The official newsletter of the Department of Medicine
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Dear colleagues and friends,
Welcome to the fall edition of the DOM Insider!
There are many exciting things happening across the Department of Medicine this season. We are in the final stages of fellowship recruitment, and each of our programs has received applications from many outstanding candidates. We look forward to celebrating together on Fellowship Match Day, December 3rd. Medicine residency recruitment is also well underway, and we are eager to meet the next generation of exceptional trainees.
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We also recently celebrated the opening of the new Barnes-Jewish Hospital State-of-the-Art Patient Care Tower—a stunning, 16-story facility designed to provide a patient-centered experience with private rooms for heart and vascular patients, advanced imaging capabilities, and the latest surgical preparation and recovery technology. The Plaza West Tower enhances care not only through innovation, but also through thoughtful, family-friendly spaces and outdoor gardens. If you haven’t yet had a chance to visit, I encourage you to stop by and see this extraordinary addition to our medical campus.
In this issue, our DOM Spotlight features Kandice Roberts, MD, a fellow in our Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program. During her recent time in Kenya, Dr. Roberts witnessed firsthand the challenges of providing cancer care in resource-limited settings. Working alongside colleagues from the Global Oncology Initiative and the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, she is helping advance research, improve patient care, and strengthen sustainable global health partnerships.
Finally, a reminder about the Fall 2025 Mandatory Flu Vaccination Policy. Employees working on campus or in hybrid roles at any WashU Medicine location, as well as select Danforth Campus employees, must receive the influenza vaccine by 5 p.m. on November 17, 2025.
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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Breakthrough Discovery: COPD pathology linked to dysfunctions in cellular protein damage response (Read article)
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Prabhu Lab publishes research on spleen-heart immune link crucial to heart attack recovery
(Read article)
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Millman contributes to landmark review on type 1 diabetes heterogeneity (Read article)
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| Spotlight on Dr. Kandice Roberts |
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WashU Fellow’s Work in Kenya Strengthens Cancer Research and Care
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When Dr. Kandice Roberts, a hematology and oncology fellow at WashU Medicine, arrived at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, Kenya, she expected to learn. What she didn’t anticipate was how deeply the experience would reaffirm her commitment to building long-term, sustainable partnerships in global cancer care.
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| (From right to left) Dr. Roberts, Dr. Odeny, and Dr. Phiona Adagi listen to a patient presentation on oncology consult rounds at JOOTRH
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Plaza West Tower - The Final Stretch to Opening Day |
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When construction winds down and most workers have moved on, the work of the BJC activation team accelerates. Activation is the non-construction process of getting the tower ready for patient care. After the construction teams completed their work, the activation team has been coordinating a well-orchestrated installation of furniture, fixtures and equipment, signage, graphics, artwork and more to be ready for patients and visitors.
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(From left to right) Drs. Rob Young, Radha Devi, and Tim Evans
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| Hospitalists take next steps to Implement Diagnostic Accuracy Improvements |
Radha Devi, MD, Timothy Evans, MD, and Rob Young, MD, have been spearheading the ADEPT (Achieving Diagnostic Excellence Through Prevention and Teamwork) initiative at WashU in collaboration with Colorado’s Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Efficiency (IHQSE). Along with 14 other academic medical institutions across the United States, the WashU ADEPT team is leading the charge to reduce the burden of diagnostic error.
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Innovative approach helps new mothers get hepatitis C treatment |
‘Meds to Beds’ model dramatically improves cure rates among postpartum women, study finds
Hepatitis C, a bloodborne virus that damages the liver, can cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death if left untreated. Despite the availability of highly effective treatments, the prevalence of hepatitis C infection remains high, particularly among women of childbearing age, who account for more than one-fifth of chronic hepatitis C infections globally.
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Dr. Steven Lawrence, MD (left) collaborates with Quinn Payton, a fourth-year medical student, on plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the curriculum
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WashU Medicine works to integrate AI into MD curriculum |
Focus on using AI responsibly as a tool to enhance patient care
As a medical student at WashU Medicine, Quinn Payton often questioned how her professional identity might evolve in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). She knew she wanted to care for patients — with that, she felt confident. Rather, she wondered what that would look like in five years, 10 and beyond.
