April 2025

On April 17, our Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics Chief, Brad Evanoff, MD, MPH, will be presenting at the monthly Faculty Development Seminar Series. The presentation is titled, "Effective Mentor-Mentee Collaborations" and will be held in Eric P. Newman Education Center from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided. You can register here. 

On April 18th, Brian Gage, MD, MSc will be speaking at this month's General Medicine & Geriatrics Grand Rounds. His presentation is titled "Antithrombotic Therapy for Venous Thromboembolism, Prosthetic Valves and Atrial Fibrillation" and will be held via Zoom from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Attendees can join here. 

The Science for Health Systems Conference (S4HS), happening Oct. 29–31,2025 at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center at Washington University in St. Louis is an groundbreaking event bringing together researchers, policymakers, and implementers from multiple disciplines and regions of the world to share health system research methods and findings to maximize health impact. This inaugural conference is being organized in partnership with the School of Medicine, the new School of Public Health and the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) Network.

Registration is now open – [register here] – with special rates available for students, early-career participants and researchers for low-or middle-income countries. We are also accepting abstracts focused on health system reform and redesign. Submissions are welcome until May 1st– [submit your abstract here]. For those interested in deepening their understanding of health system quality measurement and analysis, we encourage participation in the Skill Lab, a pre-conference session designed to build practical skills and foster connections – [learn more here].

If you would like to have more information about the S4HS Conference or are interested in partnering with us for this important event, please don’t hesitate to contact Laura Espinoza-Pajuelo at espinozapajuelo@wustl.edu. For questions related to registration or abstracts submissions, please reach out to Sue Bevan at sbevan@scienceforhealthsystems.org.

Exciting Opportunity for Faculty: Engage a Skilled Research Assistant from the MS in Applied Health Behavior Research Program!

Are you looking to advance your research projects with the help of a talented and dedicated research assistant? Students starting the MS in Applied Health Behavior Research program in the Summer and Fall 2025 semesters are looking for an opportunity to collaborate with faculty members to contribute to impactful and innovative projects. 

By engaging a research assistant, you can:

Enhance Your Research Capabilities: Benefit from the fresh perspectives, rigorous training, and methodological expertise of our students.

Foster Collaboration: Build meaningful collaborations and mentor the next generation of health behavior researchers.

Advance Your Projects: Get support on data collection, analysis, literature reviews, and other key research activities.

For more information about the AHBR program and the specialized training our students receive, visit our website: ahbr.wustl.edu. Don't miss this chance to elevate your research and work with passionate and driven individuals. If you are interested or want to learn more, please send your name, job title, and department to Callista Poiter at c.poiter@wustl.edu.

Ali Heimann, FNP-C is a previous registered nurse in GYN ONC and is so excited to join GMG as a nurse practitioner at WashU Complete Care. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Blake, and they have an Australian Labradoodle named Love who they adore. Ali and her husband currently live in St. Charles, MO. In her free time, she loves reading romance novels, doing puzzles, spending time with family, and going on walks. Ali is personable, kind, and has a great listening ear. 

Welcome, Ali!

Janice Hanson, PhD, EdS, MH was awarded the COMSEP Achievement Award and honored as the 2025 CGEA Laureate. 

Per the COMSEP President, Gary Beck Dallaghan, "The Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) Achievement Award is given to a current or former COMSEP member whose substantial contribution to the organization - in several realms - has resulted in the ongoing success, recognition, and growth of COMSEP. This individual has taken a lead role on at least one project of great significance to COMSEP. Further, this individual has served as a model of commitment to the organization as well as to the professional growth and development of other COMSEP members through such activities as program development, meeting planning, governance, and mentoring.

"Due to Jan's extensive mentoring she has done with many of us, the rigor and elegance of educational scholarship has truly been elevated due to her guidance and involvement. It was so nice to see her get the award."

Janice Hanson was honored as the 2025 CGEA Laureate. CGEA Laureates are honored for their contributions to Medical Education through development of other medical educators, contributions to the CGEA annual program, leadership, and on-going scholarly contributions that advance the discipline of medical education through the CGEA.

Congratulations, Dr. Hanson!

