Issue 99, July 2026

I never lose. I either win or learn.
I encountered this quote on a T-shirt last month and it struck me as relevant to us and our work, perhaps now more than ever. Often attributed to Nelson Mandela, “I never lose. I either win or learn," captures something essential about how the most effective people, and the most resilient institutions, move through the world. In health professions and scientific education, we should take this statement seriously – not as a motivational slogan (although it works for that too), but as a genuine philosophy of practice. | Full Excerpt

The EXPLORE program is seeking a new Research Pathway Lead to provide the vision and leadership necessary to develop, implement, and continuously improve medical student opportunities in research. This is a 0.2 FTE position and an excellent opportunity to participate in the growth and shaping of medical education. Interested faculty should submit a CV and statement of interest to Roz Robinson at explore@wustl.edu by July 31, 2026. Questions? Contact EXPLORE Director, Terrance Kummer, MD, PhD. | More Information

Application Deadline: July 10, 2026 | Apply to PD Bootcamp
Applications are open for the 2026-2027 Program Director Bootcamp. This certificate program is open to new, aspiring, and experienced residency and fellowship Program Directors from both accredited and non-ACGME accredited programs as well as current Associate Program Directors. This course aims to enhance GME knowledge, foster connections with other GME leaders, develop new skills, and tackle common PD challenges. | More About PD Bootcamp

Deadline: Wednesday, August 5, 2026 | Learn More & Apply Here
The Community Engagement Initiative Fellow Application for the 2026-2027 program is now open! Established in 2006 by the Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation, the CEI program aims to provide connection and belonging to residents and fellows from trans-disciplinary medical graduate programs invested in advocacy, mentorship, community building, and service-learning. Since the program’s start, over 164 trainees have participated in CEI. Eligibility: WashU Medicine residents or fellows (MDs) at BJC/St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Deadline: Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 11:59pm | Learn More & Apply Here
This certificate program targets junior educators (1-5 years out of training) as well as faculty who are newly incorporating teaching excellence into their careers. Offered from October to June each academic year, the FITS program focuses on providing instruction in foundational teaching skills and establishing a community of educators with each cohort. Participants will receive mentorship, as well as feedback on their teaching skills through direct observations.

Looking to enhance your research? Register for Clinical Investigation courses offered by the WashU Medicine Clinical Research Training Center! The Bench Fundamentals for Translational Research course combines theory and hands-on application (Aug. 3-21). Gain deeper knowledge in core competencies of clinical research and investigation through Clinical Investigation Bootcamp or our other Fall 2026 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. Credits earned can later be applied to the Graduate Certificate or Master of Science in Clinical Investigation. Questions? Contact: crtcmsci@wustl.edu 

The Master of Population Health Sciences degree and certificates are designed to prepare current and aspiring public health leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to impact health outcomes for patient populations. You will explore key public health issues in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical effectiveness, and outcome research. Applications accepted on a rolling basis; Fall 2026 courses begin August 17, 2026. | More Information

Date: Now through September 30, 2026
Location: Glaser Gallery, 7th floor, Bernard Becker Medical Library
The Bernard Becker Medical Library invites you to visit the newest Glaser Gallery exhibition: A Thousand Words: The History of Medical Illustrations in Print. The rare books in this exhibit showcase how medical illustrations intertwined art, medicine and technological advancements to impact society and shape today’s modern medical practice. | More Information

Date/Time: Tuesday, July 20, 2026, 4-6PM | Register
Location: The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
Join CIPE at the Kemper Art Museum on the Danforth Campus to explore how creativity and conversation contribute to team cohesion. We’ll begin by working together to interpret works of art in the Kemper Art Museum through guided discussion. Then, flex your own creative problem-solving power through a fun, low-stakes design challenge that will embrace mindfulness, joy, and team building.

Date/Time: Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026 | Join or Donate to the WashU Medicine Team
Location: The Family Arena, St. Charles, MO
Pedal the Cause is the largest annual fundraising event that supports cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center & Siteman Kids. Participants of all ages can take part in various ways, from selecting a course ranging from 10- to 100-mile long to biking in-person or on a stationary bike at home. Contact Mollie Zolkind for volunteer opportunities and WashU Medicine Team student captain, Mark Li, with questions about fundraising or training. | More Information

Date/Time: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 2:30-5:30PM 
Location: Farrell Learning & Teaching Center Atrium & Hearth
Save the date for the EXPLORE Program’s 2026 Symposium celebrating the scholarly work of WashU medical students. The Symposium will feature a keynote address, a selection of student oral presentations, and a student poster session. Refreshments will be served! | Questions? Contact the EXPLORE Team.

View details & register for all events here. 

