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Inside WashU Public Health, January 12, 2026

From the dean Welcome back Dear Colleagues, I hope that everyone had a wonderful, restful winter break. As we return from the holiday season, I want to take a moment

Hayley Abshear

January 13, 2026

From the dean

Welcome back

Dear Colleagues,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful, restful winter break. As we return from the holiday season, I want to take a moment to welcome you to the next year of our work together, and to share my excitement for the months ahead.

A new year is a time for renewal, for reflecting on where we are, where we aspire to go, and the values that guide our progress. Looking to 2026, I am energized by the opportunities ahead of us and by what we shall do together. This past year, we have laid the foundation of a great school of public health. The coming year will be a time to build on this foundation, led by our commitment to excellence in public health thinking, teaching, and practice.

As I have mentioned on several occasions, our core priorities as a school in 2026, aligning with our 4×4 strategies, are to continue to grow our community with outstanding faculty and staff who can advance our mission; to keep leaning into the work of reimagining our curriculum and thinking about how we can shape an innovative, dynamic program of study to train the public health professionals of the future; to continue to elevate and catalyze the work of interdisciplinarity through our research networks, our newly formed Ryan Institute for Interdisciplinary Health Solutions, and the work of all of our faculty and staff, as well as our community of secondary faculty across the university; and to continue to pursue local impact by building our Office of Practice and engagement with the community. 

Fundamentally, my hope is that in 2026 we keep building a school we can be proud of, toward creating a healthier world where all can live longer, healthier lives. It is a privilege to be taking these steps with everybody in our community. Thank you for all you have done to lead us here, to position us for the coming year. I look forward to catching up with all in the coming days and weeks, and to the work we will do together in the coming year.

Warmly,

Sandro

Also from the office of the dean

From the director of continuous improvement

We welcome SPH staff to join colleagues and Dean Galea at this month’s staff meeting, for coffee and conversation about our strategic planning priorities. We will discuss our strategies focused on interdisciplinary collaborations and our partnerships, local and global. The gathering is from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 14, in Room 234 of the Danforth University Center (DUC). In-person attendance is encouraged, though fully remote employees may join over Zoom.

From the associate dean for faculty affairs

Upcoming faculty visits

In the coming weeks and months, SPH will host several distinguished faculty visitors. We ask that all in the SPH community actively engage with these guests by attending their Talking Public Health seminars, accepting invitations to meet with them, and generally interacting with them while they are on campus. We want to share the enthusiasm that we have for public health and the innovative school that we are building. Please check the SPH website and calendar regularly for these events as they are scheduled. 

Annual faculty evaluations

Thank you to all primary faculty for completing the annual faculty evaluations. The documents have been received and are under review by the Faculty Affairs Committee and Dean Galea. Faculty should have received a calendar invitation for a meeting with Dean Galea to discuss their evaluations. Please reach out to SPHFacultyAffairs@wustl.edu if you have any questions.

Office of Faculty Affairs office hours

The Office of Faculty Affairs will hold weekly office hours on Wednesdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Members of the Faculty Affairs team will be available in person or over Zoom on these dates. The Faculty Affairs team is on the second floor of Duncan. Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Debra Haire-Joshu is available in her office, Room 2120. Please reach out to SPHFacultyAffairs@wustl.edu if you would like more information or to schedule a Zoom meeting. 

From the associate dean of education

Spring 2026 Teaching

Happy first day of the Spring 2026 semester. Classes start today! As a reminder, if you are teaching this semester, please upload your finalized syllabus to your Canvas course and submit it here. Resources such as the SPH syllabus template, syllabus updating guide and competency documents are available in Box. Also be sure to utilize the Instructor Teaching Dashboard in Workday for your teaching schedule, course rosters, and more. This tutorial and step-by-step instruction guide is a good resource for learning how to navigate the Instructor Teaching Dashboard.

Hillman Hall classrooms

All classrooms in Hillman Hall have been converted to university-pooled classrooms. Technology in university-pooled classrooms is maintained by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Classroom Services team. CTL recently upgraded some of the audiovisual equipment in classrooms in advance of a major technology overhaul scheduled for summer 2026. If you need IT assistance in class, please call CTL at 314-935-6810. They will have a technician on site within five minutes. 

Waitlists

Please note that you may have a waitlist for your course. The university policy and procedure regarding this is to allow waitlisted students access to the Canvas page, including announcements and course materials, while on the waitlist. Students are instructed to not attend class while on the waitlist, but they sometimes get confused because they have access to Canvas, or they come to class in hopes there will be space for them. For considerations of physical space and equality in programmatic decision-making about waitlists, please do not allow or approve students on the waitlist entry into the course. Please advise them to work with their academic advisers on such matters.

