announcement – Medical Director of the Medicine Multispecialty Center (MMC) and Infusion Center

Parks

I am pleased to announce that Deborah Parks, MD has been appointed as the Medical Director of the Medicine Multispecialty Center (MMC) and Infusion Center on CAM 5. Dr. Parks received her medical degree from the University of Louisville and completed her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship training at BJH/WashU. She is an outstanding […]

Dr. Emily Cole joins the Department of Medicine

Dr. Emily Cole joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology as an Assistant Professor in October 2024.  Her education and training includes an undergraduate degree from Brown University, BS, in Cognitive Neuroscience.  She graduated from Yale School of Public Health, MPH, Chronic Disease Epidemiology.  Dr. Cole attended medical school at the University […]

Nephrology Researcher Expands Kidney Disease Study Through Collaborative Work at WashU

Leslie Gewin, MD

Gewin’s team aims to find ways to promote kidney repair and prevent the progression of fibrosis. Dr. Leslie Gewin, a nephrologist and researcher, has been steadily expanding her research into kidney disease since moving from Vanderbilt to WashU Medicine three years ago. Leveraging the university’s extensive resources and collaborative environment, Gewin’s work focuses on the […]