January 2026

We welcomed new faculty, trainees, and staff to our Division. Our clinical teams expanded access to new therapies while maintaining the highest commitment to compassionate care and education. We thank our faculty, staff, and trainees for their dedication to advancing science and improving the lives of patients everywhere, and for their resilience and perseverance despite challenges impacting research funding and healthcare. We are deeply grateful for the culture of collaboration, mentorship, and commitment to excellence that defines our hematology community.  We look forward to continued progress in the year ahead.

We invite you to read about selected highlights from the past year detailed below.

Warm regards,
Elaine Majerus, MD, PhD & Stephen Oh, MD, PhD

Dr. Andrew Young

Dr. Andrew Young received the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award. The Early Independence Award supports the launch of research careers for exceptional junior scientists who recently received their doctoral degree or completed clinical training.

Dr. Stephen Oh

Congratulations to Dr. Oh who received a research grant from Siteman Cancer Center to launch an investigator-initiated study aimed at improving treatment for serious blood cancers like myelofibrosis (MF) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN).

Dr. Vorachart Auethavekiat 

Congratulations to Dr. Vorachart Auethavekiat who was one of the 9 Accolade Recipients

We are proud to share that four exceptional members of our Division, Nicole Gaudin, Maggie Cox, Julie White, and Karyn Gordon were honored with the prestigious MPN Heroes Award. This recognition celebrates individuals whose extraordinary efforts have significantly improved the lives of people living with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

Left to right: Karyn, Maggie, Nicole & Julie

The Division of Hematology is proud to share that seven of our faculty were selected for the 2025 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list. 

Amber Afzal, MD, MSCI
Assistant Professor

Morey Blinder, MD
Professor

Elaine Majerus, MD, PhD
Professor

Stephen Oh, MD, PhD 
Professor

Sana Saif Ur Rehman, MD
Associate Professor

Kristen Sanfilippo, MD, MPHS
Associate Professor

We are happy to share that Dr. Stephen Oh, Lynn Golec, NP & Lindsey Taylor, NP received the top scores in the Ambulatory Patient Experience 

Nicole Gaudin, MS CCRP  promoted to Clinical Research Specialist 

Dr. Andrew Young promoted to Assistant Professor of Medicine
(Read article)

Dr. Stephen Oh promoted to Professor of Medicine.
(Read article)

Huge congratulations to the talented fellows joining our Hematology team. We can’t wait to meet you and look forward to seeing you in July!

Sumaiya Alam, MD

Simon-Bakhos Bechara, MD

Danielle Cicka, MD, PhD

Amanda Golden, MD

Emily Higgs, MD, PhD

Guido Pelaez, MD

Kevin Tamadonfar, MD, PhD

Shaili Tapiavala, MD

Keval Yerigeri, MD

Renowned hematologist pioneered field of glycobiology, made significant contributions to physician-scientist training

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Dr. Stuart Arthur Kornfeld, Professor Emeritus, passed away on Sunday, August 17, 2025, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Kornfeld pioneered our understanding of glycoprotein structure, function and biosynthesis. His translational work led to key findings improving the diagnosis and treatment of lysosomal storage diseases. 

 

Dr. Stuart Arthur Kornfeld

Kim French

After more than four decades of dedication, compassion, and service, we are honored to celebrate the remarkable career of Kim French, as she begins her well-earned retirement.

Luis Batista

Best wishes to Dr. Luis Batista who joined the faculty at the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute, effective January 1, 2026. While we are saddened to see him depart, we are equally excited for this next chapter in his career. We are grateful for his many contributions as faculty in our Hematology Division over the past 12 years, and we congratulate him on this exciting opportunity to serve as serve as Professor of Medicine and Scientific Director of the Telomere Biology Disorder Initiative at Utah.

Grand Rounds has been off to a fantastic start this academic year, with engaging discussions, insightful presentations, and strong participation from across the division. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making these sessions such a success. We look forward to continuing the momentum! Please be sure to join us after the first of the year for more informative and thought-provoking Grand Rounds.

Several members of the Hematology Division proudly presented their work at ASH25. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and grateful for the way they represented both our division and Washington University so well.

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As historic leaders in defining and addressing the underlying causes of blood diseases, we know firsthand that progress is possible. Philanthropy plays a crucial role in advancing our field-leading research, enabling us to translate groundbreaking discoveries into more effective ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease. Private gifts also benefit patients by funding our state-of-the-art treatment and support services. Additionally, this support enables the division to educate the next generation of physicians and scientists as future leaders in our field.

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Mailing Address: 660 S. Euclid Ave. MSC: 8045-0043-15
St. Louis, MO 63110