At WashU Medicine, virologist Jacco Boon, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases, is turning his attention to a growing but often overlooked public health concern: tick-borne viruses in Missouri and across the Midwest.
Hookworms, intestinal parasites that infect hundreds of millions of people in under-resourced tropical regions around the globe, have evolved to survive inside the human gut for years, secreting molecules that enable co-existence with their hosts. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have harnessed that biological mechanism for potential human benefit, […]
WashU Medicine infectious diseases researchers have developed a practical use of artificial intelligence to enhance patient safety, while potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency at hospitals. Abby Sung, MD, an assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues in the Division of Infectious Diseases, WashU McKelvey School of Engineering AI for Health Institute, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) found that a large language model (LLM) can strengthen a semi-automated surveillance tool used by infection prevention. Dr. Sung, the primary investigator of the study, said the goal was to see if mandatory infection surveillance process could be […]
Nicolo Cabrera, MD, Joseph Cherabie, MD, MSc, and Adriana Rauseo, MD, Assistant Professors of Medicine, and Aaloke Mody, MD, Associate Professor in Medicine, have joined more than a dozen other Washington University School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases faculty members as Fellows of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). They are among 166 […]
The inaugural Collaborative ID Research Meeting, held Tuesday, May 5, launched a new forum designed to strengthen research across the Washington University School of Medicine Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. The series is co-led by Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD, and Barbara W. Trautner, MD, PhD, Co-Chiefs of the Infectious Diseases Division. […]
The Division of Infectious Diseases has named first year fellow Cody Cunningham, MD, PhD, as Chief Fellow for the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program for the 2026–2027 academic year. Cunningham was selected through a competitive application process by division leadership and a selection committee. ID Fellowship Program Director, Darcy Wooten, MD, MS, FIDSA, noted that Cunningham brings “a clear vision for strengthening recruitment through enhanced national visibility and a […]
May marks the annual celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States. In 1978 Congress proclaimed the first week of May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” Future Presidents continued this annual proclamation until 1992 when Congress and President George H.W. Bush signed a law designating the month of May to celebrate […]
Acute sinusitis leads to more antibiotic prescriptions for U.S. adults than any other condition, yet there has been no clear consensus on which antibiotic should be used for uncomplicated cases. Findings in a recently published study shed light on two of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics and suggest that one may be preferred over the other. Anne Mobley Butler, PhD, MS, […]
WashU Medicine students recently awarded Nigar Kirmani, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, a 2025-2026 Distinguished Service Teaching Award. The annual awards honor WashU Medicine educators who have made the most significant contributions to the training of future physicians. Dr. Kirmani was named the Phase One recipient of the Thread Leader of the […]
Message from the Chair Dear colleagues and friends, As we officially welcome spring to St. Louis, I am reminded every day of the incredible accomplishments taking place within the Department of Medicine at WashU Medicine. Together, we are advancing discovery, shaping the future of patient care, and training the next generation of physician-scientists at a […]
The Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at Washington University School of Medicine celebrates its continued accreditation status, effective January 23, 2026, by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME sets standards for effective educational and training programs, and monitors compliance with those standards. Continued accreditation status after a decennial review indicates not only that WashU Medicine’s ID fellowship […]
This year’s Clay Dunagan MD, MS, Annual Patient Safety and Quality Symposium, was held on March 6th, 2026 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Clay Dunagan, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, (whom the event was named for) kicked off the event with an opening talk “Crossing the Quality Chasm: Reflections on 25 Years […]
Congratulations to Hilary E.L. Reno, MD, PhD for being among the awardees. The WashU Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) and The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital have awarded 22 investigators as part of the 19th annual Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP). The CTRFP is the largest internal grant funding program of the ICTS. Reno is the principal investigator of the Enhancing STI and Sexual Health Clinic Infrastructure (ESSHCI) program, and grant funding will support ESSCHI project “A Community Engaged Approach to Implementation of STI Point-of-care Testing.”
The Death to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis (DOLF) Project at Washington University in St. Louis recently celebrated 15 years of conducting clinical and translational research to test new treatments to support the elimination of two major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), namely lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis (also known as river blindness). WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases […]
WashU scholars wrote the textbook on dissemination and implementation — the science of how to put research into practice — and have been building on that expertise ever since. Their work is needed now more than ever. In the United States and around the world, public health is under enormous strain. Entire divisions at the […]
Evidence from an Indonesian island shows the successful elimination of a parasitic worm causing a severe tropical disease. WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases faculty Peter U. Fischer, PhD, heads the school’s Death to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis Project (DOLF). Join Fischer and DOLF senior scientist Kerstin Fischer as they discover the long-term impacts of the work […]
WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases Fellows Prashanth Reddy, MD, and Justin Klucher, MD, recently participated in the semimar “Challenging ID Case Presentation 2026.” Hosted by the Infectious Disease Society of St. Louis (IDSTL), this annual event emphasizes the importance of clinical reasoning through real-world infectious disease cases presented by regional ID fellows. Reddy and Kulcher’s presentations […]
Ernie-Paul Barrette, MD, FIDSA, FACP, Professor of Medicine, WashU Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, recently received the 2026 Dean’s Impact Award from WashU Medicine. The award recognizes faculty who demonstrate the compassion, innovation, and commitment required to build dynamic, meaningful, and community-focused efforts to improve clinical care, education, and research. The 2026 theme is “Honoring […]
Collaborators at WashU Medicine developed a tool to detect infections early among patients who have had breast reconstruction after cancer, potentially allowing for preemptive treatment that preserves implants, improves outcomes and reduces the emotional and financial burden on patients.
Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a nasal vaccine against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, or bird flu, which has jumped from wild birds to livestock to humans. When tested in rodents, the vaccine elicited a strong immune response and prevented infections in animals exposed to H5N1.