William A. Banks, MD
Staff Physician and PI, Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Medical Center-St. Louis, Professor; Div of Geriatrics, Dept of Internal Medicine and Professor, Dept of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, SLU School of Medicine; Visiting Professor, Dept of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan

We investigate the role of the blood-brain barrier in mediating communication between the central nervous system and peripheral tissues.  Areas of active investigation include obesity and appetite control, neuroAIDS, regulation of brain opiates in alcoholism, drug delivery to the brain, and Alzheimer's disease.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Link to Dr. Bierut's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Anne Bowcock, PhD
Professor of Genetics, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine ,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Our research focuses on the molecular basis of human disease. We are interested in both rare and common diseases and use state-of-the art approaches to identify the genetic causes. In the case of Mendelian traits, we perform genetic linkage and positional cloning. In the case of common diseases, we utilize knowledge from the international HapMap project and high throughput genotyping technologies with tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms to identify susceptibility variants (small base pair changes. In the case of some diseases, we are also investigating the role of larger copy number variants in disease. We also perform follow-up functional studies to investigate the biological consequences of associated genes. This includes approaches such as chromatin immunoprecipitation to identify the cellular targets of transcription factors in health and disease and the generation of animal models to elucidate the cellular function of genes of unknown function. We work on inflammatory diseases including psoriasis, asthma and Crohn’s disease, and cancers including head and neck cancer and melanoma.
Dr. Bowcock's Laboratory Page
Programs:
Quantitative Genetics and Statistics Program
Molecular Genetics Program
Immunology Program
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Dan Brennan, MD
Professor of Medicine,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Dr. Brennan’s major research interests are viral infections in renal transplantation, induction immunosuppression therapy in renal transplantation, pharmacoeconomic and outcome research in transplantation and islet transplantation.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Ross Brownson, MPH, PhD
Professor of Community Health in Epidemiology,
SLU School of Public Health

Kathleen Keenan Bucholz, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, WU School of Medicine

-Development and course of alcohol problems and dependence, drug problems and dependence, and other psychopathology in adolescents and adults, using general population, family, twin and twin-family samples.
-Health services use and costs, comparing alcoholics to non-alcoholics from the general population.
-Psychiatric assessment, including development of diagnostic interviews, screening interviews, computer-assisted interviews, family history assessments, and other related instruments.

Dr. Bucholz's faculty webpage
Midwest Alcoholism Research Center
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Tom Burroughs, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Outcomes,
SLU Center for Outcomes Research (SLUCOR)

Our research focuses on understanding the origins of asthma and how we can decrease asthma and airway diseases morbidity and mortality using translational methods. We develop and implement clinical trials to study common managment issues in asthma and airway diseases.
Dr. Castro's Faculty Page
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Bernard R. Chaitman, MD, FACC, FAHA
Professor of Medicine,
Director of Cardiovascular Research, Director of the Core ECG/MI Classification Laboratory, Executive Medical Director, SoLUtions Clinical Research Organization,
Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Rest and exercise electrocardiography, drug development, exercise physiology and training, nutrition, coronary artery disease and non-invasive cardiac risk stratification

Dr. Chaitman directs the Saint Louis University Core ECG Laboratory, established in 1987 to provide centralized electrocardiographic data analysis for multicenter clinical trials.  His laboratory has worked with more than 800 clinical units worldwide and has participated in several hundred clinical trials sponsored by government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers.  Dr Chaitman’s laboratory codes rest and exercise ECG for analysis, detailed QT analysis, entry criteria validation, and cardiac event classification.  The scope of studies include phase I-IV drug development ECG safety studies for cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular compounds.  Rest, exercise and QT digitized/annotated ECG analysis are performed using customized software.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPh
Associate Director of Prevention and Control, Siteman Cancer Center
Niess-Gain Family Professor of Medicine,
WU School of Medicine

To implement prevention strategies that engage clinicians, the community and individuals. We can have an impact on the entire community and the region. Siteman has enormous strength in basic science research and understanding disease processes. The cancer center's Prevention and Control Program creates a complement between discoveries in biological science and effective interventions. The challenge is to add ways to identify cancer risks for both individuals and within whole communities and to change behavior to lower risk and improve people’s lives.

