Andrej Spec, MD, MSCI, FECMM selected to lead the update of the Histoplasma guidelines by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA)
Andrej Spec, MD, MSCI, FECMM has been selected to lead the update of the Histoplasma guidelines by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA); the first update since 2007. The guidelines haven’t been updated since 2007. Dr Spec was chosen among a large field of candidates based on his research in histoplasmosis. Most recently he […]
Hilary Babcock, MD, MPH and Jennie Kwon, DO, MSCI are co-authors of MMRW early release of reports on COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Vaccine Effectiveness (Links to an external site)
Real-world evaluations have demonstrated high effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19–associated hospitalizations (1–4) measured shortly after vaccination; longer follow-up is needed to assess durability of protection. In an evaluation at 21 hospitals in 18 states, the duration of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19–associated hospitalizations was assessed among adults aged ≥18 years. Among […]
Congrats to Dr. Robyn Klein, who has received an $8.7M grant to investigate why some emerging viral infections can trigger memory problems that last long after the virus is gone from the body. (Links to an external site)
More than half of the survivors of West Nile virus brain infections are left with memory disorders that make everyday tasks such as remembering the route from home to work challenging. Similar issues can arise in the aftermath of other viral infections, such as the “brain fog” that plagues some people after a diagnosis of […]
Dr. Rupa Patel’s focus on implementation science of an intervention that works, PrEP, leads to awarded CDC grant to build PrEP capacity in multiple states (Links to an external site)
You have a gene. It’s called “cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 5 subunit,” or CHRNA5 for short. It does important things inside your body. Certain sections of it, for example, dictate how your brain processes nicotine.
Beating the clock on ticks and tick-borne illnesses – infectious disease clinic medical director Thomas Bailey, MD, explains
Weather conditions this summer are resulting in a very active tick season, especially in the Midwest. And where there are ticks, the diseases they carry are not far behind – ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Heartland virus, and Bourbon virus. Washington University physician and infectious disease clinic medical director Thomas Bailey, MD, explains, “While many […]
Antibodies elicited by COVID-19 vaccination effective against delta variant – Jacco Boon, PhD and Ali Ellebedy co-senior authors (Links to an external site)
Despite causing a surge in infections this summer that has resulted in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths, the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is not particularly good at evading the antibodies generated by vaccination, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
ID Fellows create video to show prospective fellow candidates what fellowship is like at WashU
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is prepared to conduct virtual interviews of potential candidates to join our ID fellowship program. Since candidates are not visiting onsite, our fellows decided to create a video that shows canididates around the medical campus while they share what it is like to […]
Rachel Presti, MD, PhD uses ICTS resources for COVID-19 research and clinical trial efforts
The CTSA program was developed to accelerate new treatments from the lab to patients, enabled to a large extent by patients participating in and benefiting from clinical trials. Clinical trials provide that needed bridge from human subjects to hypotheses to treatments that can directly benefit human health. And, never has this connection been more critical […]
COVID-19 dual-antibody therapies effective against variants in animal study (Links to an external site)
COVID-19 therapies made from antibodies often are given to patients who are at high risk of severe illness and hospitalization. However, there have been nagging questions about whether such antibody therapies retain their effectiveness as worrisome new virus variants arise.
LMtV Podcast: examining SARS-CoV-2 colonization of the maternal-fetal interface
How does COVID-19 impact pregnancy? ‘Let’s Meet the Virologists’, hosted by Larissa Thackray, PhD, associate professor of Infectious Diseases, talks in Episode 28 with Sonam Verma, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Mysorekar laboratory in the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, about her work examining SARS-CoV-2 colonization of the placenta, the impact on the […]
Jeff Henderson, MD, PhD lead author of study that shows blood cancer patients with COVID-19 fare better with convalescent plasma (Links to an external site)
Retrospective study also indicates outcomes of critically ill patients in ICU improve when given antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients A large, retrospective, multicenter study involving Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients can dramatically improve likelihood of survival among blood cancer patients hospitalized with the virus.
COVID-19 vaccine generates immune structures critical for lasting immunity – ID clinical researchers, Presti and O’Halloran collaboration with pathology & immunology researchers, Ellebedy and Turner (Links to an external site)
Vaccines likely induce strong, persistent immunity to COVID9
Congratulations to our class of 2021 graduating fellows!
We are so proud of this graduating class of fellows. Their achievements are many and mentioned below in a brief synopsis of each fellow. Miguel Chavez, MD, MSc is the recipient of the 2021 SHEA Jonathan Freeman Scholarship Award, has published 2 peer reviewed articles, and presented 3 posters (healthcare epidemiology, microbiology, fungal infection and […]
LMtV Podcast: Let’s ‘meet’ the clinical epidemiologist Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly examining the acute and long-term burden of COVID19 disease.
What are the potential long-term effects of COVID-19? ‘Let’s Meet the Virologists’, hosted by Larissa Thackray, PhD, associate professor of Infectious Diseases, talks in Episode 29 withZiyad Al-Aly, MD, FASN, assistant professor in the Division of General Medical Services, Director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center, and Chief of Research and Education Service at the VA […]
Gayaythri Krishnan, MD chosen as Chief ID Fellow for FY 2022
Dr. Krishnan was selected by her ID fellow peers to serve as the second Chief ID Fellow. She follow Nathan Nolan, MD and recent graduate of the ID Fellowhip program . Honored, humbled and ecstatic about this new responsibility, Gayathry hopes to promote Fellow wellness and trainee education. “Thank you @WashUID for entrusting me with […]
Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection (Links to an external site)
Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.
Podcast: What to make of CDC’s new masking guidelines
The latest episode of the “Show Me the Science” podcast focuses on the CDC’s new masking guidelines. Guest William G. Powderly, MD, the Larry J. Shapiro Director of the Institute for Public Health and co-director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at WashU Med, says the new guidelines provide evidence that, for many fully vaccinated […]
George Kyei, MD, PhD assistant professor of medicine, will discuss “HIV and COVID in Ghana” Monday, May10 at 1 pm (Links to an external site)
Global Health Work in Progress (GHWIP) aims to bring together members of the Washington University global health community to learn about each other’s work.
Washington University Clinical Trials Unit to participate in the first polyclonal antibody for treatment of COVID-19
ACTG Adds First Polyclonal Antibody to ACTIV-2 Outpatient Treatment Study for COVID-19 The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest global HIV research network, today announced the addition SAB-185, a polyclonal antibody therapy, to the COVID-19 outpatient treatment study, ACTIV-2 Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies Trial. ACTIV-2 includes both phase 2 and phase 3 […]
The ID Division celebrates the Drs. Gerald and Medoff Professorship in ID, held by Dr. Gary Weil
Gerald Medoff, MD, a physician scientist and one of the founding leaders of the Mycosis Study Group, was the ID Division Director for more than 20 years at Washington University School of Medicine (WUM). Dr. Medoff fostered the first WUSM AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, HIV clinic and HIV/AIDS Advocacy. He provided leadership and training for, […]