Issue 92, December 2025

As another calendar year ends, I invite you to take a moment and review all that we have accomplished. I am deeply grateful for each of your contributions and proud of all that we have accomplished as a team. Thank you, and I look forward to our continued work in 2026!

Student Awards:
The Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship provides financial support for first- and second-year medical students to conduct mentored research. Proposals are due to Dr. Allyson Zazulia, WashU Medicine AΩA Chapter Councilor, by Friday, December 12, 2025. 

Residents & Fellows Awards: Postgraduate Fellowships are awarded for research or scholarly projects in the spirit of the AΩA mission. Up to 5 projects will each receive a $6,000 award.  Applicants must be nominated by their residency or fellowship program director. Notify Dr. Zazulia by Monday, April 27, 2026, if you plan to make a submission.

Additional Award Opportunities: National AΩA Website

Application Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025, 11:59PM
This Academy of Educators course is designed for ambitious individuals seeking to excel in leadership roles across WashU Medicine's educational programs. LEAP is tailored to support emerging leaders in health professions education and administration, equipping you with the tools and knowledge necessary to drive success in your career. | Additional Details & Application

Letter of Intent Deadline: Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Application Deadline: Monday, March 16, 2026
The Society of Bedside Medicine, in partnership with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Northwestern University Center for Bedside Medicine, is accepting letters of intent for its Bedside Medicine Scholars Program. The one-year program provides a $35,000 stipend (plus an additional $5,000 for travel) to support a project at the scholar’s home institution that promotes diagnostic excellence and the reduction of diagnostic error. | More Information

Application Deadline: Monday, January 5, 2026 for full-time applicants and Monday, July 15, 2026 for part-time applicants
The Institute for Informatics, Data Science and Biostatistics (I2DB) is now accepting applications for two new programs: a Master of Science and a Graduate Certificate in Biomedical Data Science and AI. These programs are eligible for HR Tuition Benefits. | More Information

Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
This certificate course is ideal for educators who have developed a proposal for an education scholarship project/research study. The course will equip educators to complete and revise IRB applications, manage projects, and disseminate study results. The course is eight weeks long, two hours per week via Zoom with independent work required in between meetings. This is a collaboration between Academy of Educators and Medical Education Research & Evaluation (MERE). | Learn More & Apply

Application Deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2026
The Internship in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science is a funded, 11-week internship that allows undergraduate and master’s students to explore the field of biomedical informatics. Guided by faculty mentors and research scientists, interns focus on supporting and elevating biomedical informatics through research translation and practice. | More Information

Application Deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 11:59PM
This highly interactive Academy of Educators course supports faculty skill development in learner assessment (including direct observation, feedback, and more) and in designing and enhancing assessment programs. Whether you work with students, residents, or fellows, if you’re looking to improve your assessment and feedback skills, this course is for you! | Additional Details & Application

Application Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026, 11:59PM
Questions | Requirements | Application
The Academy of Educators and the Medical Education Research Unit (MERU) of WashU Medicine are pleased to announce the call for grant funding proposals for education research and scholarship projects. Projects must be focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning, rather than biomedical discovery or application. Proposals may originate from any unit within the School of Medicine. The principal investigator must be a WashU Medicine faculty member. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded based on a competitive review process. 

View details & register for all events here. 

Power & Positionality
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 9, 12-1PM
Location: Virtual (Link provided at registration.)
Delve into the different types of power, and how and when to use yours when working with others.  

Foundations of IPE
Date/Time: Friday, January 9, or January 24, 2026, 8:45AM-3:30PM
Location: FLTC (Details upon registration.)
This course explores IPE competencies and the emerging CIPE longitudinal curriculum through simulation, role-play, and videos. Lunch is provided with registration, but not guaranteed for registrations received within one week of the workshop.

Congratulations, HPSLC!
CIPE’s Health Professional Student Leadership Council (HPSLC) received Vot-ER’s Civic Health Champion award for their work around Voter Education Week and keeping civic health front and center on our campus. Well done, HPSLC! 

Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026 | Submit Content
Event: March 26, 2026 
Gratitude-themed submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 In Our Own Words event. Trainees, students, and faculty members from WashU programs dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and communities are invited to submit visual art or stories for this unique event. Selected participants will showcase their visual art, and storytellers will present on stage. This event is a collaboration between Bernard Becker Medical Library and the Office of Education. | More Information

Registration Deadline: Friday, January 23, 2025 | Register to Attend
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11AM-1PM
Location: North Medical Building, 1st Floor, Moore Auditorium
The Academy of Educators invites you to Teachfest Royale: An 8-Minute Didactic Challenge. Each participant has prepared a teaching talk on an assigned theme. This year’s theme is “Lessons from Left Field - Teaching Pearls from Unexpected Places.” Faculty judges will rate each talk on design, content, delivery and time.