Link to Dr. Colditz's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Criag M. Coopersmith, MD
Associate Professor, Surgery and Anesthesiology;
Director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship;
Director of General Surgery Resident Research; Division of General Surgery; Section of Acute and Critical Care Surgery
WU School of Medicine

Dr. Coopersmith's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology and Director, Epidemiology and Prevention Research Group, Department of Psychiatry,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Anne H. Cross, MD
Professor of Neurology,
WU School of Medicine

My laboratory investigates the mechanisms underlying the immune attack on CNS myelin and axons in MS. Currently, work in my lab focuses on the role of antibodies and B cells in the pathophysiology of MS, endogenous regulators that are potential mediators of remission, and the role of glutamate and other toxic factors elaborated during inflammation in the destruction of myelin and axons. We work with an animal model of MS called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We are doing a phase II trial of a B cell depleting agent in relapsing remitting MS patients. I am titular head of an interdisciplinary team of neurologists, radiologists, biophysicists, biomedical engineers and molecular biologists at Washington University, who are using novel imaging technology to differentiate types of tissue damage and repair in MS lesions. We have successfully done this in mice, and are now working on people with MS.  K12 awardee Dr. Naismith has been an important member of this group.
Dr. Cross' Faculty Webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Philip Cryer, MD
Professor of Medicine,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Victor G. Davila-Roman, MD, FACC, FASE
Professor of Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Radiology 
Director, Cardiovascular Imaging and Clinical Research Core Laboratory,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

John DiPersio, MD, PhD
Lewis T. and Rosalind B. Apple Chair in Oncology; Chief, Division of Oncology; Deputy Director, Siteman Cancer Center,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Hematology, Oncology, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Molecular biology, Cellular biology of normal and leukemic stem cells

Clinical Interests
-Allogeneic stem cell transplantation
-Haploidentical stem cell transplantation

Research Interests
-Hematopoietic growth factor receptors
-Murine models of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia

Dr. DiPersio's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publication

Seth Eisen, M.D.,M.Sc.       Director, VA Health Services Research & Development Service; Professor of Internal Medicine & Psychiatry; Member, Division of Rheumatology;   
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor -- NOT AVAILABLE FOR NEW SCHOLARS*

My research is in healthcare epidemiology including the study of risk factors, outcomes and costs of nosocomial infections and antibiotic resistance as well as studies of other hospital related adverse events (medication errors and falls). We do multicenter studies of surgical site infections, ventilator associated pneumonia, blood stream infections, and antimicrobial resistant organisms. We design and test interventions to improve health care outcomes.
Dr. Fraser's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

I study atrial fibrillation and antithrombotic therapy. My research includes clinical prediction rules for bleeding and for stroke and pharmacogenetic dosing of warfarin.
Dr. Gage's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Robert W. Gereau IV, PhD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology;
Chief, Basic Research Division,
WU Pain Center,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Our lab is interested in determining the cellular and molecular changes that underlie the development of chronic pain conditions. We utilize a combination of behavioral studies, patch clamp electrophysiology, molecular and genetic approaches to understand the role of neurotransmitter receptors and signaling pathways involved in nervous system plasticity that underlies pain sensitization. Our goal is to identify molecular targets for the development of new classes of pain relieving medications.
Dr. Gereau's faculty webpage
Dr. Gereau's laboratory webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Alison Goate, PhD
Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Genetics in Psychiatry, Neurology,
WU School of Medicine

My research uses molecular genetics to identify genetic risk factors for dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and substance dependence disorders including nicotine and alcohol dependence. We are also using endophenotypes such as neuroimaging and neurophysiological markers of disease to map underlying risk factors. Cell biological studies are also used to determine the pathogenic mechanisms of putative risk factors.
Dr. Goate's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Dr. Haire-Joshu's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Regulation of muscle glucose transport.  Regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Link to PubMed for selected publications

A major interest in my lab is in understanding basic mechanisms underlying acute and chronic cell dysfunction in the CNS particularly as these mechanisms relate to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and injury to the developing brain.  Studies on AD focus on understanding amyloid-beta metabolism and developing pre-clinical biomarkers by studying human plasma and CSF combined with neuroimaging.  We utilize animal models to study both AD and mechanisms underlying neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury.
Dr. David M. Holtzman's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

My lab focuses on the basis for mucosal immunity, inflammation, and remodeling, especially in relation to lung disease. We concentrate on the response to respiratory paramyxoviruses, since these agents are most commonly associated with acute and chronic obstructive lung diseases. We use viral, cellular, and mouse models as well as human subjects for study, and we take advantage of genomics, genetics, immunology, virology, and cell biology. Our approach aims to determine which factors control acute paramyxoviral infection and how transient infections cause chronic airway disease. We have shown that viral immunity depends on a special network of immune-response genes in epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, and these signals are being refined as targets for anti-viral strategies. Viruses also permanently activate an alternative immune axis that depends on NKT cells and macrophages to drive chronic airway disease. The genetic basis for this effect is being defined in a mouse congenic system that can be extended to patients with chronic lung disease.