Hillman Hall Suite 20

Suite 20 in Hillman Hall is the prime place for faculty to use while on the Danforth Campus for course prep and office hours. The suite is card-access only; however, there is a doorbell on the right side of the suite doors for students to use to gain access. 

From the director of the PhD program, Patrick Fowler

Thank you to the faculty who provided input and feedback on the Public Health Sciences PhD program student funding model. You can access the formal policy here. Also, next week’s Inside newsletter will include instructions for interested faculty to review applications for the incoming PHS cohort. 

From the associate dean for administration

New grants management intake form

The school’s research administration team has launched a new grants management intake form to support upcoming letters of intent, grant applications, and other sponsored funding submissions. The intake form will help ensure timely assignment of research administration support, clearer planning around submission timelines, and smoother proposal development — particularly regarding opportunities with short turnaround times. Faculty are encouraged to complete the form as soon as they begin planning a submission. Access the intake form here.

IT asset management and device renaming to begin next week

Beginning January 19, IT devices that do not yet follow the school’s naming convention will be renamed, with onsite IT support available daily at 4300 Duncan and in Hillman Hall. Most updates are expected to take about 15 minutes. 

Faculty and staff whose device names do not begin with 30E00, 30000, or 30200 should schedule an appointment through the Bookings link to have their devices renamed. You can find the number on the machine name sticker on your device. While remote support is available, in-person support is recommended for a faster and more streamlined experience. Questions may be directed to Tiffany Ruble, IT navigator.

From the interim associate dean for research

Office of Research Affairs services

We encourage faculty and staff to contact us for support on identifying funding opportunities, refining proposal ideas, drafting proposal plans and coordinating resources. We offer a range of flexible services that allow you to select the support that you need at any point along the proposal timeline. We look forward to working with you in the new year! Contact us at sphresearch@wustl.edu.

Funding opportunities

WashU is eligible to nominate one candidate for the 2026 Kleberg Foundation Medical Research Grant. The funding supports innovative and groundbreaking medical research proposals from top-tier institutions in both basic biological and applied research that will have the greatest impact on scientific knowledge and human health. Applications are due Monday, January 26.

Office hours at WashU’s Research Development Office

WashU’s Research Development Office is hosting office hours for investigators. Researchers can sign up for a 30-minute time slot to find funding opportunities and determine how RDO can assist with the research process.

Call for papers on chronic disease

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD), of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is inviting manuscripts addressing persistent public health challenges. Authors are encouraged to look at these areas of interest: artificial intelligence; public health and pharmacy; effects of screen time on children and adolescents; community engagement; geospatial perspectives; rural health; and data modernization. Additional information about submitting manuscripts is in the Author’s Corner on PCD’s website. Corresponding authors may want to submit an inquiry to determine suitability of the manuscript for PCD.

From the executive director of networks and innovation

Faculty mixer today

Attend a mixer for SPH faculty to connect with the research network managers and co-directors, and the data team from WashU Public Health’s Office of Networks & Innovation (ONI). The event will be today, January 12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Kuehner Court, on the second floor of Weil Hall. Enjoy drinks, snacks, and door prizes while learning more about ONI. Closest parking is in the East End Garage, with validation available. The event is co-hosted by the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA). Members of OFA will be present to share information about OFA services and upcoming events. Register here to attend.

Call to SPH faculty: Host a FARM-sponsored MPH practicum student

In 2026, the Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) will sponsor a program for a limited number of MPH practicum students working on projects with SPH faculty that advance scholarship and practice at the nexus of food systems and public health. Interested SPH faculty are invited to submit a short (one page) expression of interest to propose a project for a FARM-sponsored practicum student. The submission deadline is Monday, January 26. If you have questions regarding this program, please contact Mark Doyle at doylemark@wustl.edu.

From the director of communications

Feedback on new website

Our team was excited to launch the new SPH website last week, but as with anything new, glitches occur, so we have been on the lookout for and addressing any issues as they pop up. We plan to meet with our SPH colleagues about how to improve and add to the site in the coming weeks and months, but if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please email us at sphcomms@wustl.edu. Thank you for helping us build and improve our school’s communications platforms.

