Current Fellows

Medical School: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Residency: St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Scholarly Project: Practice vs Potential: The impact of the BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel on antibiotic use in children (Jason Newland, MD, MEd and Rebecca Same, MD)
Highlights: Pediatric Infectious Disease Society Antimicrobial Stewardship Fellowship Award Recipient, 2022
Favorite microbe: Variola – Smallpox eradication represents the greatest possible public health victory. It was also the first infection that I remember learning about in school and it terrified me. I envisioned it being as much a cause for concern in my life as quicksand… which actually turned out to be true.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: I love a good mystery. Being an infectious diseases specialist is like being Sherlock Holmes: you hear about the most interesting cases and a good history is essential.
What I love about Washington University: WashU offers a diverse array of clinical learning opportunities with phenomenal mentorship. As a resident at Wash U, the Infectious Diseases division was known for being fun to work with and exceptional teachers. I feel very fortunate to be joining this group.
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: We love to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden, including their Chihuly Nights exhibit and the summer concert series. We regularly go throughout the year just to walk around and “escape” the city. We also love the food scene in St Louis and regularly try new restaurants or visit old favorites.

Medical School:  National University of Ireland, Galway
Residency:  Southern Illinois University
Scholarly Project: Impact of rapid blood culture diagnostic tests with consistent antimicrobial stewardship integration (Jason Newland, MD, MEd)
Highlights: Accepted into the Washington University Clinical Research Training Center Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Program
My favorite microbe: Haemophilus influenzae, a bacterium which can colonize some children or cause invasive disease in others… a sneaky pathogen when it wants to be (unfortunately)! Although we have come a long way with our H. Influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine and drastically reduced Hib associated invasive infections, this bug is a rebel and continues to cause invasive disease with other serotypes and nontypable strains.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: I love to investigate. My curiosity is too strong and won’t stop till I have dug deep into a patient’s chart and exposure history! I also think the well-rounded nature of infectious disease physicians creates excellent educators and overall clinicians.
What I love about Washington University: WashU allows you to learn from a large and diverse patient population. Diversity is also present in the faculty’s clinical and research interests. After meeting everyone on my interview day, I was confident I would receive excellent training while surrounded by brilliant and friendly mentors that guide me in my future career.
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: St. Louis has a ton of outdoor activities that my family and I enjoy! Forest Park and Tower Grove Park always have events going on, which are often free! Even the Muny, a huge outdoor theatre (11,000 seats!!), which presents amazing seasonal Broadway musicals, has a section of free seats!! St. Louis also has beautiful hiking trails!
Favorite restaurant in St. Louis: This is a hard question because there are a lot! My current favorite is Indo, which serves Asian-infused dishes that are very unique and flavorful!

Medical School:  Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Residency and Chief Residency:  Baylor College of Medicine / Children’s Hospital of San Antonio
Scholarly Project: Developing a formal curriculum in antimicrobial stewardship for pediatric residents (Jason Newland, MD, MEd)
Highlights: Accepted into the Washington University Teaching Physicians Pathway
Favorite microbe: Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It’s been around since the dawn of humanity and it still causes huge problems! I am especially interested in (and terrified by) CNS TB.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: It’s the best! It intersects with every other organ system and specialty so it always keeps you on your toes, and is so intimately connected to the social determinants of health.
What I love about Washington University: Everyone was so welcoming on my interview day and interested in helping me to achieve my goals. It seemed like such a special place and I’m so fortunate to be here!
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: A tie between walking our dogs in Forest Park and going to the Tower Grove Farmers Market
Favorite restaurant in St. Louis: Vicia

Medical school: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Residency: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
Highlights: Author of the popular children’s book “Vax-Force” which takes kids on an exciting and educational adventure to explore how vaccines work inside the body!
Favorite microbe: A tough choice, but I would have to say Adenovirus. It is common, but it can be sneaky since it has a variable clinical presentation and is often mistaken for other conditions. It is also a satisfying diagnosis, as most otherwise healthy patients will improve without treatment.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: To me, complex Infectious Disease cases feel like giant puzzles just waiting to be solved. I also love that ID interacts with every organ system and every level of care. ID is the perfect mix of intellectual challenge and rewarding work, all while getting to make friends across the hospital!
What I love about Washington University: The people in the Wash U ID division are so approachable and supportive that you almost forget you are talking to wildly impressive leaders in the field doing cutting-edge research. Not to mention, the University is in the heart of a fantastic city to live in, with plenty to do regardless of your budget!
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: My favorite thing to do in St. Louis is to enjoy Tower Grove Park and Forest Park. They are perfect for going on long walks with your dog, and there are always events going on in the parks like Food Truck Fridays or Shakespeare in the Park.  What I love most about St. Louis is that there are always free fun things to do. From the museums to the festivals, you don’t need to spend a ton of money to have a fun weekend in the Lou!
Favorite restaurant in St. Louis: It is hard to pick a favorite restaurant, but I might have to say Southwest Market in the Hill. It’s a small family-owned place that makes their own fresh salami on big-as-your-head sandwiches.

Medical school: Kasturba Medical College Manipal, India
Residency: Saint Louis University
Favorite microbe: Treponema pallidum. I like T.pallidum mostly because of how fascinating and versatile it is in its presentation, and also because the name could fit a rapper’s name.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: For me, it would be the people I’ve gotten to work with. I’ve met some of the smartest yet the most humble people in peds ID who inspire me to learn more.
What I love about Washington University: The warmth of all the people I’ve met so far! Everyone is so welcoming and I love how endless the list of opportunities for research are here.
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: I love exploring new trails in Forest Park, and Castlewood. Also love the culinary scene here, there are so many great options!
Favorite restaurant in St. Louis: My favorite restaurants are Louie, Katie’s Pizza and Pastaria and Mi Ranchito.

Medical school: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Boston Combined Residency Program (Boston Children’s Hospital/Boston Medical Center)
Favorite microbe: Pseudomonas. It has evolved challenging antibiotic resistance that has inspired at least two subclasses of antibiotics, and the risk of Pseudomonas infection constantly influences our antibiotic selection.
Why I chose Infectious Diseases: The relationship between humans and microbes has had a huge influence on history and evolution. From the Plague of Justinian to the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases have changed the world time and again. Infectious diseases have also contributed to the evolution of many of the most widespread genetic traits including sickle cell disease, G6PD deficiency, and aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency.
What I love about Washington University: The medical and research community is enormous and so collaborative. We have close relationships with the adult Infectious Diseases department and throughout the WashU and BJC system. Everyone is always so welcoming and helpful!
Favorite things to do in St. Louis: Forest Park and the National Museum of Transportation (my toddler loves trains!) Favorite restaurant in St. Louis: There are so many exciting places in the city! We’re going through a BBQ phase now so I’d say Pappy’s Smokehouse or Sugarfire.