Issue 93, January 2026

Let’s face it, 2025 was a rough year – for science, for medicine, for higher education, for St. Louis. It’s easy to get caught up in the negative. But in 2026, I choose hope.

On New Year’s Day, I read a lovely New York Times article on “Hope in a Time of Cynicism” by Lauren Jackson. Chan Hellman of The Hope Research Center and says, “While optimism is the belief that the future will be better, hope is the belief 'that we have the power to make it so.'” I love this differentiation. Jackson goes on to explain that to have hope, people must be able to envision a different, better future, be motivated to move toward that future, and finally, have the ability to chart a path to that future. Importantly, these elements can be accomplished personally or collectively. | Full Excerpt

Congratulations to Salim Chahin, MD, MSCE and Ram Rohatgi, MD, for being selected as Loeb Teaching Fellows for the 2026-28 term. Chahin's project is called Creating high-quality, rich medical student assessment narratives using artificial intelligence and large language models. Rohatgi's project is called Immersive Small-Group Augmented Reality (AR) for Cardiac Physiology and Congenital Heart Disease Education: Boosting Engagement, Knowledge, and Reasoning across the Teams. | Full Story

Dr. Mike Jones, Director of Community Engagement and Co-Curricular Education for the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, has accepted an exciting new opportunity. Effective February 6, 2026, Mike will serve as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the inaugural Associate Dean of the Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

For three years, Mike has been a driving force in shaping our community. His work has centered on inclusive student support, leadership development, and equity-focused practices. He has been instrumental in building a sense of belonging among our students and introduced milestone celebrations that are now woven into our culture. A key contributor to our Restorative Practices community, Mike worked with the School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—leading initiatives such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week and championing equity across DBBS. 

We are deeply grateful for the structures, programs, and spirit Mike has brought to DBBS and we wish him well.

The WashU Medicine Clinical Research Training Center is here to cultivate the next generation of clinical and translational leaders! We're actively seeking scholars at the undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, postdoctoral, and junior faculty levels to join our programs and elevate their research careers. Our seminar series with Dr. John Abramson and Career Development seminars are open to the WashU community, offering valuable resources and professional development opportunities. Contact the CRTC | More Information

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

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

Implementation & Dissemination in Education Scholarship
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Learn More & Apply

Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment
Application Deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026, 11:59PM
Additional Details & Application

Small Grants Program
Application Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026, 11:59PM
Questions? Contact MERE | Requirements | Application

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

Dates: Friday, January 19 - 23, 2026
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this year’s program is themed “Historical Memory.” The week features opportunities to engage with inspiring speakers, reflective sessions and celebrations honoring campus community members. Join us as we remember, reflect and celebrate Dr. King’s enduring legacy. All members of our community are welcome as we reflect on ways to further Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality in our daily lives. | Full Schedule

Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026 | Submit Content
Event: March 26, 2026, 6PM
Location: Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center, Danforth Campus | More Information
Gratitude-themed submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 In Our 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 is a collaboration between Becker Medical Library and the Office of Education.

Dates: February 9 - 13, 2026 | More Information
A week of presentations and workshops around all things data, presented by Becker Medical Library, WashU Libraries, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Digital Intelligence & Innovation (DI2) Accelerator, School of Public Health, Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics (I2DB), Brown School Library, Continuing & Professional Studies, and The Graduate Center. All are welcome.

Date/Time: Monday, March 30, 2026, 5-7PM
Location: EPNEC Main Auditorium
We are pleased to announce this year’s annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards (DSTA) Ceremony. This student-led event honors faculty for their outstanding contributions to medical education. We hope you will join us in celebrating these achievements. RSVP is not required. | More Information

Date/Time: Friday, January 24, 2026, 8:45AM-3:30PM | Register
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.

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.

View details & register for all events here. 

Assessment Workshop - Feedback Implementation: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 9-11AM (Rescheduled)
Education Scholarship Series: Begins Monday, January 26, 2026
Teaching with Joy & Creativity Series: Begins Monday, March 30, 2026

Congratulations to all faculty, staff, and student Drum Major Award Recipients. The award recognizes individuals in the WashU Medicine community who embody Dr. Martin Luther King’s spirit (which he spoke on in this 1968 sermon titled “The Drum Major Instinct”) by leading community-wide service projects, serving as mentors, and standing up against injustices. All are welcome to attend the award ceremony, held during MLK Commemoration Week, on January 23, 2026, with refreshments, snacks, photo booths, and more. | RSVP to Attend | All Honorees