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Awards/Fellowships/Honors/Accolades |
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Brett and Alexander-Brett awarded Rosenau Family Research Foundation Grant for Cystic Fibrosis Project (Read article)
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Eisen was recognized as the 2025 Medical Honoree at the annual Arthritis Foundation Gala (Read article)
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Chang-Panesso awarded RO1 Grant to Study Cellular Senescence and AKI-to-CKD Transition (Read article)
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Java received inaugural Foundation for Women’s Health Grant to Study Preeclampsia and Complement Pathways (Read article)
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Stitziel has been named a recipient of the Harrington Discovery Institute 2025 Scholar-Innovator Award (Read article)
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Young received award through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program (Read article)
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| Humphreys Appointed to ASN Executive Council
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WashU Nephrology is celebrating the appointment of Benjamin Humphreys, MD, PhD – Joseph Friedman Professor of Renal Diseases in Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology – as the newest Executive Councilor of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). (Read article)
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Office of Faculty Development (OFD) |
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Did you miss the October 9th OFD seminar on Maximizing Your Family and Financial WashU Benefits? This session presented by Dr. Natalie Baumann, Justin Brasel, and Emily Page delved into some of the lesser-known benefits that WashU offers, specifically focusing on family and financial benefits. The goal was to increase awareness and utilization of these benefits. The session recording and PowerPoint can be viewed on our website at: DOM OFD - Faculty Development Seminar Series. Please note that WashU Open Enrollment for Benefits will run from November 3rd – November 14th.
This session was co-hosted by the DOM Office of Faculty Development in collaboration with the DOM Well-Being Council, and the Future Workforce in Medicine (FWIM). Recordings and PowerPoints from previous OFD seminar recordings can also be found at: DOM OFD - Faculty Development Seminar Series
The Department of Medicine welcomed new faculty on Tuesday, August 26th with an institutional resource fair followed by an orientation session. Sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development, over 40 attendees learned about career development, professionalism, and appointments/promotions. Attendees interacted with Dr. Vicky Fraser during Chat with the Chair and with other senior faculty during breakout group discussions.
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| Dr. Milan Anadkat
Vice Chair of Faculty Development
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Dr. Angela L. Brown
Vice Chair for Community Health
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Join IDEAS at DOM on November 20th from 12:00-1:00pm for a virtual workshop on Mindful Eating led by Meg Krejci - WashU’s Wellness Consultant for Mindfulness.
When we live life on automatic pilot we are at the mercy of our habitual patterns of mind and often react to what is going on in our environment in ways that create stress. Using the tools of mindfulness we will begin to discover patterns, urges, cravings, and being to cultivate healthy habits that nourish well-being. This event is event is sponsored by the IDEAS at DOM HEaR Initiative which is supported by a grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
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Mentorship to Enhance Development in Academia (MEDA) |
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Vice Chair for Career Advancement |
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Future Workforce in Medicine (FWIM) |
The 4th annual Trainee Leadership Development Program: Meet our new cohort of trainees for the 8-month longitudinal program geared towards trainees in DOM. We have selected 20 participants for this year's cohort and kicked off our first session in September 2025. We have a terrific line-up of speakers for the program. Read more.
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FWIM Trainee Leadership Development Program trainees AY 2024- 2025
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| Dr. Rakhee Bhayani
Vice Chair for Career Advancement
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The DOM Parents and Caregivers Playdate was held on October 25, allowing caregivers to meet and socialize with one another at De Mun Park.
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2025 Education Day – Hosted by the Academy of Educators |
The Academy of Educators at WashU Medicine is an institutional collaboration dedicated to fostering a culture of educational excellence and an institutionally valued community of leaders in health science education. The Academy supports educators’ continued skill development and educational growth through programs, workshops, grants, and awards. (Read article)
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(from left) Drs. Eileen Lee, Kieran Patel, Mike DeVita, Alison Antes, Tom De Fer, Tony Dao, Abby Spencer, Janice Hanson, and Carolyn Dufault
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2024-2025 Academy of Educators Annual Report |
The DOM Education team is pleased to share our AY25 Annual Report, outlining our accomplishments over the past year as well as our future goals for enhancing medical education within the Department of Medicine! (Read article)
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| Dr. Abby Spencer
Vice Chair of Education
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Vice Chairs of Safety, Quality, and Operations |
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Updates from the Vice Chair of Inpatient Safety, Quality & Operations: |
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The Plaza West Tower is open, the cardiology services completed their moves the week of October 27, 2025. The CCU is now located in 7100; and general cardiology (including Cardiology/Medicine Firm, CREU, hospitalists services, and heart failure services) are on floors 11100-14100.