Amy McQueen, PhD, presented a research poster, March 26th, at the annual conference for the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) based on her ongoing Siteman Investment Program grant from the Barnes Jewish Hospital Cancer Frontier Fund. Also pictured is her collaborator Dr. Jennifer Hay from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The poster presented preliminary reactions to standard messages about alcohol as a risk factor for cancer, including low agreement among participants (39.2%) with the alcohol-cancer link post-message exposure. Results will inform an interview guide for qualitative interviews and for developing improved messages for a future randomized trial. Amy was also inducted as a Fellow of SBM this year. Congratulations, Dr. McQueen!

McIntosh

Tristan McIntosh, PhD was invited to speak as a panelist at the International Neuroethics Society Webinar titled “Neuroethics and Neurotechnology in Conversation”. The webinar had representatives from both industry and academia on the panel, and attendees were global. The discussion was about core principles that should shape neurotechnology and its development in a way that builds trust and how to ensure that meaningful neuroethics critique remains an integral part of future neurotechnology development, rather than an expendable afterthought or being seen as something that stifles progress. Congratulations, Dr. McIntosh!

Harris 

Iesha Harris, MA attended and presented at the 2025 Missouri Association of College Admission Counseling (MOACAC) Conference on April 3 in St. Louis. Iesha's presentation was titled, "The Intersection of Disability & First-Generation College Status: Academic Outcomes and Insights" and discussed how academic performance and college readiness impacts first-generation college students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities in today's society. Congratulations, Iesha!

Happy birthday to our GMG faculty and staff who are celebrating in the months of April & May!

Kelly McDermott, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

One of the things I enjoy most about my role as a primary care physician is getting to meet and learn about the lives of my patients. Each day brings a new opportunity to connect with people, hear their stories, and support them in meaningful ways. I find it incredibly rewarding to help patients navigate the often confusing healthcare system and advocate for their needs. I also really enjoy the time I spend in clinic—working alongside such incredible coworkers makes every day fun and enjoyable.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I love being outdoors—whether it’s hiking, running, biking the Katy trail, or walking through Forest Park or the Botanical Gardens. I enjoy exploring different neighborhoods around St. Louis with my partner Preston and our dog Havoc, including our own neighborhood of Soulard. I'm a proud plant parent with a collection of over 40 houseplants and I love Carolina Basketball, Boston Red Sox, and of course, have adopted all St. Louis sports. 

Favorite movie/TV show/music/book?

Favorite movie: Remember the Titans

Favorite TV show: The Office vs Peaky Blinders

Music: alt indie or any live music

Book: Harry Potter

Tristan McIntosh, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy being able to work on a range of social and professional issues that I find interesting and impactful. I feel lucky to be able to lead projects at a national level and work with other community groups to identify solutions to issues that are actually feasible to implement. I also work with teams of thoughtful, smart, and kind people, which is incredibly motivating and helps me weather the ups and downs of the job.  

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy traveling, eating good food, and spending quality time with my partner, friends, and family. My favorite places I’ve traveled are Alaska, New Zealand, and South Africa. Some of my favorite St. Louis restaurants are Indo, Balkan Treat Box, and Mainlander. I also spend a good bit of time at BarK with my dog Walter, who is a Great Dane mix.

Favorite movie/TV show/music/book?

I love watching movies (both at home and at the movie theater!) and listening to live music. Some of my favorite new movies from this past year are Flow, Anora, and The Substance. My favorite concert venue in St. Louis is The Pageant, and I have seen several artists there. One book I read recently that is worth reading is Painted Wolves by Kelsey Medeiros – it is a great non-fiction read about women in leadership and provides a unique perspective on how to lead differently.

Jim DuBois, DSc, PhD

Executive Director of Bioethics Research Center

Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love learning new things. So my favorite parts of a research project involve doing literature reviews and analyzing data—by the time I have my results and know how the story ends, I’m bored. Writing up empirical papers is just a chore.

I am fortunate to work with great people. We all come into the office on Tuesdays, and I really value our time together. (I also like working at home with my dog at my side.)

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy studying the history of calculus, especially its precursors within ancient Babylon and Egypt. Just kidding. I enjoy hiking and drumming. On any given day, I’m also slowly working through a novel, reading about 30 mins before bed.

Favorite movie/TV show/music/book?

If you were to ask me if I enjoy musicals, I’d probably say no. But most of my favorite movies are built around music—e.g., The Blues Brothers, O Brother Where Art Thou, and Moulin Rouge. In general, I like odd films with interesting characters—e.g., Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.