New research led by WashU Medicine OBGYN looks at how care changed following the Dobbs decision. In this retrospective chart review, we compared second-trimester uterine evacuations in a restrictive state before and after the Dobbs decision. Post-Dobbs, fewer evacuations were performed via D&E, and a smaller proportion were for medical emergencies. Patients with medical emergencies […]
New research from WashU OB/GYN explores how transgender and gender-diverse patients prefer to be screened for cervical cancer. In this L.A.B. Award-funded survey study of 50 patients receiving care at the Washington University Transgender Center, we sought to describe their cervical cancer screening preferences. The majority of respondents preferred self-collected HPV tests for cervical cancer […]
Jeannie Kelly, MD, MS, Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, co-authored a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examining glecaprevir-pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) for hepatitis C treatment during pregnancy. The retrospective report, the first of its kind on this drug combination in pregnant patients, followed 14 women treated at WashU Medicine between 2024 […]
Washington University School of Medicine has received NIH/NIDA funding for a randomized controlled trial testing Contingency Management, a proven incentive-based treatment approach, to help pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorder stay in treatment longer. Overdose is a top-three cause of pregnancy-associated death, and up to 80% of patients stop treatment within a year […]
Katherine Bligard, MD, MA, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Associate Director of the Fetal Care Center, co-authored a major clinical trial published in JAMA on treating anhydramnios caused by fetal kidney failure. WashU Medicine served as one of 13 fetal therapy centers nationwide participating in the Renal Anhydramnios Fetal Therapy (RAFT) trial. The […]
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and a secondary appointment in the Department of Pathology and Immunology, became Director of the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRePHS) effective July 1, 2026. She previously served as Associate Director of the Center. Dr. Gomez-Lopez succeeds Sarah K. England, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine, who served as […]
WashU Medicine researchers Polina Lishko, PhD, and Celia Santi, MD, PhD, have been awarded a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant to support collaborative research focused on defining mechanisms important for regulating male fertility. The award recognizes the investigators’ longstanding leadership in reproductive physiology and translational fertility research. The R01 grant project titled “Temperature and Polyamines: […]
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 40th Annual Rothman Research Day, a tradition that highlights the dedication, innovation, and scholarly excellence of our residents, fellows, and basic science researchers. Each year, this event brings our community together to showcase the impactful research being conducted across a wide range of disciplines. We are […]
Dr. Celia Santi, James P Crane Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the Center for Reproductive Health Science, was highlighted in the Division of Physician-Scientist Newsletter. This newsletter supports the career development of Physician-Scientists, shares resources, guides mentorship, and encourages research pursuits at all career stages. What motivated you to become a physician-scientist? I originally […]
Dr. Katherine Bligard, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at WashU Medicine’s Department of OBGYN, has been awarded a grant through the 19th annual Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP, one of 22 investigators recognized this cycle). The CTRFP reflects an ongoing partnership between the WashU Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) and The Foundation […]
The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has released its 2025 national rankings, placing WashU Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at No. 14 in the country for funding from the National Institutes of Health—a significant achievement amid a challenging federal research climate. The ranking comes at a time when NIH funding faces budget uncertainties, […]
Resident, Dr. Anna Jones, was awarded a Dr. David G. Mutch Residency Research Scholarship. Congrats on this accomplishment! The title of her poster is, “Real-world outcomes after Mirvetuximab Soravtansine treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer.” She will present at SGO in April. Dr. Jones’ primary investigator is Dr. Brooke Sanders. About the Scholarship This scholarship was […]
Resident, Dr. Sarah Cohen, was awarded a Dr. David G. Mutch Residency Research Scholarship. Congrats on this accomplishment! The title of her poster is, “Impact of Proximity to Sources of Pollution on Birth Outcomes.” She will present at SMFM. Dr. Jones’ primary investigator is Dr. Nandini Raghuraman About the Scholarship This scholarship was generously started […]
Chronic pelvic pain is a common but often misunderstood condition that affects millions of women and can deeply interfere with daily life, relationships, and emotional well-being. Rather than having a single cause, pelvic pain is usually the result of several overlapping factors in the body, which can make diagnosis and treatment frustrating for patients. In […]
Congratulations to the latest recipient of the Department of OB/GYN’s Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey (L.A.B.) Award named in honor of Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey—the enslaved women whose sacrifice, without consent, nearly 200 years ago, allows surgical repair for women with vesicovaginal fistulas today. Rachel Crebessa, MDClinical Fellow, Complex Family Planning Project: Improving contraceptive counseling in a large, academic internal medicine clinic […]
The goal of this project is to reduce cervical cancer disparities by implementing and evaluating community-based interventions that enhance access to at-home HPV screening for medically underserved women, particularly those who are Black, have low incomes, or reside in rural areas. This project will test the feasibility of distributing at-home HPV self-collection kits through the […]
Chief Resident, Dr. Sarah Combs, was awarded a Dr. David G. Mutch Residency Research Scholarship. Congrats on this accomplishment! The title of her poster is, “Family Planning Curriculum: Student Satisfaction and Self-Reported Competence.” Dr. Combs’ primary investigator is Dr. Jennifer Reeves. About the Scholarship This scholarship was generously started by David G. Mutch, MD, Professor, in […]
