Department of
Ann Gronowski, PhD joins a growing list of pathologists from the Washington University School of Medicine to be featured in the latest issue of Clinical Chemistry, a journal produced by The American Academy for Clinical Chemistry. The story features an in-depth look at the span of Dr. Gronowski’s career as a pathologist, the challenges she […]
The Zika virus that ravaged the Americas, leaving many babies with permanent brain damage, may have a silver lining. The virus can activate immune cells to destroy an aggressive brain cancer in mice, giving a powerful boost to an immunotherapy drug and sparking long-lasting immunological memory that can ward off tumor recurrence for at least […]
The Department of Pathology & Immunology is excited to welcome our newest residents and fellows. For every graduating medical student, Match Day is the next step in their career to working as a doctor and we are thrilled that these residents and fellows have chosen our department to continue their training. Click here to meet […]
For certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), deciding whether patients need an aggressive treatment typically hinges on a set of lab tests to identify genetic changes. Some of these tests rely on technology that was invented more than 60 years ago and has been used clinically for the […]
Eating is a dangerous business. Naturally occurring toxins in food and potentially harmful foodborne microbes can do a number on our intestines, leading to repeated minor injuries. In healthy people, such damage typically heals in a day or two. But in people with Crohn’s disease, the wounds fester, causing abdominal pain, bleeding, diarrhea and other […]
New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that three new, fast-spreading variants of the virus that cause 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 […]
Since early in the pandemic, COVID-19 has been associated with heart problems, including reduced ability to pump blood and abnormal heart rhythms. But it’s been an open question whether these problems are caused by the virus infecting the heart, or an inflammatory response to viral infection elsewhere in the body. Such details have implications for […]
To locate some of the world’s most superpowered cells, look no further than the human immune system. The mission of these hometown heroes is threefold: Memorize the features of dangerous microbes that breach the body’s barriers. Launch an attack to bring them to heel. Then squirrel away intel to quash future assaults.
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.
Inflammation and metabolic disorders are deeply intertwined. For example, people with inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis are at risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. However troubling that connection might seem, it also might point to some promising news.
Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, schizophrenia and many other neurological and psychiatric conditions have been linked to inflammation in the brain. There’s growing evidence that immune cells and molecules play a key role in normal brain development and function as well. But at the core of the burgeoning field of neuroimmunology lies a mystery: How […]
No evidence so far indicates that food or drinks can transmit the virus that causes COVID-19, but new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that people with problems in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract may be vulnerable to infection after swallowing the virus.
Neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, virologist and immunologist Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, and microbiologist Scott Hultgren, PhD – all faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.
Melanie Yarbrough, PhD, was recently featured in CAP Today. The article focuses on Dr. Yarbrough’s work implementing a urine reflex algorithm to help increase the odds for success in reducing the number of urine cultures.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a molecule that protects mice from brain infections caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a mosquito-borne virus notorious for causing fast-spreading, deadly outbreaks in Mexico, Central America and northern South America. As the climate changes, the virus is likely to expand its […]
The turning point for people with COVID-19 typically comes in the second week of symptoms. As most people begin to recover, a few others find it increasingly difficult to breathe and wind up in the hospital. It has been theorized that those whose lungs begin to fail are victims of their own overactive immune systems.
In an effort to enhance clinical genomic services at Washington University School of Medicine, the Department of Pathology & Immunology is pleased to announce the formation of two new sections; Clinical Cancer Genomics and Constitutional Genomics. Eric Duncavage, MD will serve as the inaugural head of Clinical Cancer Genomics and Jonathon Heusel, MD, PhD will […]
The communities of bacteria that live in our digestive tracts help digest food and produce vitamins, protect against pathogens, and promote the healthy functioning of our immune system. But alongside gut bacteria thrives a vast community of viruses, and we know little about their impact on health and disease.
Cancer vaccines have shown promise in treating certain tumors, such as melanoma. But such vaccines have limitations. They often target normal proteins that may be more abundant in the tumor but also are present in healthy tissue, which can lead to off-target effects that cause autoimmune disorders and also reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines
Brian Edelson, MD, PhD was recently inducted into the Washington University School of Medicine Academy of Educators. The ceremony was held on September 24 to coincide with Education Day sponsored by the School of Medicine. Edelson was acknowledged for his important and varied contributions to our ongoing educational programs, and roles in building the new Gateway Curriculum. To be selected […]
Researchers have identified two antibodies that protect mice against lethal infections of influenza B virus, report scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Together with an antibody that targets the other major kind of influenza viruses that infect people — influenza A — these […]
New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis helps illuminate a surprising mind-body connection. In mice, the researchers found that immune cells surrounding the brain produce a molecule that is then absorbed by neurons in the brain, where it appears to be necessary for normal behavior.
Flu season comes around like clockwork every year, and sooner or later everyone gets infected. The annual flu shot is a key part of public health efforts to control the flu, but the vaccine’s effectiveness is notoriously poor, falling somewhere from 40% to 60% in a typical year.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are establishing a new international collaboration that aims to help scientists prepare for the next pandemic and, perhaps, provide insight into the current one.
A new saliva test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Results from the COVID-19 diagnostic test are available in a few hours and, ideally, able to be communicated to people tested within a day. Highly sensitive to detecting even tiny levels of […]
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that targets the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can be given in one dose via the nose and is effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus. The investigators next plan to test the vaccine in nonhuman primates and humans to […]
As the brain reigns supreme over the human body, the immune system works 24/7 to defend the body from foreign invaders. For decades, however, the brain and the immune system were thought to operate independently of one another. But a growing body of evidence suggests the two are intimately connected in keeping the body healthy.
