The people powering WashU Medicine
Faculty and staff profiles, conversations with leaders and experts, and honors and awards
Across our missions, there is a deep understanding that we are here to make a better world. We do it through teaching the next generation, researching cures for our most devastating illnesses, and caring for the people who come to us every day with the hope that we can do something to improve their lives. All of you have made your own singular contributions to our success. We have done this together.
— David H. Perlmutter, MD, WashU Medicine Dean
Physician, educator Amjad Musleh mentors aspiring physicians in compassionate care (Links to an external site)
Musleh meets with students individually and in small groups to navigate challenges and celebrate successes.
The transformative influence of a doctor who hasn’t forgotten his past (Links to an external site)
As part of an orientation program he designed, Will Ross, MD, MPH, exposes first-year medical students to blighted St. Louis neighborhoods — not unlike the ones of his own childhood.
Physician-scientist brings empathy, compassion to families with children in critical care (Links to an external site)
Juliane Bubeck Wardenburg, MD, PhD, the Donald B Strominger Professor of Pediatrics at WashU Medicine, often visits her former patients when they return to St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Class Acts 2026: Ariel Hernandez-Leyva (Links to an external site)
Hernandez-Leyva’s basic scientific discoveries help advance medicine.
Facilitating clinically relevant interventions (Links to an external site)
Working behind the scenes to support the production of early-phase clinical therapies, Elaine Bertke plays a key role in the Biologic Therapy Core Facility at WashU Medicine.
Embracing opportunities, touching lives (Links to an external site)
Serving as a medical secretary for Pediatric Neurology, LaMont Reed finds motivation in the daily opportunities to impact others’ lives.
Do you have a staff or faculty colleague who has made a difference at WashU Medicine? We’d like to hear about their story. Submit a profile suggestion »
Honors and awards
Six honored for nursing excellence
WashU Medicine nurses recognized with Excellence in Nursing awards from St. Louis Magazine.
Mellnick, Itani named to radiology senior leadership positions
New roles recognize their expertise, successes in clinical and academic administration.
Ciesielski appointed Joint Commission Presidential Fellow
Nationally recognized physician leader will collaborate on healthcare safety, quality during one-year program.
Cao named Guggenheim Fellow
Expert in cancer prevention uses interdisciplinary methods to identify causes of early-onset cancer.
Khabele, Woodard named Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellows
Prestigious program prepares individuals for senior leadership roles.
Benzinger, Schindler honored by international imaging society
The Society for Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging recognized two WashU Medicine radiologists for their contributions to the field.