Teaching with Joy & Creativity Series

Educational Building Blocks

Education Scholarship Series

Enrollment is open for the National Board of Medical Examiners' fall assessment workshops. NBME workshops teach skills and strategies to create assessments that more effectively measure student knowledge. Open to all faculty. | Register

In April, Nushrat Rashid, and Hayley Sussman, both PhD Students from the Plant & Microbial Biosciences program, were selected to participate in the CASE (Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering) Workshop. Sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, “the CASE Workshop is a fantastic crash course in how our government and federal funding work, the history of science policy in the US, and how to effectively communicate the importance of your research to policymakers. If you have an interest in science policy and advocacy but don’t know where to start, the CASE workshop is a great place to begin,” said Hayley Sussman. | More about the CASE Workshop

Dominique Cosco, MD, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official, has been announced as a 2026 recipient of the Dean’s Medal, an honor given to WashU Medicine’s most impactful faculty. Cosco is recognized for her exceptional leadership, collaboration, and creativity in Graduate Medical Education. Congratulations, Dr. Cosco! | Full Story

Christina Bourantas, BA

Yi Kang, DPT

Anna Spracklin, PT, DPT, MS

Catherine Lang, PT, PhD, FASNR, FAPTA

Michael Harris, PhD

Stephen Ambler, PT, DPT, PhD, MPH

Movement Science PhD Students Receive National Honors

NIH T32 Training Grant Renewed for Movement Science PhD Program
Congratulations to Catherine Lang and Michael Harris on the successful renewal of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 training grant that supports the Movement Science PhD Program. Securing a T32 award is highly competitive, and renewing one is a high achievement. 
Michael Harris Receives AI for Health Seed Funding Award
Congratulations to Michael Harris, who received funding through the WashU AI for Health Seed Funding Program. The award will support his research project, "AI-assisted Image Segmentation and Surface Reconstruction of the Hip Across the Lifespan."
Steve Ambler Featured on Accepted Podcast
Steve Ambler was featured on the Accepted Podcast discussing the WashU Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, including the admissions process, learner-centered curriculum, and what makes the student experience unique. | More about the Accepted Podcast 

Congratulations to Adam Wyatt, PhD, as he has recently joined the editorial team of Perspectives on Medical Education as an Associate Editor. “I'm excited to represent WashU Medicine as part of the PME editorial team. As one of the premier medical education research journals, our involvement demonstrates our relevance and impact in helping to shape global conversations at the intersection of educational research and clinical education,” said Wyatt. | Browse PME

Marysa Cristofaro, Class of '27

Chloe Cevan, MGC, CGC

Rachel Slaugh, MS, CGC

Cristofaro Awarded Scholarship
Rising second-year student Marysa Cristofaro received the Martin and Margaret Israel Scholarship for the 2026–2027 academic year from the Fragile X Resource Center of Missouri.
Cevan and Slaugh Honored as Outstanding Faculty
Congratulations to Chloe Cevan, MGC, CGC and Rachel Slaugh, MS, CGC for being awarded Outstanding Supervisor Award (Cevan) and Outstanding Educator Award (Slaugh) by their peers and colleagues at the recent Program in Genetic Counseling retreat.

The PRe-college Immersive Medical-training Experience (PRIME) Program recently completed its inaugural summer session. The launch of this program was a collaborative partnership among WashU Medicine, BJC Goldfarb School of Nursing, the WashU Institute for School Partnership, St. Louis Integrated Health Network, and the Florissant-Ferguson School District. PRIME is a 4-week immersive pre-college summer experience designed to create new pathways for high school students to explore careers in healthcare, by providing hands-on exposure to a variety of healthcare professions. The program introduces participants to healthcare career pathways while helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to pursue future educational and professional opportunities in the health sciences. WashU Medicine physical therapy, orthopedic surgery, oncology, and medical genetics faculty, residents, and students facilitated portions of the program. | More about Academic Pathway Programs

WashU Medicine Hosts 2026 OT Summit of Scholars Conference
The Program in Occupational Therapy recently hosted the OT Summit of Scholars Conference at which over 200 attendees came from across the country and even a couple of international institutions. Sponsored by AOTF and NBCOT, this an annual research conference is designed to bring OT scholars together to share research, formulate ideas and network. The conference is a collaboration between the University of Washington, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, and WashU Medicine. | More about the Summit
Lee Awarded Kielhofner Scholarship
RAPS PhD candidate Jinnie Lee, MSOT, OTR/L is the 2026 recipient of the Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. Lee received $5,000 to support her dissertation: "Motivation and Habit Integration in Stroke Rehabilitation: Pathways to Improved Daily Physical Activity." Congratulations, Jinnie!

Congratulations to Dr. Eve Colson on the birth of her first grandchild, Logan Mae Sprengel, on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Logan, Bekah and Mike are doing great, and everyone is enjoying family bonding time. Mazel Tov, Eve AKA “Bubs.”

In April, the Center for the History of Medicine once again sponsored a trip to Europe for Phase 3 medical students as part of the Dissecting the Past elective. Head of Rare Books Elisabeth Brander, Professors of Anatomy Amy Bauernfeind and Krikor Dikranian, and 11 students with an interest in exploring the history of their chosen profession went to Italy to explore the country’s medical heritage. | Full Article

Kristina Petersen, PhD, Associate Dean for Student Success and Access, recently published in BME Medical Education a paper measuring the efficacy of disabilities curriculum in undergraduate medical education. Despite efforts by many to implement disabilities curriculum into UME, the absence of a mandated, comprehensive, longitudinal curriculum likely contributes to health disparities experienced by people with disabilities. This paper is the first to examine the impact of a four-year medical school disabilities curriculum on five cohorts of allopathic medical students’ knowledge, confidence, and attitudes regarding care for PWD. Medical students who engaged in curricular sessions reported increased knowledge and comfort caring for PWD, and many demonstrated statistically significant improvements in their perceived confidence in supporting PWD. | Full Article

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