Enhance your research expertise and impact with the Certificate in Clinical Effectiveness or Certificate in Health Equity and Disparities. These programs are designed for physicians and clinical doctorates, including MD, DO, DPT, PhD, and PharmD, and those currently enrolled in a doctoral program. Apply here for a Fall 2026 start date. Questions? Contact: MPHS@wustl.edu  | Learn More

Graduate courses in Applied Health Behavior Research, Biostatistics, and Biomedical Informatics at WashU Medicine are your gateway to unlocking incredible career opportunities. These courses provide powerful tools to help you elevate your professional skills and achieve career goals in groundbreaking research. Select Spring courses on the Medical Campus are open to WashU employees for enrollment as non-degree seeking students and are eligible for the HR Tuition Benefit. | Course List | More Information

The WashU Medicine Clinical Research Training Center offers opportunities to cultivate an engaged and informed community of clinical investigators at WashU and beyond. Educate future leaders in medicine as an ASPIRE mentor, enroll in courses for Spring 2026, or explore training programs like the TL1 Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Programs. Contact the CRTC | More Information

The Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) aims to provide connection and belonging to all residents and fellows at our GME Consortium from multidisciplinary medical graduate programs invested in advocacy, mentorship, community building, and service-learning. Established in 2006, the CEI is a collaborative effort between Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH), Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MBMC), St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and WashU Medicine. The nine-month program consists of monthly small group meetings, mentored meals, cohort bonding events, and a Capstone Project. Those who complete the program receive a $4,000 stipend. 

Danielle Cicka, Internal Medicine Residency, PGY-2

Marco Costanza, Dermatology Residency, PGY-2

Thailandria Daniels, Emergency Medicine Residency, PGY-2

Rawan Hammoud, Pediatrics Residency, PGY-2

Shawn He, Pediatrics Residency, PGY-3

Shannon Jiang, Radiation Oncology Residency, PGY-3

Mensur Koso, Diagnostic Radiology Residency, PGY-2

Amina Kunnummal, Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship, PGY-2

April Lewis, Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency, PGY-2

Yuting Peng, Medical Physics Residency, PGY-2

Kajal Sachdev-Gande, Categorical Pediatrics Residency, PGY-3

Mandeep Sandhu, Dermatology Residency, PGY-2

Lade Sogade, General Surgery Residency, PGY-4

Yinghong (Elisa) Zhao, Pediatrics Residency, PGY-2

Provost’s Research Excellence Award (left)
Graduate student Kia Barclay of the Li Lab has been selected as a Graduate Student Recipient of the 2025 Provost’s Research Excellence Award, a prestigious university-wide honor recognizing outstanding research achievement. Barclay is one of seven students across both the Danforth and Medical campuses to receive the award this year and the sole honoree representing the School of Medicine, underscoring the exceptional impact of her scientific contributions. | Full Story

2025 Fall Race to the Finish (top right)
In November, DBBS hosted its growing tradition, Race to the Finish, a special celebration honoring students who either have recently defended their thesis or are about to defend. Graduates enjoyed heartfelt remarks, toasts, food, and opportunities to connect with career resources and ways to stay involved with the DBBS community. | Insta Celebration

First-Generation Student Celebration (bottom right)
Also in November, DBBS hosted its First-Generation College Graduate Celebration, in collaboration with the Taylor Family Center, strengthening university-wide programming for First-Generation students. Our First-Generation student leaders shared statistics, personal reflections, and lead community-building activities that connected attendees across undergraduate, graduate, and medical programs. 

Last month, Catherine Lang, PT, PhD, FAPTA,  Barbara J. Norton Distinguished Professor of Physical Therapy at WashU Medicine presented her talk From Motion to Meaning: Empowering Neurorehabilitation Across the Lifespan via Wearable Sensing for the Duke Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Seminar series at Duke University. Dr. Lang (middle) also reunited with Dr. Todd Cade (left), a former WashU PT faculty member who is now the Division Chief and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University, and Dr. Tiffany Hilton (right), a former WashU PT postdoc who currently serves as Program Director, Director of Professional Education, and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University.

In November, Matt King, Multimedia Specialist for Continuing Medical Education, performed a humorous piece about his experience as the Tooth Fairy at the St. Louis Storytelling Festival’s Amateur Story Hour. King wrote the piece as part of a Humor Writing course offered through the Continuing & Professional Studies school. He was one of seven amateur writers chosen for the inaugural amateur portion of the event. | CAPS Article | Library Video

"What does it take to become the kind of doctor a family can trust with their child’s heart?" St. Louis Children's Hospital cardiologist, Eli Fredman, MD shares this personal reflection on his experience as a cardiologist in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. | Full Article

People-pleasing may look like collaboration, but it could be harming your chances to advance your career, writes Beatriz Victoria Albina in this SmartBrief article. | Full Article

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