Dr. Nandini Raghuraman, Chief of the Division of Clinical Research at WashU Medicine OBGYN, joins the Green Room podcast to discuss her recently published paper, “Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Interpretation and Management.” In this episode, she breaks down the new Clinical Practice Guideline, which offers a comprehensive overview of intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) […]
The 2025 Researcher Forum is an event supporting Washington University researchers to continue excelling as exemplary leaders in research. The forum provides our faculty with information regarding the wealth of tools and resources available to them at the university, as well as the opportunity to network with potential collaborators across campus. The Research Education and Information Department, […]
Our WashU team gathered at AAGL in New Orleans, Louisiana to advance healthcare! “AAGL is the largest medical association advancing health care for women through excellence in clinical practice, education, research, innovation, and advocacy.” AAGL
The SUPPORT-MOM study collaborates with patients, clinicians, and payer informants to design, implement, and study Contingency Management for pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorders. Contingency Management is one of the most powerful strategies to improve outcomes for people with substance use disorders but is understudied in the obstetric population. We will focus specifically on the interplay […]
The major goal of this proposal is to unveil non-infectious causes of preterm labor and birth and may lead to the development of a treatment – such as vitamin D, which is FDA-approved during pregnancy – to reduce the risk of preterm birth. “T Cells and IL-9 Signaling at the Maternal-Fetal Interface in Preterm Labor […]
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that pregnant people who took ADHD medications while also being treated for opioid use disorder continued to take medication to address their opioid use disorder about two months longer than patients who stopped taking ADHD medications. These patients also required fewer emergency room visits […]
Quing Zhu, working with Matthew Powell, MD, and Cary Siegel, MD, from the School of Medicine, developed a new imaging method to better diagnose lesions in the ovaries and adjacent adnexa that may help to avoid unnecessary surgeries. This image shows a woman with pelvic mass and BRCA1 mutation. The arrows point to the right […]
Dr. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez’s paper “Blockade of IL-6R prevents preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes” was published in eBioMedicine. Evidence before this study Prematurity remains as the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality before five years of age globally. One in every three preterm infants is born to a pregnant individual with inflammation of the […]
Dr. Celia Santi, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned and respected leader in the field of Reproductive Biology, has been named the James P. Crane Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “We are exceedingly fortunate to count Dr. Santi among our esteemed faculty. Her exceptional contributions to groundbreaking […]
Premal H. Thaker, MD, MS, an accomplished clinician investigator and Director of Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials, has been named the David & Lynn Mutch Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “We are truly fortunate to have Dr. Thaker as a valued member of our faculty. Her […]
In September, Dr. Dineo Khabele, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, delivered the Keynote address at Meharry Research Week at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Khabele spoke on the topic of OB/GYN related cancers. Every summer, the Office of Medical Student Research hosts the WUSM Meharry Summer Research Program (Meharry […]
Residents may now submit their applications for the David G. Mutch Residency Research Scholarship. This scholarship was generously started by David G. Mutch, MD, the Ira C. and Judith Gall Professor, in partnership with the Nelson Alumni Society to support and enhance the scholarly research activity of residents. The scholarship will give two $1,000 awards, twice per academic […]
Cases of endometrial cancer — a gynecologic cancer of the lining of the uterus — have increased in recent decades, as have deaths caused by the condition. To spur new strategies to prevent and treat endometrial cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded researchers at Washington University […]
Dr. Maggie Mullen has been awarded grant funding through the 2023 Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in partnership with Pelotonia & AACR, Targeting platinum chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. **This two-year grant starts in September.** These accomplishments are impossible without our amazing research and clinical teams and the sponsorship of our […]
The Washington University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is soliciting applications for 2023 Cycle 2 of the L.A.B. Award internal pilot grants. The goal of this program is to promote research and grantsmanship by providing pilot funding for residents, clinical fellows, postdoctoral research fellows and associates, and junior faculty in the Department who have no startup or […]
Antonina (Toni) Frolova, MD, PhD, a maternal-fetal medicine physician and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, applied and was selected to be a scholar in the Doris Duke COVID-19 Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists (CFRCS) program at Washington University School of Medicine. As an early career physician-scientist, the program will benefit Dr. Frolova’s navigation of this stage […]
The team presented the confirmatory additional endpoints of the Ruby trial which showed with the addition of dostarlimab immunotherapy added to chemotherapy for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, there is a 71% improvement in progression-free survival or death for the biomarker-positive population and a 34% improvement in the overall population. Although we are […]
The WashU Gynecologic Oncology Tissue Bank celebrated collecting its 100th tissue sample for bench-to-bedside research endeavors. Along with this notable achievement in specimen collection, the labs of Drs. Dineo Khabele and Maggie Mullen have instituted a newly organized process for collecting and managing samples, and are developing research on patient-derived organoids. “We couldn’t have done it without the hard […]
WashU took first (Dr. Amanda Compadre, mentor Dr. Mullen) and third place (Dr. Bridget Huysman, mentor Dr. Raghuraman). We are so proud!
