The official newsletter of the Department of Medicine
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Welcome to the latest edition of The DOM Insider,
This summer marks the close of a remarkable decade of growth and transformation under the leadership of David H. Perlmutter, MD, Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and the George and Carol Bauer Dean of Medicine. In April, Dr. Perlmutter delivered his final State of the School address, reflecting on the many accomplishments that have shaped WashU Medicine and the strong foundation that positions us for continued success. I am deeply grateful for his vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our institution.
As we look to the future, I am excited to officially welcome Bruce D. Levy, MD, as the next Dean of Medicine. A St. Louis native and internationally recognized pulmonary and critical care physician-scientist, Dr. Levy returns to WashU Medicine after more than 35 years at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. We look forward to the leadership, expertise, and perspective he will bring to our community.
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In this issue, our Insider Spotlight highlights the important work of Jacco Boon, PhD, and his team as they investigate the growing public health challenges posed by expanding tick populations across the Midwest. Through research on emerging tick-borne diseases, vaccine development, and public awareness efforts, Dr. Boon's laboratory is helping advance our understanding of these threats while positioning the Department of Medicine at the forefront of infectious disease research.
This spring, we also celebrated the graduation of our fellows and residents, recognizing their achievements and wishing them success as they begin the next chapter of their careers. At the same time, we are excited to welcome a new class of trainees who will soon join our department and contribute to our missions of patient care, research, and education.
Thank you for being part of our Department of Medicine community. Together, we continue to advance excellence in research, clinical care, and education. I look forward to sharing more of our achievements, discoveries, and milestones in the months ahead.
As always, thank you for your support of the Department of Medicine.
Warm regards,
Vicky Fraser, MD, Adolphus Busch Professor of Medicine, Chair, Department of Medicine
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A listing of all current Department of Medicine grants ≥ $300,000 is available here.
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| | View recent publications across the Department of Medicine via the Publications page.
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| Your gift will help recruit and retain outstanding faculty, support life-saving research and patient care and help train the next generation of leaders in medicine.
Make your gift here.
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| High Impact Research Publications |
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Gene-edited stem cell transplant shows promise for aggressive blood cancers (Read article)
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People with poor mental health report worse care worldwide (Read article)
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Grants bolster research on myelodysplastic syndromes (Read article)
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WashU Medicine researcher advances understanding of emerging tick-borne threats in the Midwest |
At WashU Medicine, virologist Jacco Boon, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases, is turning his attention to a growing but often overlooked public health concern: tick-borne viruses in Missouri and across the Midwest.
Boon’s path to studying some of the world’s smallest—and most complex—infectious agents began long before his work in Missouri. Originally from the Netherlands, he developed an early fascination with how viruses behave and evolve, drawn to the idea that microscopic organisms could have such an outsized impact on human health.
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| Dr. Boon collect lone star ticks with a flag at the Tyson Research Center.
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Drs. Alan Zajarias, Nishath Quader, and Tsuyoshi Kaneko pose for a group photo.
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WashU Medicine team performs region’s first procedure using breakthrough valve technology |
Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from WashU Medicine’s cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery divisions used the used newest technology to successfully treat a high-risk patient with a failing heart valve.
Physicians at WashU Medicine have performed the first procedure in the region using a novel catheter-based tool that simplifies a complex and potentially life-saving heart valve intervention.
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Trial participant Kim Garland (left) reviews a scan with the study’s primary investigator, Dr. Tanner Johanns.
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| Personalized vaccine shows promise against aggressive brain cancer |
Participants in early clinical trial had increased immune response, slowed tumor progression.
A personalized vaccine to treat glioblastoma, a fast-growing and incurable brain cancer that affects four in 100,000 people in the U.S., is safe and elicits robust and broad immune responses that appears to increase recurrence-free survival in a subset of patients after surgery, according to an early-stage clinical trial co-led by researchers at WashU Medicine.
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| Phoenix molecular designs expands PMD-026 into second clinical indication with Myelofibrosis Trial at WashU Medicine |
Dauntless-3 Phase 1 trial extends first-in-class RSK inhibitor PMD-026 into hematologic cancers, building on Nature Communications findings that identified RSK1 as a vulnerability in myeloproliferative neoplasms.
