Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons advance surgical approaches in life-saving treatment.
Collaborative research: Transforming surgical approaches in congenital heart disease
Category: Labs
News and updates from research laboratories in the Department of Surgery.
Division of Urologic Surgery | 2025 Annual Report
The 2025 Division of Urologic Surgery Annual Report showcases clinical, research, and educational milestones from the past year.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery | 2025 Annual Report
The 2025 Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Annual Report showcases clinical, research, and educational milestones from the past year.
Faculty projects selected for 2026 research corps
Support for AI-assisted research in cancer susceptibility, facial rehabilitation.
A risk factor for liver disease: your parent’s body weight (Links to an external site)
Study shows risk for common liver disorder starts much earlier in life than thought.
Surprising culprit leads to chronic rejection of transplanted lungs, hearts (Links to an external site)
Blocked lymphatic drainage could play unappreciated role in organ rejection, point to possible treatments.
Siteman Investment Program Awards $2.44 Million for Cancer Research (Links to an external site)
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine is pleased to announce funding for 13 new projects.
Method spots early signs of infection after breast cancer reconstruction (Links to an external site)
Rapid detection, treatment of infections could avoid complications, additional surgeries after mastectomy
Pivotal advancement achieved in lung transplantation immunity
Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue contributes to the resistance to chronic inflammation after infection of transplanted lungs.
Repairing hearts (Links to an external site)
Belgeri celebrates 45 years of service at WashU Medicine
St. Louis native traverses career path facilitating funding for surgical innovation research.
WashU Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital team performs first pediatric “domino” partial heart transplant in Midwest (Links to an external site)
The St. Louis Children’s Hospital, WashU Medicine Heart Center has become one of only eight programs in the nation to perform this rare, lifesaving procedure
Nava receives AATS investigator award
Thoracic surgeon awarded funding for lung transplant research.
More young women are getting breast cancer — why? (Links to an external site)
WashU Medicine’s Adetunji Toriola explains some of the factors driving the increase in women’s breast cancer diagnoses among women under 50.
Is Going to the Bathroom ‘Just in Case’ Bad for You? (Links to an external site)
Brown and Gillanders receive Focused Practice Designation
Endocrine surgeons recognized for expertise in complex thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Study finds success in novel aortic valve reconstruction procedure
Scientists use right atrial appendage to revolutionize aortic valve reconstruction in children.
Study identifies factors necessary for lung transplant tolerance
A new study led by thoracic immunobiology investigators establishes regulatory Foxp3+ T cells as critical for lung transplant tolerance.
Uncovering differences in isthmic and lobar thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer
A recent study examines the molecular differences between thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer based on their location within the thyroid gland.
Augusto Zani, MD, PhD, Joins Division of Pediatric Surgery
Prolific researcher, Augusto Zani, MD, PhD, joins the Division of Pediatric Surgery.
Nupam Mahajan Named Urology Surgery Research Professor
Leading prostate cancer researcher recognized at installation ceremony.
Zayed to lead new Division of Surgical Sciences (Links to an external site)
Vascular surgeon to advance innovative patient care, research
Zayed Receives WashU Gap Fund Award (Links to an external site)
Vascular surgeon Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD, MBA, received a WashU Gap Fund Award to perform translational researcḥ on technology that emerged in the CardioVascular Research Innovation in Surgery and Engineering (CVISE) Center.
Drake appointed inaugural St. Louis Confluence Collaborative faculty director (Links to an external site)
Bettina Drake, professor of surgery in public health sciences at the School of Medicine, will be the inaugural faculty director of the St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-Engaged Research, Teaching and Practice
Rise for Health Study: Investigating Bladder Health and LUTS in Women Across Ages (Links to an external site)
Diane Newman interviews Siobhan Sutcliffe about her research on the Preventive Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Consortium
Preventing early-onset colorectal cancers aim of $25 million award (Links to an external site)
School of Medicine leads international team funded by Cancer Grand Challenges
Breast cancer rates increasing among younger women (Links to an external site)
Analyzing rates by age, race, tumor characteristics could inform prevention strategies
Tackling Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Resolvin D1 Proves Potential
A recent study led by investigators at Washington University and Harvard University details new findings regarding the role of lipid mediators following lung transplantation.