Dr. Michael J. Holtzman's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Richard Hotchkiss, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Dr. Hotchkiss' laboratory webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Our overall research goal is to optimize drug disposition, clinical efficacy, drug safety, and patient satisfaction.  A major focus is the basic and clinical pharmacology of analgesics, analgesia, and anesthetics, seeking to understand the role of pharmacokinetics, metabolism, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions and genetics in patient response and toxicity.  The research is translational, and encompasses laboratory investigations of drug metabolism and clinical volunteer and patient studies to confirm and validate laboratory findings.
Dr. Kharasch's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Joyce Koenig, MD
Professor of Pediatrics; Associate Chair for Basic Research in Pediatrics,
SLU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Dr. Koenig's research focuses on the study of neutrophil function and inflammation in newborn infants. The neutrophil, a type of white blood cell, is important in fighting infection but can contribute to chronic inflammation when functioning abnormally. Premature infants are at risk for disorders that may be linked to chronic inflammation, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cerebral palsy and necrotizing enterocolitis.

Link to PubMed for selected publications

Marin Kollef, MD, FACP, FCCP
Professor of Medicine,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Patrick Lustman, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

George Macones, MD
Professor and Head of Obstetrics & Gynecology,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Jeff Milbrandt, MD, PhD
David Clayson Professor of Neurology;
Professor of Pathology and Immunology and Medicine,
WU School of Medicine

Our laboratory is studying the role of axonal degeneration in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, MS and Parkinson’s.  It has become increasingly apparent that axonopathy plays a major role in each of these diseases.  In addition, axonopathy is an important contributor to the morbidity associated with diabetes, hereditary neuropathies and trauma.  We have recently discovered that axonal degeneration can be delayed by increased activity of pathways involved in NAD biosynthesis and longevity, thus manipulating these pathways may provide new avenues for treatment of neurological disorders.  We also study the biological functions of the GFL family of neurotrophic factors (GDNF, neurturin, persephin and artemin) that signal through a receptor complex containing the Ret tyrosine kinase and influence multiple neuronal populations. Neurturin, is now in clinical trials for Parkinson’s and is being evaluated for a variety of other conditions including Huntington’s disease and neuropathic pain.  We are continuing to test the role of GFL-mediated signaling on the dopaminergic system and on neural stem cells.Finally, Egr2 mutations have been identified in patients with hereditary neuropathy. We have modeled this disease in mice and found that Egr2 and its associated modulators, Nab1 and Nab2, are important in regulating axon myelination by Schwann cells. Analysis of Schwann cells from these mice has led to the identification of a number of new proteins that are crucial for myelination, thus shedding light on this critical process.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

John Morris, MD
Professor of Neurology, Pathology, Immunology, and Physical Therapy,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Louis J. Muglia, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, and Obstetrics and Gynecology;
Director, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes,
WU School of Medicine
*current mentor*

Joel Perlmutter, MD
Professor of Neurology, Radiology and Physical Therapy, WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Dr. Perry's program of research focuses on weaning from mechanical ventilation.  Her currently active studies investigate the relationship between uncertainty and weaning from mechanical ventilation and the speech therapy outcomes for communication and swallowing and the incidence of aspiration in patients who are on mechanical ventilation, uses of the therapeutic intervention scoring system, and selected critical care topics.  Additional research activities focus on standardized nursing languages and she is published in the International Journal of Nursing.
Dr. Perry's Faculty Page
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Enola K. Proctor, PhD
Frank J Bruno Professor Of Social Work Research; Associate Dean for Research,
GWB School of Social Work, WU

Health and mental health services, Outcomes of clinical practice

D.C. Rao, PhD
Professor and Director, Division of Biostatistics;
Professor in the
Departments of Genetics, Psychiatry, and Mathematics; Program Director of the GEMS masters
program and QHSG PhD program, WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Dr. Rao's faculty webpage
Dr. Rao's CV
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Alan L. Schwartz, PhD, MD
Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor of Pediatrics; Physician-in-Chief, St. Louis Children's Hospital; Interim Director Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine; Physician-in-Chief Saint Louis Children's Hospital; Chairman Department of Pediatrics,
WU School of Medicine

