WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases Division

05/29/2026

WashU Med Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases will host a special seminar on June 1 at 2 pm at MPRB, Room #8101.

Visiting speaker Michelle Sabo, MD, PhD, MS, Division of Allergy & Infectious Disease, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA will give a talk on "The effect of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal washing on cervical inflammation."

Faculty, fellows, post-docs and others in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Pathology & Immunology, and Molecular Microbiology are encouraged to attend. For more event details > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/events/event/special-seminar-michelle-sabo/

05/28/2026

Infectious Diseases researchers have developed a practical AI tool to improve surveillance of hospital-associated infections (HAIs).

In collaboration with the WashU McKelvey School of Engineering’s AI for Health Institute and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, they integrated a large language model (LLM) with existing rules-based surveillance, improving detection of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) without sacrificing accuracy.
This approach allows infection preventionists to focus their expertise where it’s needed most, supporting better patient outcomes.

Congratulations to primary investigator Abby Sung, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases; co–first authors Joshua Nordman, MD, Infectious Diseases fellow, and Claire Najjuuko, PhD student in Computer Science & Engineering; and biostatistical consultant Andrew Atkinson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, along with the broader WashU Medicine team.

Learn more about the study > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/researchers-augment-infection-surveillance-tool-with-ai/

05/22/2026

WashU Med Department of Medicine welcomes visiting speaker Sanjay Saint, MD, MPH, MACP, Vice Chair of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School for back-to-back Grand Rounds.
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- Infectious Diseases: “Mentorship 201: Becoming an Effective Mentee & Mentor in Academic Medicine”
Tuesday, June 16 at 12:00 p.m. at Northwest Tower, 15th floor, #15122

- Hospital Medicine Grand Rounds: “Teaching on the Hospital Wards: What the Great Ones Do”
Wednesday, June 17 at 12:00 p.m. at Mid Campus Center, 8th floor, Dacey Auditorium

Dr. Saint is a nationally recognized leader in academic medicine, serving as a prominent researcher, clinician, and mentor, with extensive work in patient safety, healthcare-associated infections, and career development in medicine.

Read more about Dr. Saint and his upcoming guest speaking events > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/events/category/visiting-speaker/

05/20/2026

WashU Med Department of Medicine Infectious Diseases faculty Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW, will deliver a keynote talk at the 2026 Cambio de Colores-Change of Colors Conference with the Cambio Center at the University of Missouri.

Dr. López is a bilingual public health researcher and clinician committed to advancing care across reproductive, sexual, and mental health. She will share clinical insights on how structural forces, including language access and health system design, influence the well-being of immigrants in the U.S.

Her talk will take place Thursday, June 4 at 9:00 a.m. at The State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia, MO. More event details listed on the ID website > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/events/event/2026-cambio-de-colores-change-of-colors-conference/

05/19/2026

Cheers to WashU Medicine faculty Aaloke Mody, MD, Adriana Rauseo, MD, Nicolo Cabrera, MD, and Joseph Cherabie, MD, MSc on being named Fellows of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

This prestigious honor recognizes their leadership, scientific excellence and commitment to infectious diseases care.

Learn how these WashU Medicine faculty contribute to the field of infectious diseases > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/faculty-join-infectious-diseases-society-of-america-fellowship-2026/

05/12/2026

WashU Med Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases Co-Chiefs Jen Philips, MD, PhD, and Barbara Trautner, MD, PhD, launched a new resource designed to strengthen research across both WashU Medicine's adult and pediatric ID divisions.

At the inaugural meeting on May 5, colleagues provided presenters with targeted feedback on how to strengthen their grant proposal resubmission ahead of an upcoming review panel.

The next Collaborative ID Research Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19 at 4:00 p.m. at Northwest Tower, 15th floor.

Sign up to present at a future session > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/id-division-launches-collaborative-id-research-meeting-series/

05/08/2026

Congratulations to Cody Cunningham, MD, PhD, on being chosen as the next Chief Fellow for the WashU Med Department of Medicine Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program.

Learn what's all involved in the role of Chief Fellow and what Cunningham brings the role in during his second year with the program > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/cody-cunningham-2026-2027-id-fellowship-program-chief-fellow/

05/06/2026

Larissa B. Thackray, PhD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at WashU Medicine, has partnered with University of Alabama graduate student Molly Cavanaugh to launch a new podcast: Titans of Virology & Vaccinology. https://tivv.podbean.com/

The series aims to bring the stories behind major advances in and to a broad audience. In the first episode, they interview the “Godfather of Vaccines,” Dr. Stanley Plotkin, about the rubella outbreak of the 1960s and his groundbreaking work on the rubella vaccine.

A new “Titan” will be featured on the 1st of each month. The next episode will spotlight Dr. Robert Gallo. Please listen, subscribe, and share this podcast to help amplify the impact of these scientific pioneers.

05/01/2026

May marks the annual celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month in the United States.

It's a time to recognize and honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of communities with roots across Asia and the Pacific Islands.
From science and medicine to arts, activism, and beyond, AANHPI communities have shaped and strengthened every part of American life. Our nation’s story would be incomplete without the voices of countless Asian American, native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who call this land home.

Explore more about AANHPI Heritage Month and find local events and activities you can join > https://infectiousdiseases.wustl.edu/celebrating-asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month/

04/30/2026

Julia López PhD, MPH, LCSW, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Med Department of Medicine Division Infectious Diseases, and Secondary Faculty in WashU School of Public Health, will serve as guest editor of a special issue of Healthcare MDPI, a peer-reviewed medical journal.

The special issue is now seeking submissions from scholars and practitioners in , , and related fields. Original research articles and reviews that aim to strengthen public health practice, preventive medicine, and population health outcomes are welcomed. Please see the link below for submission details.

We’re excited to share that Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, WashU Medicine,will serve as guest editor of a special issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). WashU Medicine Infectious Diseases Division

This special issue, "Advancing Health Equity for Underserved Populations through Stigma Reduction and Trauma-Informed Care," belongs to the section "Public Health and Preventive Medicine," and aims to advance evidence on how stigma reduction and trauma-informed approaches strengthen public health practice, preventive medicine, and population health outcomes.

Original research articles and reviews that focus on prevention, health promotion, or health system transformation are welcomed. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Community- and systems-level stigma reduction interventions
• Innovations in study design and analytic methods
• Applications of outcomes research to real-world practice and policy
• Screening, risk assessment, and early intervention models
• Implementation science in public health and preventive medicine settings
• Policy and structural approaches to reduce stigma and prevent harm

Practitioners and scholars working in public health, epidemiology, public health, outcomes research, and related fields are encouraged to submit.

More details and submission information are available here:
https://brnw.ch/21x23Wa