Letter from the Chair
This fall we are actively planning for our new wet lab space in the BJCIH vertical expansion, McDonnell Medical Science Building and the CSRB. This new lab space comes at an opportune time as our basic science research continues to grow both in terms of numbers of PIs and NIH dollars. Clinical research is also thriving and our clinical programs continue to grow. Recruitment season is underway and our fellowship ranking lists go in soon. Dr. Steven Cheng, the new Program Director for our medicine residency and our Associate Program Directors are reviewing applications and scheduling resident applicant interviews. We will be expanding our Physician Scientist Training Program by an additional slot this year order to continue to recruit the best and brightest MD PhDs to train here.
It has been a pleasure to welcome a wonderful group of new residents and fellows who started in July and who are thriving in their new roles here. We also welcomed over 50 new faculty at the new faculty orientation. Be sure to follow our social media accounts as we share information about new faculty and the achievements of our faculty, staff and trainees. Speaking of social media, you’ll now find that the DOM is also on LinkedIn. If you’re active on that platform, we invite you to follow us there to stay up to date on all the latest happenings. We hope by broadening our social connections we’ll continue to reach more supporters to amplify all the amazing things happening in our Divisions and the Department.
In this Insider, we spotlight the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, with some personal perspectives from Dr. Jen Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is a general internist in the division and shares information about general medicine and primary care and why she knows it’s the right job for her. Our second spotlight is from Dr. Samuel Klein, Chief of the Division of Nutritional Science & Obesity Medicine, who offers an update on medical research and groundbreaking new medicines in the battle against obesity. Remember that the Medicine Grand Rounds series is now being delivered both in person and via Zoom this year. Our terrific speakers need your support, so please try to attend in person whenever possible.
Lastly, I also want to remind our faculty to come join us for the DOM Faculty and Family Day, on Sunday, October 15th from 11 to 3pm at the Armory. Lunch will be served and this event provides a great opportunity for all of us to come together and celebrate our successes as a team plus enjoy all the fun activities they offer…corn hole, putting greens, skeeball and more. Register here.
Please take a moment to learn more about the many Department of Medicine accomplishments detailed within this edition. We have much to be proud of and much to look forward to!
As always, thank you for your support of the Department of Medicine.
Best Regards,
Vicky Fraser, MD, Adolphus Busch Professor of Medicine, Chair, Department of Medicine
Spotlights
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First on 
Our second spotlight falls on Clinical News
(Photo: As the Epic program goes live, WashU Forest Park Kidney Center staff starts the day with a group prayer.)
Center collaborator uses implementation science to advance mental health treatment for HIV patients in South Africa. Read more.
Comprehensive Head & Neck Tumor Center established at Siteman Cancer Center. Read more.
Volunteer for Health assists researchers with reaching recruitment goals. Read more.
Medicare approves WashU Medicine’s whole-genome test for blood cancers. Read more.
New Robotic Bronchoscopy is Helping Doctors Diagnose Lung Cancer Early with Precision. Watch now.
Research News
AHA Paper Authored by Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, reviewed Value-Based Payment Systems and Proposes Next Steps. Read more.
Aspirin can help reduce risk of second heart attack, but study finds less than half of eligible adults take it. Read more.
Cardiovascular Fellow and Faculty Publish Piece on Pacemakers and Settings in the Athlete. Read more.
Early testing suggests variant BA.2.86 has been detected in US wastewater, CDC report says. Read more.
Losing weight on a diet of Ozempic article in The Washington Post by Samuel Klein, MD. Read more.
Nancy Sweitzer, MD, PhD, provides Comments on New Heart Failure Study. Read more.
Science Direct Editorial on diabetes-related clinical guidance publications by Janet McGill, MD and Sina Jasim, MD. Read more.
Scientists reveal how proteins drive growth of multiple cancer types. Read more.
WHO Updates List of Essential Medicines to Include Heart Polypills. Read more.
Education News
Office of Vice Chair of Education
It’s finally fall, and the Medical Education world is as busy and exciting as ever! Our education teams are working tirelessly towards a successful recruitment season while simultaneously navigating all the other projects, innovations, exceptional teaching and mentoring, and teamwork needed to keep UME and GME running in the DOM. View the DOM Vice Chair for Education - 2022-2023 Annual Report.
Learn more about leadership changes, accomplishments and other exciting education and scholarship news in the latest update from the Office of the Vice Chair of Education, Abby Spencer, MD.
DOM Office of Faculty Development (OFD)
Visit the OFD website to learn about existing resources and to view upcoming events.
Department of Medicine Holds Annual New Faculty Orientation - The Department of Medicine welcomed new faculty on Friday, August 18th with an institutional resource fair followed by an orientation session.