Department of Surgery New Faculty: August 2023
Washington University welcomes Drs. Welko, Chapman, Badran, Martens and Jones to the Department of Surgery and congratulates Drs. Craft and Al-Aref on their promotions.
Study reveals how treatment-resistant prostate cancer provides its own hormonal fuel (Links to an external site)
Findings, in mice, suggest potential treatment strategy
Red flags indicate risk for early-onset colorectal cancer (Links to an external site)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified four important signs and symptoms that signal an elevated risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. The incidence of colorectal cancer is rising in people under 50, making it important to recognize such signs.
Dr. Sutcliffe highlights findings on flares in urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (Links to an external site)
“We used data from this study to see whether having a greater number of flares independently impacted patients’ quality of life as well as their healthcare seeking activity,” said Siobhan Sutcliffe.
Interview with Julie Spray and Jean Hunleth (Links to an external site)
Drug triggers immune cells to attack prostate cancer (Links to an external site)
Compound kills tumors in mice, human cancer cells in multiple ways.
2022 AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research (Links to an external site)
Toriola named Danforth WashU Physician-Scientist Scholar (Links to an external site)
Adetunji T. Toriola, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences, has been named a William H. Danforth Washington University Physician Scholar.
Brown receives Paul LoGerfo Research Award
AAES Foundation award recognizes Brown’s investigations in new therapies for aggressive thyroid cancer.
Pediatric CT Surgeons Utilize New Tools to Combat Complex Heart Defects
Washington University pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and fellows tackle rare heart defects in virtual simulation program.
Identifying Causes of Vascular Damage in Lung Transplantation
Investigators from the Thoracic Immunology Laboratory have identified pathways leading to ischemia-reperfusion injury after lung transplantation. Their findings are published in the journal PNAS.
Understanding Innate Immunity in Lung Transplantation
Washington University General Surgery residents and leaders of the Thoracic Immunobiology Laboratory collaborated to discuss the body’s innate immune responses that could lead to lung injury and allograft failure.
$2 Million Grant to Develop Sequestered Vascular Surgery Technology
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Caeli Vascular, Inc., are developing the first sequestered therapy device for removal of deep vein thrombosis.
Cancer moonshot grant funds research into reducing health disparities (Links to an external site)
Will engage patients, survivors in studying rare cancer, tumors affecting African Americans.
Toriola and Zayed Awarded NIH Research Grants
Surgeons Adetunji Toriola, MD, PhD and Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD from the Department of Surgery have received prestigious R01 grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their research in cancer and vascular medicine, respectively.
‘Mom’s Idea’ Yields New Genetic Counseling Program at Washington University (Links to an external site)
Department of Surgery Teaching Awards 2020-2021
The Department of Surgery recognizes residents, fellows and faculty for their contributions to resident and medical student education during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Surgeons Receive AJT Outstanding Article Award
Satona Tanaka, MD, Jason Gauthier, MD, and Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD, receive 2021 AJT Outstanding Article Award for lung transplantation research.
The Right Tool for the Job
Multidisciplinary research helps surgeons choose the right tool for stroke and peripheral arterial disease patients.
Zayed Lab Receives New NIH Research Grant for Studying Impact of Diabetes on Vascular Disease
New Zayed Lab research grant aims to help prevent disease progression in patients with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease.
A Constellation of Factors: Uncovering the Causes of Rising Incidence of Early-onset Colorectal Cancer
Yin Cao, ScD, MPH, is researching the troubling rise of early-onset colorectal cancer. In a series of publications, Cao’s research points to risk factors for the condition and offers some methods of prevention and improved screening.
Justin Sacks, MD, MBA, and Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD, Receive 2020 Skandalaris LEAP Funding
Two Department of Surgery faculty receive Skandalaris Center LEAP funding for translational research projects.