Barbara W. Trautner, MD, PhD

Barbara W. Trautner, MD, PhD will be joining WashU Medicine as the new Co-Chief of the Infectious Diseases (ID) Division in the Department of Medicine, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Trautner is currently a Professor of Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and a physician at the Houston Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Dr. Trautner’s research focuses on diagnostic and antibiotic stewardship, particularly for urinary tract infections (UTIs). She has led trials to disseminate successful antibiotic stewardship interventions, improve the diagnosis and treatment of UTIs in men, develop bacteriophage therapy for UTIs in individuals with spinal cord injuries, and to reduce overdiagnosis of catheter-associated UTI. She serves as a reviewer for the NIH and for VA Health Systems Research Merit Awards. She is also an author for UpToDate on catheter-associated UTIs and prostatitis. Additionally, she serves as the co-chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Guidelines Committee for UTIs and is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of UTIs, as well as in antimicrobial stewardship and the prevention of antimicrobial resistance. She is an extremely active clinical and translational investigator, a passionate educator, and a caring and dedicated clinician. She has been a mentor to many medical students, residents, and fellows. She fostered an outstanding culture and climate at Baylor and the VA to support clinical and translational research and faculty development.