Dr. Schwartz's laboratory is focused on the cell and molecular biology of intracellular protein targeting and degradation. Specifically, his laboratory has defined two areas of concentration, which are closely integrated. The first area of focus is understanding the role of protein processing and degradation within the endosomal/lysosomal pathway and in the cytoplasm. The lysosomal pathway is responsible for degradation of extracellular proteins. Within the cytoplasm the major (and best understood) proteolytic system is the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This pathway involves dozens of distinct components and is involved in the degradation of short lived and abnormal proteins. Using eukaryotic mutants of the pathway and specific antibodies to components of the pathway, the Schwartz laboratory identified a linkage between these two systems. Furthermore, using in vitro reconstituted systems they have begun to dissect the structural elements of substrates (including oncoproteins) which signal their processing and degradation. The second area is the cell and molecular biology of receptor-mediated endocytosis and its regulation. The Schwartz research group has identified a huge, multifunctional cell surface endocytosis receptor (LRP) which governs the plasma clearance of several physiologically important ligands including the plasminogen activators t-PA and u-PA, as well as apolipoprotein E, lipoprotein lipase and most recently TFPI (tissue factor pathway inhibitor), a regulator of blood coagulation. Their approaches include immuno-electron microscopy as well as in vivo gene targeting.
Dr. Schwartz's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Yvette Sheline, MS, MD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry Director, Center for Depression and Neuroimaging, WU School of Medicine

Translational neuroscience of stress and emotion, neuroimaging in depression treatment studies

Sheng-Kwei "Victor" Song, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept of Radiology,
WU School of Medicine

The main focus of our research is developing the MRI biomarker of CNS white matter injury and its translation to the clinic. Currently, we have developed a method to noninvasively detect and differentiate axonal and myelin injury in mouse models of various white matter injuries. The CNS white matter disorders under investigation include multiple sclerosis (lesion detection in brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord), EAE mice (lesion detection in brain and spinal cord, and treatment evaluation), mouse model of spinal cord injury (progression of the primary and secondary injury), and Wallerian degeneration of CNS white matter. In addition, MRI markers for retinal integrity, and cancer detection are also being pursued by our group.
Dr. Song's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Arlene Stiffman has focused her academic career on critical issues in child and adolescent mental health, addictions, high-risk behaviors, and services. As Director of the NIDA Funded Comorbidity and Addictions Center (CAC), and former associate director of the Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR), she has been instrumental in creating and developing the research and training foundation essential to support more effective mental health and addictions services in the United States. She currently has six NIH funded projects: 1) The Comorbidity & Addictions Center (CAC), 2) Youths’ Access to Mental Health Services: A Career Award, 3) Adolescent American Indian Multisector Help Investigation (AIMHI) 4) Social Work Training in Addictions Research (STAR), 5) IMPROVE: Intervention for Mental Health in Provider Enhancement – Child Welfare, and 6) The Communications Unit of the CMHSR.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Medicine
WU School of Medicine

William True, PhD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology,
SLU School of Public Health

My program of research focuses on the causes, characterization, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders and obesity in a wide range of patient populations.  In ongoing studies, I hope to identify effective long-term weight maintenance treatments for obese children, to examine the efficacy of three psychological treatments (interpersonal psychotherapy, behavioral weight loss, and guided self-help) for obese adults with binge eating disorder, and to evaluate family-based and pharmacological treatments for anorexia nervosa through an international six-center study. My assessment research utilizes self-report, interviewer-based, and laboratory assessment methodology to examine the features of eating disorder psychopathology across the weight-spectrum. I target the prevention of eating disorders using innovative technologies for prevention and intervention in at-risk populations. Additionally, my laboratory is participating as a clinical site in a multi-site trial of treatment of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, examining the effectiveness of intensive lifestyle intervention and metformin on children and adolescents with recent onset type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Roger Yusen, MD, MPH, FCCP
Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Divisions of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine and General Medical Sciences,
WU School of Medicine

*current mentor*

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Lung Volume Reduction Surgery
Lung Transplantation
Venous Thromboembolism
Patient Oriented Research
Quality of Life
Clinical Trials
Outcomes Assessment

Dr. Yusen’s research focuses on technology assessment in pulmonary medicine.  He is studying technologies such as lung transplantation, live lung donation, lung volume reduction surgery, endobronchial valve treatment of emphysema, and supplemental oxygen therapy.  His research team studies the outcomes (esp. quality-adjusted survival) of patients with end-stage lung disease, especially those with emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Dr. Yusen's faculty webpage
Link to PubMed for selected publications

Disclaimer: The PubMed links above may not include all articles associated with the listed individuals and may include publications related to other individuals with a similar name.