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 more intentional interview experience, as well as fresh ideas for enhancing didactics and conferences.”
As Chief Fellow, Cunningham will serve as a key liaison between the fellows and the leadership of both the fellowship program and division, helping to support fellow-run activities, medical education, and a safe and effective clinical learning environment. In this role, Cunningham will help bring attention to learning-climate and wellness concerns, provide feedback for ongoing program improvement, and assist in promoting fellow well-being. He will also help lead recruitment efforts, organize social events such as the summer picnic, and provide near-peer mentoring and support for first-year fellows during their clinical rotations.
I chose WashU for the excellent training it offers across the full spectrum of infectious diseases, from bread-and-butter cases to unusual infections in severely immunocompromised patients.
Cody Cunningham, MD, PhD
Chief Fellow Role and Responsibilities
As Chief Fellow, Cunningham’s responsibilities will include organizing the ID conferences and symposia; assisting with teaching medical students, residents and fellows during their infectious diseases rotations; and helping to coordinate educational conferences, including ID Grand Rounds, Micro Rounds, Journal Club, HIV Didactics, and Transplant ID Didactics. He will also participate in New Fellow Orientation and lead the monthly ID Fellows’ meeting.
Choosing WashU
When asked why he chose WashU Medicine for his ID fellowship, Cunningham said it’s because the program offers exceptional training across the full spectrum of infectious diseases, from common infection cases to unusual infections in severely immunocompromised patients. “No matter what you want to pursue within ID, you will receive excellent support from program leadership.”
The Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at WashU Medicine is an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved program. Designed to attract outstanding young physicians and train them for academic and clinical careers in infectious diseases, the two-year program combines broad and intensive training with protected time to pursue basic or clinical research after the first year. A third research year is offered to fellows engaged in funded, productive research projects in infectious diseases.