Rachel M. Presti, MD, PhD – Dr. J. William Campbell Professor of Medicine

I am honored to announce that Dr. Rachel Presti has been named the Dr. J. William Campbell Professor of Medicine at Washington University.

This professorship, established by John Doerr to honor the legacy of Dr. William “Bill” Campbell, an exceptional clinical infectious disease physician, recognizes outstanding contributions to clinically impactful research, transformative leadership, and exceptional patient care in infectious diseases. Dr. Presti is a highly deserving recipient whose career reflects these values in every respect.

Dr. Presti earned her MD and PhD degrees from WashU Medicine and completed residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Infectious Diseases at WashU Medicine . She joined the faculty as a physician scientist and clinical/translational investigator and was promoted to Professor of Medicine with tenure in 2023.

Dr. Presti is nationally recognized as a leading translational scientist whose work has advanced our understanding of viral infections, vaccines, and immune responses in humans. Her research spans HIV prevention and treatment, HIV cure/eradication strategies, vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy, antiviral therapeutics, and the long-term responses to viral infections. Through innovative clinical studies and close collaborations with basic scientists, she has helped define key correlates of protection for vaccines and antiviral therapies and has contributed substantially to the development of new approaches for preventing and treating infectious diseases.

Since 2011, Dr. Presti has led the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit (ID-CRU), building upon its longstanding leadership in HIV research and expanding its clinical trial portfolio across multiple areas of infectious diseases. Under her direction, the unit has maintained robust funding through NIH, CDC, and industry sponsored programs, served as a leading national site for HIV treatment and prevention studies and vaccine studies, and played a pivotal role in advancing translational infectious diseases research at WashU Medicine.

Dr. Presti’s leadership was particularly impactful during the COVID-19 pandemic. She led WashU’s participation in pivotal clinical trials of therapeutics and the first COVID-19 vaccines and helped position WashU as a national leader in vaccines, therapeutics, and immunology research. Her collaborations with colleagues across WashU Medicine generated important discoveries regarding immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination, contributing to our understanding of immunity to natural infection, vaccine durability, booster responses, and protection against emerging viral variants.

In addition to her research accomplishments, Dr. Presti is widely recognized as an outstanding clinician, educator, and mentor. She provides expert care for patients living with HIV and has guided the careers of numerous fellows, junior faculty, and clinical investigators. Her collaborative approach, scientific rigor, and commitment to advancing patient care are renowned in the Infectious Diseases division and the broader research community at WashU. The Dr. J. William Campbell Professorship recognizes Dr. Presti’s exceptional achievements as a physician-scientist, clinical investigator, mentor, and leader.

The Dr. J. William Campbell Professorship has been held by Dr. Bill Powderly, who will be named the Larry J. Shapiro Distinguished Professor in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences on August 1st from the Bursky School of Public Health.