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| Researchers augment infection surveillance tool with AI, find enhanced patient safety |
WashU Medicine infectious diseases researchers have developed a practical use of artificial intelligence to enhance patient safety, while potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency at hospitals. Abby Sung, MD, an assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues in the Division of Infectious Diseases, WashU McKelvey School of Engineering AI for Health Institute, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) found that a large language model (LLM) can strengthen a semi-automated surveillance tool used by infection prevention.
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| Stage IV Melanoma Survivor: How a Clinical Trial at Siteman Changed One Patient’s Future |
What began as a small, hard-to-see mole on Deborah Dieman’s ankle eventually led to a diagnosis of Stage IV melanoma. Despite surgery and standard immunotherapy, her cancer spread aggressively, and she was told she had only months to live. Seeking another option, she drove more than four hours each way to Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, where she met Dr. David Chen and the care team.
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| Awards/Fellowships/Honors/Accolades |
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Chang-Panesso named Perlmutter Career Development Assistant Professor (Read article)
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Dai received 2026 Werner Risau Early Career Investigator Award in Vascular Biology (Read article)
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Davidson recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Mentor Award from the American Gastroenterological Association (Read article)
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Washington named one of the 2026-2027 ICTS PDSS Awardees (Read article)
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Davis received 2025 JACC: Heart Failure Top Reviewer Award (Read article)
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| Andreas Herrlich, MD, PhD – Elected to AAAS |
Dr. Herrlich, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most prestigious honors in the scientific community. Each year, the AAAS Council elects members whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science, or its applications, are scientifically or socially distinguished,” a distinction the organization, established in 1874, preserves with deliberate care.
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Emma Ludwig, MD – Named Associate Program Director for Geriatric Fellowship |
Dr. Ludwig completed her geriatric medicine fellowship training at WashU Medicine, where she distinguished herself as a dedicated clinician-educator with a strong commitment to trainee development. She has served as a longitudinal preceptor for geriatric fellows in the Geriatric Primary Care Clinic, where she is highly regarded for her thoughtful teaching and mentorship.
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Rodrigo Vazquez Guillamet, MD – Named Director of COPD Comprehensive Care Program |
Dr. Vazquez Guillamet is an Associate Professor of Medicine and serves as Medical Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. His clinical work focuses on advanced COPD care and lung transplantation. In this role, he will lead efforts to better coordinate COPD care across the system, including oversight of the airways diseases consult service in collaboration with PCCM leadership and management of advanced practice providers within the program.
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Office of Faculty Development (OFD) |
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Call for Applications for the Department of Medicine - Leadership Training Course |
The Department of Medicine is pleased to offer the Fall 2026 Leadership Training Course. Application Deadline: Friday, June 26, 2026. The Leadership Training Course is open to all DOM Faculty. Applicants should submit a completed application form, CV, and letter of support from their Department/Division/Section leadership to Jennifer Mosher at mosherj@wustl.edu.
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| Dr. Milan Anadkat
Vice Chair of Faculty Development
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The DOM Advising Core Planning Team is launching its second annual advising model with a Residency Application Kickoff in July. The team has centralized student assignment and advisor training to strengthen residency application review, assess competitiveness and fit, guide signaling strategy, and support students applying to IM.
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Academy of Educators Workshops:
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Graduate Medical Education (GME) |
The department is focusing on resident and fellow offboarding and onboarding, with Fellow Orientation on July 6 and fellowship recruitment beginning in July. GME programs are also preparing to complete WebAds, APE, PEC, and CCC meetings by the end of June.
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| Dr. Abby Spencer
Vice Chair of Education
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Upcoming Sessions: Feedback for Learning, Equity, & eXcellence (FLEX) Faculty Development pilot: FLEX is a 3-session faculty development series focused on equitable feedback in the clinical learning environment. Developed by an interprofessional WashU team, the series includes discussions, learner testimonies, simulated attending rounds, and guided reflection. This grant-funded program offers a supportive space for honest conversations and self-reflection between sessions. Sessions are on May 27th, June 4th and June 22nd.