The WashU Gynecologic Oncology Tissue Bank just celebrated collecting its 100th tissue sample for bench-to-bedside research endeavors. Along with this notable achievement in specimen collection, the labs of Drs. Dineo Khabele and Maggie Mullen with the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS) and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology (GynOnc) have instituted a newly organized process for collecting and managing […]
Congratulations to the latest recipients of the Department of OB/GYN’s Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey (L.A.B.) Award named in honor of Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey—the enslaved women whose sacrifice, without consent, nearly 200 years ago allows surgical repair for women with vesicovaginal fistulas today. Julia Burd, MDClinical Fellow, Maternal-Fetal MedicineMentor: Nandini Raghuraman, MD, MSCITitle: Method of Cervical Assessment in Patients with Preterm […]
“The study team, led by Yong Wang, Ph.D., and Alan Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, and Alison Cahill, M.D., at the University of Texas at Austin, initially developed EMMI using a sheep model and reported their findings in Science Translational Medicine. In the new study, the team tailored EMMI for human clinical use […]
Hormonal birth control methods are highly effective, but for many people who take them, they have undesirable side effects. But these could someday be avoided with the advent of fast-acting nonhormonal contraceptives. In a study published February 14 in Nature Communications, a group of Weill Cornell Medicine pharmacologists report a male contraceptive that prevented 100 percent […]
Media Advisory: New MRI method provides detailed view of the placenta during pregnancy Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new method to process MRI scans to reveal the distinct compartments of the placenta, take measurements of oxygen levels in each region and determine if there are malformations in blood vessels […]
A group of WashU OBGYN faculty and staff, and a fellow, are presenting on the topics of labor, prematurity, ultrasound/imaging, reproductive health equity, and more at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s 43rd annual “Pregnancy Meeting.” Congratulations to our accomplished OBGYN team members: Ebony Carter, MD, MPH; Emily Diveley, BSN; Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD; Cassy Hardy, RN; Jeannie Kelly, […]
To fertilize an egg, human sperm must undergo a process in which the membrane becomes more negative inside. The ion channel responsible for this membrane hyperpolarization has long been unclear. In this publication, the Santi and Denton labs describe a screen to identify inhibitors of a strong candidate – the sperm-specific potassium channel SLO3. They […]
November 16, 2022 was our Annual PGY-2 Research Retreat. We talked study design, mentorship, data analysis, IRB, instit and dept resources, scientific presentations, & had a fun interactive career panel discussion
Abstract from Obstetrics & Gynecology Journal: “We performed a retrospective cohort study of all Type 1 cesarean scar pregnancies (n=18) or cervical pregnancies (n=5) at an academic tertiary center after treatment with a cervical double balloon catheter from 2018 to 2022 to evaluate outcomes and maternal morbidity. Cervical double balloon catheter treatment was associated with […]
Research reveals happening! Clinical researchers under the direction of PI Yong Wang, PhD, have poster/oral presentations at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual meeting 10/13-15; OBGYN engineering collaborator Dr. Christine O’Brien also presenting! Women’s Health poster presentations: Thursday, Oct 13, 2022; 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM CDT: “Development of Uterine Peristalsis Imaging (UPI) in Normal […]
Dr. Ebony Carter, Associate Professor, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Chief, Division of Clinical Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine, received an R21 award from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Carter’s research titled “EleVATE-Clinicians: a tool to […]