- OFD hosts Financial Literacy Series – Employee Benefits: Personal Financial Considerations - The Office of Faculty Development will host Session 1 of their 2023 Financial Literacy Series on October 17th from 12:00-1:00pm in Seminar Room B of the Eric P. Newman Education Center. This session will focus on Employee Benefits and will be presented by Dr. Milan Anadkat, Director of the Office of Faculty Development, and Justin Brasel and John Henderson from WUSM HR Benefits Office. Lunch will be provided.
DOM Health and Wellness Program
- DOM Health and Wellness Program to Host Introduction to Narrative Medicine Session
Facilitated by Dr. Ian Ross, the DOM Health and Wellness program will host an Introduction to Narrative Medicine session on October 25th from 1:30-3:00pm in the Clinical Research Training Center located on the 2nd floor of Wohl Clinic.
Visit the DOM Health and Wellness Program webpage for a list internal and external of Health and Wellness resources including websites, phone apps, books, podcasts, and articles.
IDEAS at DOM and Vice Chair of Health Equity
- IDEAS at DOM welcomes Takisha Jethroe as the new IDEAS at DOM Program Coordinator!
Read more. - IDEAS at DOM Hosts Annual Summer Welcome & Networking Social - IDEAS at DOM hosted their Summer Welcome & Networking event for diverse trainees and faculty on Sunday, July 23rd from 6:00-8:00pm. The event used community-building activities to encourage guests to meet and interact with each other.
- Donation to St. Louis Crisis Nursery Center - The St. Louis Crisis Nursery Center received $750, 17 boxes of diapers, and 3 full boxes of toys and books, thanks to the “Diaper, Toys, and Book Drive” held by the Division of Hospital Medicine IDEAS Committee, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, WUMMA, IM Residency Program, and the Pediatric Residency Program.
- Washington University Internal Medicine Residency Program Hosts New Gateway to Residency Program - On Tuesday, August 22nd the Washington University Internal Medicine Residency Program hosted their first Gateway to Residency Program event. Sixteen selected fourth-year medical students participated in a highly focused workshop that prepared them to submit for the upcoming residency application cycle.
MEDA
- MEDA Program Kicks Off Career Seminar Series for 2023-24 - The Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA) Program in collaboration with the Washington University Black Postdoc Society kicked off their 2023-24 Career Seminar series with a breakfast roundtable discussion on August 29th with visiting speaker Dr. Lourdes Soto de Laurido. Dr. Soto de Laurido is Acting Dean at the University of Puerto Rico, School of Health Professions Medical Sciences Campus. Dr. Soto de Laurido talked with us about her career journey and provided us with advice on mentoring and career coaching.
Read more.
Office of Vice-Chair for the Advancement of Women’s Careers
We are excited to introduce the dynamic team of 27 exceptional members representing a diverse spectrum of roles within the Department of Medicine. Read more.
Forum for Women in Medicine (FWIM)
Check the FWIM webpage for future dates and events.
- DOM Moms & Caregivers Playground Outing - October 22nd, 10:00 - 11:30 am, Tilles Park.
Please come out to meet your fellow colleagues and their families. Learn more. - DOM Moms & Caregivers - August 21st the DOM Moms & Caregivers luncheon was held.
- FWIM Trainee Leadership Development Program - September 13th FWIM Trainee Leadership Development Program with sixteen trainees in cohort. Read more.
Across the Department
- Alan Braverman, MD, presents at International Meetings. Read more.
Thomas Gowen, Jr, RN, (right) the Nurse Manager of the Village Square Dialysis Center in Hazelwood, MO, planted sunflowers this past spring to brighten up the entrance to WashU Nephrology's newest community dialysis center. Read more.
- Anuja Java, MD, Director of Kidney Transplant at the John Cochran VA Medical Center, was highlighted in the inaugural edition of the Veterans Health Administration's Kidney Medicine Newsletter, published to spread the word of recent innovative kidney medicine services, research, and resources. Read more.
- Ankita Kapoor, MD, featured in "Meet our New Providers" in the BJH Physician Connect. Read more.
- COVID-19 cases on the rise in St. Louis KDSK Channel 5 News Interview with Steven Lawrence, MD. Watch the interview.
- Tingting Li, MD, MSCI, organized and chaired the inaugural Glomerular Diseases Symposium: An Update on Disease Mechanisms and Management. Read more.
- Washington People: Sumanth Prabhu, MD. Read more.
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring Jessica Silva-Fisher, PhD (right). Read more.
- Marc Sintek, MD, discussed Extreme Heat Dangers on KSDK News.
Read more. - Health Matters- KMOX News: Keith Stockerl-Goldstein, MD. Listen to the interview.
- Embracing Caregivers Editorial from Mark Williams, MD, Chief of Division of Hospital Medicine. Read more.
Andreas Herrlich, MD, PhD and Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, co-hosted the symposium “Molecular Mechanisms of Organismal Physiology in Health and Disease” on September 7, 2023 in St Louis. Read more.
Anuja Java, MD and Tingting Li, MD, MSCI, shared their career decisions at Women in Nephrology's Fellows’ Corner – Should I Subspecialize panel discussion. Read more.