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Roads to Success Seminars: Next Roads to Success seminar will be in the fall. Specific dates are to be determined.
Be sure to check out our full update from the Vice Chair of Education.
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WashU Educators and Rising Chiefs at AIMW 2026.
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WashU Shines at Academic Internal Medicine Week 2026 |
WashU had a strong and joyful presence at AIMW 2026 in Seattle, WA this year. Not just as participants – as leaders in the national medical education community. |
A special congratulations Drs. Dennis Chang, Tony Dao, Carol Faulk, Abby Spencer, and Lisa Zickuhr for representing WashU on the national stage through workshops, posters, pre-course, moderated sessions, and committee work. Their contributions highlight just how visible and influential our educator community is! Across attendees, one theme recurred: connection.
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Vice Chairs of Safety, Quality, and Operations |
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Peer Review Committees are now required to participate in Managed Care Plans
- The Department of Medicine Peer Review Committee will begin meeting and reviewing cases in June
- The Patient Safety and Quality Team will manage the Peer Review Committee process
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Dr. Thomas Ciesielski
Vice Chair of Inpatient Safety, Quality and Operations
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| Dr. Maya Jerath
Vice Chair of Ambulatory Clinical Operations, Safety and Quality
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Vice Chair for Wellness and Engagement |
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As Vice Chair for Wellness and Engagement, I am excited to build on the Department of Medicine’s commitment to fostering a supportive, connected, and sustainable work environment. Our work is centered on five key priorities: a strong organizational Structure through an engaged Wellness Committee, meaningful Recognition of faculty and staff contributions, comprehensive Support for the multifaceted needs of our community, intentional Community Building, and ongoing efforts to Optimize Workplace Efficiency.
Utilizing our divisional champions on the Wellness Committee, we aim to have a bidirectional flow of information and ideas to develop targeted working groups informed by departmental survey data. This fall we will celebrate the contributions of faculty and staff through our newly created DOM Awards. We are expanding support through caregiver-focused programming and education around leave policies and benefits. We are creating opportunities for connection through events like DOM Family Day coming next spring and interdivisional networking. In parallel, we are identifying workplace challenges and partnering with existing efforts to amplify and implement solutions.
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| Dr. Rakhee Bhayani
Vice Chair for Wellness and Engagement
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Together, these initiatives reflect our shared goal of cultivating an environment where all faculty can thrive.
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Java highlighted Complement Mediated Kidney Disease at ISN’s 2026 World Congress of Nephrology in Yokohama (Read article)
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Schilling appeared on KMOV News: Organ Donation Gave Local Man a Second Chance at Life (Read article)
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A WashU graduate turned her own diagnosis into a purpose (Read article)
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Mariya Khan, MD
Instructor in Medicine
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research
(Read article)
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| Tyler Parsons, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Division of Oncology
(Read article)
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The Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences is proud to announce the 20th annual Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program.
(View the 2026 dates and details) |
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| Tuesday, June 16, 2026
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Delmar DivINe
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| Saturday, June 20, 2026
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Tremayne Shelter at
Creve Coeur Park
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| Tuesday, June 23, 2026
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Eric P. Newman Education Center
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Friday, September 25, 2026
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago
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| Thursday, October 8, 2026
10:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Looking for an enriching summer learning experience? Enroll in our 3-week Bench Fundamentals for Translational Research course! This course combines online instruction with hands-on training to explore scientific investigation. Priority enrollment deadline: Wednesday, July 1st.
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Ready to jumpstart your research? Register now for Fall 2026 Clinical Investigation courses. Eligible individuals not enrolled in a WashU degree program are able to enroll in up to 9 credits of coursework as a non-degree seeking scholar. Enroll by Wednesday, August 1st.
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Contact DOM Media/Marketing Team (dom.media@wustl.edu) if you have questions or requests about social media, marketing, websites, web design, etc.
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660 S. Euclid Ave. | St. Louis, MO 63110 US
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