Rheumatologist and Researcher Focuses on Lupus Care and Rural Health

Jessica Nicole Williams, MD, MPH

Dr. Jessica Williams, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Medicine Division of Rheumatology, is a dedicated rheumatologist and clinical researcher with a deep commitment to advancing our understanding of lupus, an autoimmune disease of unknown cause that disproportionately affects women, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Her work aims to uncover the […]

Faddis Appears on KMOV to Discuss Pulse Field Ablation (Links to an external site)

Mitchell N. Faddis, MD

Professor of Medicine Dr. Mitchell Faddis appeared on KMOV news’s Living Well segment to celebrate February’s Heart Month. He discussed tips for general heart health in winter, warning signs of a cardiac emergency, as well as providing updates on the EP program at Barnes-General Hospital.

Crystal Atwood, MD, and Carol Faulk, MD, Obtain Impressive POCUS Certifications (Links to an external site)

Drs: Crystal Atwood, Carol Faulk

As the Division of Hospital Medicine continues to expand, Division Chief Mark Williams, MD, has placed emphasis on the importance of continued education and training for its physicians to increase overall impact and effectiveness. Since Dr. Williams started with the division in October 2021, he has helped transform the division into one of the premier academic hospitalist […]

Siteman Investment Program Awards $1.89 Million in Cancer Research Grants (Links to an external site)

Nine projects led by Washington University researcher Matthew Walter, MD, and others will benefit from the new funding.

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is pleased to announce funding for nine new projects. These include research focused on: Improving CAR T-cell therapy for lymphomaIdentifying new treatment targets for leukemiaBetter understanding how myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) developIdentifying a treatment for a broad range of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) independent of […]

Connecting the dots (Links to an external site)

Graduate student Jiayu Ye works in the lab of Sheila A. Stewart, PhD. Stewart’s lab has identified a drug combination that makes T cells more effective in mice with metastatic breast cancer.

From detection to treatment, mapping a new future for breast cancer. WashU Medicine physicians at Siteman Cancer Center are recognized nationally for their expertise in leading-edge breast cancer therapies. Nearly 50 specialists in surgery, breast reconstruction, medical oncology and radiation oncology, radiology and pathology are part of the Breast Cancer Program at Siteman, providing personalized treatment plans […]

Study reports molecular interaction map of Alzheimer’s disease target TREM2

Brett publication graphic from Molecular Neurodegeneration

Thomas Brett, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, WashU Medicine Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Jen Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Daisy Leung, PhD, Professor, Departments of Medicine, Pathology […]

R56 NIH Grant Awarded to Physician-Scientist Ying Maggie Chen (Links to an external site)

Ying (Maggie) Chen, MD, PhD

Congratulations to Ying Maggie Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, WashU Nephrology, on receiving an R56 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to study impaired autophagy underlying the disease pathogenesis of autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD).

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

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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

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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 […]