Kelly Currie, MD, has been selected to present an oral abstract presentation on an educational innovation she developed for the WashU/ACGME Assessment Hub course, “Serious Play: Using the Operation® Board Game to Strengthen Intraoperative Feedback in Plastic Surgery” at the American Council of Educators in Plastic Surgery Annual Meeting  in February, in Nashville, TN. ACEPS is the leading national education organization for Plastic Surgery. The project was co-authored by Drs. Sara Greer, Ashley Weinhold, and Abby Spencer. | ACEPS Annual Meeting

Physical Therapy faculty members Steve Ambler, Tammy Burlis, Ruth Clark, Greg Holtzman, Patty Navarro McGee, Jess Randolph, Barb Norton, Carey Holleran, and contributor Dr. Jody Frost are recipients of the Stanford Award from the Journal of Physical Therapy Education and the APTA Academy of Education. This award recognizes the authors of the manuscript containing the most influential educational ideas published in the journal during the calendar year (2025). This distinguished group is being honored for their article, “Development of Domains of Competence and Competencies for Physical Therapist Education,” which has made a significant contribution to advancing educational thought and practice in physical therapist education.

Physical Therapy faculty member Dr. Marcie Harris-Hayes has been awarded a grant from the Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP) at WashU. The grant will support her study, “Using Personalized Rehabilitation to Reduce Disease and Increase Activity of Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Feasibility Randomized Clinical Trial.” This funding will enable important research focused on personalized rehabilitation approaches aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica. | CTRFP Information

Amjad Musleh, MD, mentors aspiring physicians in compassionate care. "Earlier this year, he was appointed the medical school’s head coach, also known as the director of the Gateway Coaching Program, which supports medical students professionally and personally throughout their journey to becoming physicians or physician-scientists. The program enhances the traditional academic advising model with faculty coaches who meet with students longitudinally." | Full Article

The student-led clinic delivers much-needed care to uninsured people in the St. Louis area. "The WashU Medicine Pro Bono Health Clinic offers free occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT) and medical intermediary services to uninsured community members in the St. Louis area. Medical intermediary care covers conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and other acute concerns for patients who are waiting to become established with a primary care provider." | Full Article

This MedEdPORTAL publication highlights the foundational climate-health session in the WashU Medicine Gateway Curriculum. This project allows anyone to freely download the peer-reviewed slide decks and implement or adapt them at their own schools. Many people in the WashU community contributed to this project including numerous WashU students as well as faculty. | Full Article

“Networking is essential for career success and academic promotion. However, clinician educators may find the process of developing a network daunting, and struggle to establish the strong and weak ties that are necessary components of a robust network." In their Journal of General Internal Medicine article A Roadmap to Promotion: Leveraging Networks for Your Career Advancement, Spencer and her co-authors "outline specific strategies that clinician educators can easily employ to develop relationships which are meaningful, reciprocal, and supportive. Clinician educators who use these strategies will be able to create diverse networks that can help them achieve their career goals.” | Full Article

In this 2025 TEDx Talk, Tessa West, a Professor of Psychology at New York University and renowned authority on interpersonal communication, explores why teams miss essential information and how our brains are wired to overlook what others don’t know. West reveals the invisible forces that derail communication—even among the smartest, most well-intentioned teams. This talk is a powerful call to slow down, check your shared assumptions, and finally say the thing that “goes without saying.”

In this article from The New Yorker, Dr. Dhruv Khullar discusses the rise of alternative medical advice that people are using in lieu of seeking traditional care and what that means for doctors.

"Not long ago, I cared for a middle-aged man I’ll call Jim, who was generally healthy but had recently started to feel sluggish. One of his friends told him to try a hormone supplement. After Jim saw on social media that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Trump Administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, had endorsed supplements as a part of an 'anti-aging' regimen, he ordered one from a telehealth company. A few months later, he noticed swelling and pain in his calf. ChatGPT warned him that he might have a blood clot. I met Jim for the first time in the emergency room." | Full Article (The New Yorker) | Full Article (Internet Archive)

In this article from The Atlantic, Arthur Brooks explore the value of proxy goals and what you should focus on if you want to be happy. (Hint, it’s not stuff and it’s not what others think; it’s the journey!)

"To improve your long-term well-being, however, not all proxy goals are created equal. They must align with your internal values and interests, which psychologists call 'self-concordance.' Self-concordant proxies have three basic characteristics, which bear careful consideration."  | Full Article

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