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The supplemental billing attestation (general smartphrase .hosres) was updated in September, offering additional options in element 1, additional guidance in element 2, and streamlining of choices for element 3.
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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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Updates from the Vice Chair of Ambulatory Clinical Operations, Safety & Quality: |
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A new workflow that checks insurance coverage for hospitalized patients who will be discharged to be seen in follow up at a Wash U clinic is now available for ID, Rheumatology, Endocrine and Nephrology. Cardiology and GI will be going live soon. When appropriate, inpatient attendings or consulting providers should enter an ambulatory referral to these WashU DOM ambulatory clinics through the Discharge Navigator or Future Outpatient orders. These orders will route to the business office to verify coverage, then the team will enter an encounter note regarding contracted or non-contracted coverage. The encounter note can be found in Chart Review. This should help prevent last minute surprises for non-contracted patients and allow for appropriate discharge planning for follow up care.
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eConsults are available for Allergy/Immunology and Dermatology and are to be use for provider-to-provider questions/consultations — similar to a curb-side consult. These do not involve talking to or examining the patient. Order these by typing in “Consult Allergy” or “Consult Dermatology” in Epic. If you wish to refer your patient to be seen by one of these specialties, use the order “Refer” instead to create a referral for the patient to get scheduled. eConsult build is underway for Rheumatology, Nephrology, Hematology and Endocrine and will be going live later this year.
- An Epic Coordinating Committee with a representative from each division of the DOM is being formed to filter and prioritize Epic ticket requests arising from each of our divisions. This committee will have close contact with Epic builders and should result in faster turn around and greater transparency, allowing Epic to work better for all of us.
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Welcome to WashU Medicine |
(l to r - top row) Drs. Sourav Bhattacharya, Conor Grant, Lucas Gu, Syeda Ashna Fatima Kamal, Amani Khalouf, Jessica Kotov, Chunjie Li, and Susan Lin (l to r - bottom row) Drs. Aubriana McEvoy, Cameron Parker, Tej Patel, Giulia Petrone, Nidhi Rohatgi, Armen Sanosyan, Wilbur Song, Samuel Urrutia, and Samuel Zetumer
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We extend a warm welcome to our 17 new faculty across 7 divisions. Our DOM website and social media features more information on each faculty member. We invite you to follow us there!
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Kathryn Riner Named New Clinic Manager of Village Square Dialysis Center
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Congratulations to Kathryn Riner, MS, RD, LD, who will serve as Clinic Manager at our newest dialysis unit, Village Square Dialysis Center in Hazelwood, MO. Kathryn, who joined WashU Nephrology in 2023 as a registered dietitian and nutritionist, brings a wealth of expertise, compassion, and leadership to her new role. After earning her bachelor’s degree in health and sports studies from Miami University, Kathryn went on to complete a dietetic internship from Saint Louis University. (Read article)
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Call for Applications: Partnership Development & Sustainability Support (PDSS) (Applications open 12/8/2025) | View details
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Enhance your research journey by enrolling in Clinical Investigation courses for the spring semester! 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. Credits earned can later be applied to the certificate or Master of Science in Clinical Investigation. View details
- Join the future of clinical and translational science with the TL1 Postdoctoral Training Program! This multidisciplinary program equips postdocs with the skills to excel in research and improve public health through innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellence. View details
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Mondays, Aug. 25 - Dec. 2, 2025
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Zoom
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| Nov. 4, 2025
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Eric P. Newman Education Center
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| Nov. 6, 2025
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Eric P. Newman Education Center
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Nov. 10, 2025
12:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Hillman Hall
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| Nov. 12, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Eric P. Newman Education Center
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| Dec. 2, 2025
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Moore Auditorium
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WashU Sonographer helps save a life with CPR |
Megan Hangyal, an ultrasound sonographer who works at the Center for Advanced Medicine in South County, was celebrating with family and friends at Arnold Days when the crowd around her began to panic. As some fellow attendees asked if medical professionals were present, Megan snapped into action. (Read article)
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| Division of Hematology annual family picnic |
The Hematology Division gathered on September 21st for their annual family picnic. It was a fun and relaxed afternoon filled with good food, laughter, and great company. Faculty, staff, and their families enjoyed the chance to connect outside of work, celebrate the past year’s accomplishments, and make new memories together. |
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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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