Two Washington University doctors have been leading a national effort to study convalescent plasma, a centuries-old treatment for infectious diseases, and believe they have submitted enough data to secure federal approval for emergency use against COVID-19.
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by stimulating the patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells, yielding remarkably quick and complete remission in some cases. But such drugs work for less than a quarter of patients because tumors are notoriously adept at evading immune assault.
Many children treated for childhood malnutrition in developing countries never fully recover. They suffer from stunted growth, immune system dysfunction and poor cognitive development that typically cause long-term health issues into adulthood.
The American Society for Clinical Pathology has named Suzie Thibodeaux as one of 40 high-achieving pathologists, pathology residents, and medical laboratory professionals under age 40. She joins many other pathology professionals on the prestigious 2020 ASCP 40 Under Forty list. “Being recognized by the ASCP in their 40 under forty list is an amazing honor. […]
On Sunday, 60 Minutes featured our own Jeff Gordon, who discussed the gut microbiome and its connection to nutritional health, including the use of probiotics. The possibility of improving health by manipulating the microbiome could provide many benefits to individuals suffering from a host of health conditions. Last year, Gordon’s team reported that a special […]
With Brazil leading the world in newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases, Latin America has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, outbreaks continue to escalate in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Public health authorities worldwide desperately need to expand testing so they can track the spread of the infection, but molecular diagnostic […]
P&I faculty member Carey-Ann Burnham is interviewed by the American Society for Microbiology about the critical role of clinical microbiologists and laboratorians in the future of health care.
The global effort to quickly develop drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 has been hampered by limited numbers of laboratory mice that are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have developed a mouse model of COVID-19 that replicates the […]
An abstract co-authored and entitled, “PD-L1/PD-1 Expression in Wilms Tumor: Analysis of 52 cases” has won the Gordon F. Vawter Pathologist-in-Training Award at the Society for Pediatric Pathology 2020 at its Spring Meeting in Los Angeles, CA. The award recognizes meritorious work presented by Jeff Chen, MD based on research conducted by a group of […]
As stay-at-home orders are lifted around the country and public life begins to return, health experts continue to emphasize the importance of testing for COVID-19 to prevent a second – and potentially worse – wave of infections.
Ian Hagemann, MD, PhD has been selected as the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellow for the term July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022. “Ian’s contributions to education in pathology and to the medical school are truly outstanding. Among his accomplishments are numerous Distinguished Service Teaching Awards, selection as a chair for […]
On Tuesday, the culmination of weeks of work for this year’s Trainee Research Day was put on full display via Zoom. Although different than past events, this year still had the air of excitement as trainees presented their research. This year, the department had 24 individuals present. As per the tradition, the Trainee Research Day […]
On May 4, the 2020 American Academy of Microbiology announced awards for research, education, and leadership. Among those receiving awards was Carey-Ann Burnham, PhD, from the Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine. “For Dr. Burnham to receive the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Award for Research and Leadership in Clinical Microbiology is a tremendous honor. This […]
Disabling a gene in specific mouse cells, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have prevented mice from becoming obese, even after the animals had been fed a high-fat diet. The researchers blocked the activity of a gene in immune cells. Because these immune cells — called macrophages — are key inflammatory […]
Originially posted on stltoday. com. Click the button to be taken to the article. Until the cornonavirus outbreak, most people never gave much thought to laboratory testing. When your doctor says, “we’ll send it to the lab,” you rightly expect to get timely and accurate test results back. But this year’s pandemic spotlights that what […]
Dr. Erika Crouch recently accepted the position of Vice Chair of the Office of Education in the Department of Pathology and Immunology. Erika is one of the most celebrated and honored faculty in the entire school of medicine for her outstanding work in medical education. It is entirely fitting and appropriate that she be the […]
The American Academy for Clinical Chemistry has published it’s the most recent version of the Clinical Chemistry journal and it features a familiar face. The department’s own Mitchell Scott, PhD graces the cover, in addition, the series presents the achievements of distinguished clinical chemists. Scott joins an illustrious and short list of clinical pathologists to […]
Pathology & Immunology is excited and proud to welcome the newest members of our department. These new residents and fellows will begin the next chapter of their medical education journey this July. To see a list of all the new trainees click here.
With no drugs or vaccines yet approved for COVID-19 and the number of U.S. cases increasing by the thousands every day, doctors are looking to revive a century-old therapy for infectious diseases: transfusing antibodies from the blood of recovered patients into people who are seriously ill.
Elizabeth M. Brunt, MD, a professor emeritus of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Liver Pathology from the Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society.
Recognized for contributions to reproductive medicine diagnostics Ann M. Gronowski, PhD, a professor and vice-chair of faculty affairs and development in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the Academy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research from the […]
Clinical teams ready; research for vaccines, drugs underway Soon after a novel coronavirus first appeared in China in late 2019, researchers, doctors and staff at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis began preparing for the possibility of an outbreak. Infectious disease physicians started planning how to respond if a person with suspected exposure […]
Brian T. Edelson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and immunology, was presented with the Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership Award in Medical Student Education award. Edelson has also received four Distinguished Service Teaching awards from Washington University and awards from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation. Recognizing outstanding teaching, the Samuel […]