WashU Medicine

Some moments remind us what our work is truly about. In a powerful essay, WashU Medicine pediatric cardiologist Eli S. Fredman, MD, reflects on the quiet costs of the calling — and why being present with families is crucial to care. Read his perspective. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🔗: medicine.washu.edu/news/glp-1-m... WashU Medicine researchers have discovered yet another benefit of GLP-1 drugs: they may aid in substance use disorders. The promising study led by @zalaly.bsky.social suggests a common biological pathway underlying addiction that could reduce risk and harm.

A risk factor for liver disease: your parent’s body weight | WashU Medicine A study by researchers at WashU Medicine shows risk for a common liver disorder starts much earlier in life than thought.

A parent’s weight before their child is born could influence that child’s liver health decades later. WashU Medicine researchers found that this factor is directly to the child’s risk of liver disease by their 20s — shedding light on the roots of metabolic health.
medicine.washu.edu/news/a-risk-...

Study explains how ketogenic diets prevent seizures | WashU Medicine New findings in mice shed light on the brain’s response to the keto diet, long known to help treat some patients with epilepsy.

A strict keto diet is known to reduce seizures in some children with epilepsy, but it hasn't been clear why — until now. See what researchers discovered about ketogenic eating which could pave the way to new epilepsy therapies. medicine.washu.edu/news/study-e...

🔗: medicine.washu.edu/news/app-aid... The path to recovery isn't a straight line — and a free, easy-to-use app offers Missouri residents effective resources so they don't have to walk it alone.

Surprising culprit leads to chronic rejection of transplanted lungs, hearts | WashU Medicine Blocked lymphatic drainage could play an unappreciated role in organ rejection, pointing to possible treatments, a new study finds.

Scientists have figured out why transplanted organs can still be rejected, even with immune-suppressing medication. The cause: the organ's lymphatic system. Read how researchers used their discovery to devise new ways to stop organ rejection. medicine.washu.edu/news/surpris...

Mind Over Matter Dr. Hong Chen, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering and neurosurgery at WashU Medicine

What began as a skiing accident may change brain medicine forever. In a new Q&A, Hong Chen, PhD, shares the unlikely origins of neurosonics, a field she has coined and pioneered using noninvasive ultrasound to better understand and treat brain disease. thestl.com/conversation...

🔗: medicine.washu.edu/news/washu-m... Amjad Musleh, MD, believes medicine is rooted in empathy and caring for one another. As head student coach at WashU Medicine, he embodies that belief by mentoring learners and helping future physicians build confidence. Read his inspiring story.

Curious From the Start - Outlook Magazine Basic science is the spark that turns bold questions into breakthroughs — uncovering the mechanisms of disease and unlocking entirely new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and even cure them. By invest...

Before a diagnosis changes everything — before a cure can be found — a mystery must be solved. For that, you need an investigation. In Outlook magazine, meet the visionary BJC Investigators uncovering answers that are changing what’s possible for patients. outlook.washu.edu/curious-from...

For families facing Alzheimer’s, scientific progress matters. That’s why we’re proud to announce Randy Bateman, MD, has received the Goodes Prize for work including the first Alzheimer’s blood test and leadership of the landmark DIAN-TU prevention trials.

A newly discovered Alzheimer’s “clock” may be ticking in the blood. Read how Suzanne E. Schindler, MD, PhD, and team built a model using blood tests to estimate when symptoms could begin — opening new possibilities for earlier diagnosis and prevention.

$80 million supports research into exceptional longevity | WashU Medicine A grant renewal from the NIH will continue a long-running study of extreme longevity in families, seeking genetic clues to healthy aging.

“So much of medical research is focused on genetic problems that cause disease ... but I am also fascinated by the opposite question: are there genetic variants that cause good things to happen in the body?" -Michael Province, WashU Medicine professor of genetics medicine.washu.edu/news/80-mill...

From the moment she received her scholarship, Cerise felt supported in pursuing a career in academic medicine. Here, students are defined by their ambition and impact — not by their financial circumstances. Watch her story. mdadmissions.wustl.edu/financial-su...

Parkinson’s Disease treatment is entering a new era. An extraordinary discovery at WashU Medicine reveals a hidden brain network at the heart of the disease — reshaping the future of precise, non-invasive treatment.

Method spots early signs of infection after breast cancer reconstruction | WashU Medicine A new tool developed by WashU Medicine researchers could allow for preemptive treatment of implant infections and improve women’s outcomes.

New tech targets a common risk after mastectomy reconstruction: implant infection. Developed by WashU Medicine researchers, this tool finds hidden infection early — allowing preemptive treatment to save the reconstruction. medicine.washu.edu/news/method-...

Gulur named head of anesthesiology | WashU Medicine Padam Gulur, MD, a nationally renowned pain specialist who developed widely adopted care models for pain management, joins WashU Medicine.

