Building Healthy Communities

The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Diagnostic Center of Excellence was established in 2019 to solve the trickiest medical mysteries in Missouri and nearby states. Now, the center is expanding. Buoyed by the renewal of the center’s five-year, $3.8 million grant, the UDN leadership team plans to increase outreach to medically underserved communities and increase capacity from 30 to 50 patients a year. The center has established a collaboration with the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, an organization dedicated to improving the quality, accessibility and affordability of health care.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has launched the Center for Rare, Undiagnosed and Genetic Diseases, supported by an $8.5 million grant from Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI), a partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation and WashU Medicine. The new center brings together WashU Medicine researchers and the rare disease patient community, creating a collaborative network to drive innovative research and accelerate drug discovery.

In a testament to the quality and national competitiveness of biomedical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the school secured $683 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in federal fiscal year 2024 – a record high for WashU Medicine and an affirmation of its leadership in shaping the future of medicine. WashU Medicine’s NIH-funding success acts as a magnet for the brightest minds in medicine, drawing top-tier scientists, physicians and students from around the world to work and train at WashU Medicine. This influx of talent fosters collaborations with biotech and pharmaceutical companies, driving further medical advancements and spurring local and regional economic growth.

In recognition of a transformative commitment to WashU Medicine from St. Louisan Richard Frimel and his late husband, Gary C. Werths, Siteman Cancer Center’s new building for outpatient care will be named the Gary C. Werths Building. The historic pledge will fund groundbreaking cancer research and medical student scholarships to support aspiring physicians. Additionally, the gift will benefit cancer patients in St. Louis and beyond.

For the first time, annual research funding to Washington University in St. Louis has surpassed $1 billion. External funding supports WashU investigators tackling big challenges from Alzheimer’s disease to air pollution to childhood depression. Research funding also ripples across the economy, sparking job growth, new construction and local spending, said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

Physicians, scientists, patients and WashU leaders — all united in hope — gathered Sept. 10 to celebrate the new home for world-class cancer care on the Washington University Medical Campus. The nine-story, 657,250-square-foot building will be devoted exclusively to outpatient care at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and will welcome its first patients Sept. 30.

Siteman Cancer Center – based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – soon will open a new home for world-class cancer care. The nine-story, 657,250-square-foot building, located on the Washington University Medical Campus and dedicated exclusively to outpatient cancer care, will welcome its first patients Sept. 30. The state-of-the-art building, designed specifically with cancer patients in mind, incorporates an innovative model of care – the first for cancer care in the region.

To boost access to healthy food for St. Louis-area residents in need of improved nutritional options, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is collaborating with BJC HealthCare and Schnuck Markets, the regional grocery chain, to fill prescriptions for fruits and vegetables.

Dozens of noted scientists, philanthropists, and university, state and local leaders gathered Thursday, Jan. 18, to celebrate the dedication of one of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings, a gleaming state-of-the-art facility on the Washington University Medical Campus.