Category: Division Announcements

Findings in the lab of Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, show new evidence COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against variants (Links to an external site)

New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that three new, fast-spreading variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 can evade antibodies that work against the original form of the virus that sparked the pandemic. With few exceptions, whether such antibodies were produced in response to vaccination or natural infection, or […]

FDA review confirms safety, efficacy of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine; under leadership of Rachel Presti, MD, PhD WashU IDCRU was a trial site

The FDA has confirmed a third vaccine is effective and safe in protecting against COVID-19. The vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, is overall 67% effective beginning 14 days after vaccination, 77% effective against severe illness and completely effective against death from COVID-19. Efficacy increased over time and was demonstrated against more infectious variants seen in […]

ID fellow alumnae, Judith A. Aberg, MD, appointed Dean of System Operations for Clinical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dennis S. Charney, MD, the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean and President for Academic Affairs at Mount Sinai Health System announced that Judith Aberg, MD, the Dr. George Baehr Professor of Clinical Medicine, has been appointed Dean of System Operations for Clinical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. An internationally renowned […]

New Treatment Study for COVID-19 Positive Adults

Washington University School of Medicine announces a new clinical trial for COVID-19 positive patients, STOP COVID Trial. Many patients testing positive for COVID-19 initially experience mild symptoms, but then clinically deteriorate in the second week of illness. The STOP COVID Trial tests a medication (fluvoxamine) for its anti-COVID properties for individuals ages 30 and up […]

LMtV Podcast: Let’s ‘meet’ the virologist, Dr. Sharmila Nair, who is harnessing viruses for cancer therapy

Use of viruses to target tumors has a long history. ‘Let’s Meet the Virologists’, hosted by Larissa Thackray, PhD, associate professor of Infectious Diseases, talks in Episode 21 with Sharmila Nair, PhD, an instructor in Infectious Diseases, about her recent work to understand the oncolytic activity of Zika virus for a fatal human cancer, Glioblastoma […]

Mike Diamond, MD, PhD and colleagues lead study that could help improve design of next generation COVID-19 antibody drugs

Of the nine treatments and preventives for COVID-19 authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, three are drugs made from so-called monoclonal antibodies. Such drugs provide patients with ready-made antibodies that neutralize the virus, bypassing the body’s slower and sometimes less effective process of making its own antibodies. But such therapies were […]

Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo, MD, MPH highlighted by IDSA Foundation during Black History Month

Highlighting members during Black History Month This Black History Month, the IDSA Foundation highlighted members that make this month even more special. While Black History Month is only one month, the IDSA Foundation focuses year-round on diversity and inclusion for the future of ID. In the video below, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis shares her thoughts […]

Liang Shan, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues identified a potential way to eradicate the latent HIV infection that lies dormant inside infected immune cells (Links to an external site)

Treatment for HIV has improved tremendously over the past 30 years; once a death sentence, the disease is now a manageable lifelong condition in many parts of the world. Life expectancy is about the same as that of individuals without HIV, though patients must adhere to a strict regimen of daily antiretroviral therapy, or the […]

Let’s Meet the Virologist, episode 20, features Dr. Tristan Jordan who has been encouraging vaccine uptake in friends and family

‘Let’s Meet the Virologists’, hosted by Larissa Thackray, PhD, associate professor of Infectious Diseases, talks in Episode 20 with Tristan Jordan, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, about his work using a CRISPR screen and proteomics of the virus replication complex to identify new […]

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received $2.95 million Gates Foundation grant to develop better diagnostic tests for worm infections (Links to an external site)

Global campaigns to eliminate two tropical parasitic worm infections have been hindered by lack of good diagnostic tools. Since the turn of the century, multinational mass drug-treatment efforts have cut the number of people at risk of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis by more than half, but more than half a billion people remain at risk. […]

Rachel Presti, MD, PhD joins Larissa Thackray, PhD to discuss COVID-19 vaccines on LMtV podcast

Meet the people behind today’s virology headlines. People just like you working to understand viruses and how they affect you. ‘Let’s Meet the Virologists’, hosted by Larissa Thackray, PhD, associate professor of Infectious Diseases, talks in Episode 19 with Rachel Presti, MD/PhD, an associate professor of Medicine and the medical director of the Infectious Diseases […]

Gerald Medoff Visiting Professor grand rounds lecture series features Dr. Fauci providing an update on COVID-19 to School of Medicine faculty, staff, students

Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spoke today about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Department of Medicine’s virtual, weekly Grand Rounds. The online talk — part of the Gerald Medoff Visiting Professor grand rounds lecture series […]

Historic, hopeful moment arrives as COVID-19 vaccinations begin on Medical Campus (Links to an external site)

Employees with close patient contact begin receiving Pfizer vaccine; older ages prioritized As part of a historic effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care personnel at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC HealthCare have begun receiving the first doses of a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Almost 10,000 doses of the […]

Barrette, Henderson, Hunstad, Liang, Reno named fellows of Infectious Diseases Society of America

Five faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been elected fellows of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). They are Ernie-Paul Barrette, MD, Jeffrey Henderson, MD, PhD, Stephen Liang, MD, and Hilary Reno, MD, PhD, all associate professors of medicine in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases; and David Hunstad, MD, director […]

Gary J. Weil, MD will be the inaugural recipient of the Drs. Gerald and Judy Medoff Professorship In Infectious Disease

Victoria J. Fraser, MD, Adolphus Busch Professor of Medicine, Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology & Co-director, Infectious Diseases Division, William G. Powderly, MD, J. William Campbell Professor of Medicine & Co-director, Infectious Diseases Division are delighted to announce that Dr. Gary Weil, Professor, Departments of Medicine and Molecular […]

Podcast: COVID-19 vaccines around the corner with Rachel Presti, MD, PhD and Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH

This episode of ‘Show Me the Science’ reports on progress toward a vaccine and how to stay safe before vaccines become widely available “Show Me the Science,” hosted by Jim Dryden, director podcast services at Washington University School of Medicine,  features infectious diseases physicians at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discuss the […]