WashU Medicine is delighted to welcome Dr. Padma Gulur to lead the Department of Anesthesiology. As a national leader in pain management, she has developed widely adopted models to improve care for patients. medicine.washu.edu/news/gulur-n...

Congratulations to Varro Life Sciences, Armor Medical and Panome Bio for being named to St. Louis Business Journal’s 2026 Startups to Watch. We're proud to see WashU startups driving global health care innovation right here in St. Louis. www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news...

When care and research work hand in hand, medicine breaks barriers. Read how dual-path programs at WashU Medicine train physician-scientists to turn clinical observations into real-world cures — visit Outlook magazine online for the full story. outlook.washu.edu/dual-path-si...

Brain network responsible for Parkinson’s disease identified | WashU Medicine In a new study, treatments targeted to the network resulted in greater improvements in symptoms compared to treating nearby brain regions.

Parkinson's disease affects over 10 million people worldwide. A new study led by WashU Medicine researchers is paving the way for more personalized, non-invasive treatment, tackling this neurological disorder at its root. @ndosenbach.bsky.social medicine.washu.edu/news/brain-n...

You may know WashU Medicine as a top medical school. But did you know our physicians provide the care at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children’s Hospital? And that care is backed by our leading research. physicians.wustl.edu

Nasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents | WashU Medicine WashU Medicine researchers have developed and tested a mucosal vaccine against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The team behind a nasal COVID-19 vaccine is now targeting bird flu. With H5N1 spreading to farms and, in rare cases, people, WashU Medicine's infectious disease experts developed a nasal spray that protects animals from infection. medicine.washu.edu/news/nasal-v...

Immunotherapy reduces plaque in arteries of mice | WashU Medicine Harnessing T cells could expand heart disease therapies beyond lowering cholesterol, a new study by researchers at WashU Medicine has found.

A cell-destroying approach offers new hope for heart disease treatment. See how WashU Medicine researchers are pushing the boundaries of immunotherapy to address cardiovascular disease: medicine.washu.edu/news/immunot...

When Erica Barnell, MD, PhD, saw barriers to life-saving screening for patients, she built a solution. See how this WashU Medicine alum and St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree created an FDA-approved at-home test transforming colorectal cancer detection. outlook.washu.edu/leading-the-...

Breath carries clues to gut microbiome health | WashU Medicine A study in children and mice shows that disease-associated bacteria in the gut can be detected in exhaled breath.

What if a breath test could determine the health of your gut microbiome? Researchers have laid the foundation for such a diagnostic; a new study they found that compounds exhaled in kids' breath indicate which microbes are present, including those tied to disease. medicine.washu.edu/news/breath-...

'It's given me back my life': Groundbreaking clinical trial at Wash U stops Leukemia before it starts Joe Ragey didn't think he would live to walk his daughter down the aisle, but thanks to Dr. Kelly Bolton at Washington University, his fate changed.

He had a 95% chance of developing leukemia. A promising WashU Medicine clinical trial offered a new kind of hope. See how our pioneering research is changing what's possible for cancer prevention. www.ksdk.com/article/news...

Payne elected president of medical informatics organization | WashU Medicine Philip Payne, PhD, the vice chancellor for Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at WashU Medicine and the chief health AI officer for BJC Health and WashU Medicine, has been elected president and c...

Smarter data can mean safer care for patients — and less burden on doctors. Philip Payne, PhD, chief health AI officer for WashU Medicine and BJC Health, was elected president and chair of the AMIA to advance policies that put people first. Read more. medicine.washu.edu/news/payne-e...

🔗: outlook.washu.edu/what-we-do-h... For more than 130 years, physician-scientists at WashU Medicine have pushed the boundaries of discovery with relentless ambition, redefining what’s possible in medicine. Meet the changemakers behind this progress in the new Outlook magazine.

Teamwork and a miracle on the high school soccer field Braden Langwith, a soccer player from Liberty High School, collapsed and wasn't breathing in the middle of a game in October — and teamwork saved his life.

Last October, high schooler Braden Langwith’s soccer match began like any other — then he woke up in a hospital. Read the inspiring story of how quick teamwork by WashU Medicine physicians, on and off the field, helped save his life. www.ksdk.com/article/spor...

We believe every MD student deserves the opportunity to thrive — regardless of finances. At WashU Medicine, 77% receive merit or need-based scholarships, helping most graduates carry less debt than the national average. Listen to Nicholas’ story.

🔗: outlook.washu.edu/a-catalyst-f... Doug Frantz, PhD, vice chancellor for innovation and commercialization, helps speed lab discoveries into real-world care for patients. “People here are fearless — the best at tackling the toughest questions,” he said. Read how in Outlook magazine.