Fatherly.com Article - How Worried Should Parents Be About Increasing COVID Cases Now? Read more.
Global Health Spotlight: Collaborator’s study to advance care retention in patients living with HIV in Zambia. Learn more.
Hospitalists successfully complete the FITS Certificate Program. Read more.
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Events
- Crash Course in Aging: Fast-Paced Facts on Longer Life
October 16, 2023 | 5:30 - 7:00 pm | Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall
Join us for an evening of stories and insights on a variety of experiences about aging. Bring friends, family and colleagues to hear speakers give five minute fast-paced presentations. Focusing on the Public in Public Health
October 23, 2023 | 5 - 8 pm | Graham Chapel - Danforth Campus
October 24, 2023 | 8 am - 1:30 pm | Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC) - Medical Campus
The Public Health at WashU Annual Conference 2023 will focus on vital public health-related collaboration between the university and our community; collaboration with state, regional and local leaders on critical public health issues; and the outstanding public health work conducted by faculty, staff and students across all eight schools at Washington University in St. Louis.- HSR Collaborative Seminar with Morgan Shields
November 8, 2023 | 9:00 - 10:00 am | Taylor Avenue Building (TAB)
The Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research merged our monthly meetings with the Center for Administrative Data Research users’ group meeting to create the Health Services Research (HSR) Collaborative seminar series. - Global Health Work in Progress Meeting
November 13, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Hybrid: Virtual and in person
Global Health Work in Progress (GHWIP) convenes members of the Washington University global health community to learn about each other’s work.
Awards/Honors/Distinctions
- Rachel Bardowell, MD, named Associate Chief Medical Officer for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Read more. - Claudia Cabrera, won the ASH Minority Hematology Graduate Award (MHGA) along with the NIH/F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31-Diversity).
Read more. - Miguel Chavez Concha, MD, accepted into the 2023-2024 Teaching Scholars Program Cohort.
Read more. - Sharon Cresci, MD, received NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Award. Read more.
- Thomas De Fer, MD, FACP, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Educators. Read more.
- Todd A. Fehniger, MD, PhD, is one of the principal investigators on $5.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read more.
- Cassandra Fritz, MD, selected for JAMA Network Open’s Editorial Fellowship Program. Read more.
- Jesus Jimenez, MD, received Diversity Scholars Program Award. Read more.
- Nigar Kirmani, MD, FIDSA, received the 2023 Clinical Teacher Award from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Read more.
Sandor J. Kovács Jr, MD, PhD, (right) inaugurated to Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Read more.
- Tingting Li, MD, MSCI, is the recipient of the 2023 Nathan Hellman Memorial Teacher of the Year Award. Read more.
- Michael Lin, MD, 2023 Dean's Impact Award Recipient. Read more.
- Thomas M. Maddox, MD, has been invited to become an active participant of the National Academy of Medicine’s Digital Health Action Collaborative Stakeholder Network. Read more.
Janet McGill, MD, (right) received ACP Samuel Eichold II Memorial Award for Contributions in Diabetes. Read more.
- Jeffrey H. Miner, PhD, FASN, elected as Treasurer for the American Society of Nephrology. He will begin his term on January 1, 2024, and serve through December 31, 2027.
- Yoshiharu Muto, MD, PhD, has been awarded a 2023 Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant by the KidneyCure Transition to Independence Grants Program, a foundation of the American Society of Nephrology.
Read more. Jennifer Powers-Carson, PhD, (right) received AACC Best Abstract Award. Read more.
- Sumanth Prabhu, MD, received ISHR-NAS Innovator Award. Read more.
- Will R. Ross, MD, MPH, honored by the Academy of Science – St. Louis for his outstanding contributions to the field.
Read more. - Wayne Yokoyama, MD, received a $2.4 million, five-year Stimulating Access to Research during Residency (StARR) grant. Read more.
ICTS announces inaugural cohort for PROUD-Med. Read more.
Richard G. Bach, MD, and Adam May, MD, received Teacher of the Year Awards. Read more.
Martin Kerrigan, MD and Saiama Waqar, MD, MBBS, MSCI, accepted into the Washington University School of Medicine Academy of Educators. Read more.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Certified as Comprehensive Cardiac Center by Joint Commission. Read more.
Laurin Council, MD, Amanda Verma, MD, Abby Spencer, MD, and Siama N. Waqar, MD, AMWA’s 2023 INSPIRE Award Recipients. Read more.
Read more.
Siteman Investment Program supports Team Science Award focused on myeloproliferative neoplams.
Learn more.
Siteman earns prestigious merit extension from National Cancer Institute. Read more.
Siteman Investment Program awards $2 million in cancer research grants. Read more.
Welcome
We extend a warm welcome to our 59 new faculty across 12 divisions. Learn more about them.
Farewell
Nephrology bids a heartfelt farewell to Anitha Vijayan, MD, FASN, on her retirement and thanks her for 25 years of devoted service. Read more.
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Resources
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