Doctoral student portraits

As we update content for our website, we plan to include new portraits of the school’s doctoral students. SPH photographer Zachary Linhares is scheduling PhD students for photo sessions from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, January 23, and Monday, January 26. Each portrait session will take about five minutes and will be on the third floor of Hillman Hall. Please email Zach at linhares@wustl.edu with the date and time that works best for you from the options listed. 

If you are remote, please plan to take a new photo by the end of the month and send it to Zach. Here are tips for providing your own portrait: Stand about a foot away from a neutral-colored wall; if using a phone, use 1.5x zoom or portrait mode (avoid selfie mode); take the photo in a horizontal format; ensure light is evenly cast across your face; and avoid harsh shadows and wide-angle lenses.

SPH and other events this week

SPH School Assembly

  • Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
  • Danforth University Center (DUC), Room 276

SPH faculty and staff are invited to the school’s first School Assembly of 2026. The event will be in person. However, fully remote SPH employees may attend over Zoom.

Talking Public Health with Catherine Oldenburg

  • Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 12-1 p.m.
  • Danforth University Center (DUC), Room 234 Or via Zoom

Catherine (Catie) Oldenburg, ScD, MPH, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, will give a talk titled “Azithromycin for the Prevention of Child Mortality: From Efficacy Trials to Public Health Policy and Beyond.”  

Staff meeting with the dean

  • Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 9-10 a.m.
  • Danforth University Center (DUC), Room 234

Thinking Public Health: Is everything public health?

  • Thursday, January 15, 2026, 10-11 a.m.
  • 4240 Duncan, Havana Room

The topic of the first Thinking Public Health gathering of the year is: Is everything public health?  See here for more details and a link to pre-readings.

Symposium on comorbidity and cancer care

  • Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  • Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid Ave, Medical Campus

Siteman Cancer Center will host guest speakers Dr. Deb Schrag, from Weill Cornell Medical Center and Dr. Hyman B. Muss from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center for this symposium. Register through this link. 

Civic Café: How Public Health Affects Us All, with Dean Galea

  • Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Stix International House, 6470 Forsyth Boulevard

Join a conversation with Dean Galea, exploring how public health shapes our communities and democracy. Over dinner, learn about how the school is addressing today’s most pressing health challenges through interdisciplinary solutions. Register here.

New to the school

We welcome two new primary faculty this week, bringing our total to 45, one new secondary faculty member, and three new staff members.

Theresa (Tracy) Bastain, MPH, PhD, joins the School of Public Health as a professor. An environmental epidemiologist, Bastain focuses on the effects of environmental and social stressors during pregnancy, with an emphasis on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children and the long-term mental health of postpartum mothers.

Environmental epidemiologist Carrie Breton, ScD, joins the School of Public Health as a professor. Breton leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding the long-term health risks for cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic diseases resulting from the interplay between early-life environmental exposures, susceptibility factors, and biological mechanisms.

Bastain and Breton both come to SPH from the University of Southern California (USC), where they have co-directed the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) Center. The center’s aim has been to address pressing environmental health concerns in women and children.

We also welcome Patricia Olynyk, MFA, the Florence and Frank Bush Professor of Art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, to the SPH secondary faculty. Olynyk is an artist and writer whose work explores science and technology-related themes. She works across disciplines, including time-based and visual arts, medical humanities, and environmental science.  

New staff members also have joined SPH.

Brandie Hamilton joins the school as a project and event manager. Prior to joining SPH, she worked at WashU Medicine as assistant to the chief of the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics. There, she specialized in event planning and management for the division, strategic planning initiatives, and daily operations. 

Matt Schuelke, PhD, joins the Office of Networks & Innovation as the manager of data analytics. Previously at WashU Medicine’s Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics, supporting research and operational initiatives through data-driven approaches, Schuelke has 20 years of experience in data analytics, consulting, and engineering.

Rashmi Goswami joins the Office of Administration as a research administrator. Goswami brings more than a decade of experience in research grants and contracts administration, most recently at the University of Missouri. Her background includes proposal development and submission, budget preparation, and ensuring compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements across federal, foundation and industry-funded research

Faculty notes

Stark attends UN launch of report on children affected by armed conflict

Professor Lindsay Stark spoke on a panel in December at the United Nations about reintegrating children affected by armed conflict. The panel was part of an event launching a report she co-authored on the topic. 

Looking ahead: Events in coming weeks

Disease Ecology on a Changing Planet

  • Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Clark-Fox Forum, Hillman Hall, and online

This is the inaugural convening of the WashU Public Health Solutions through Planetary Health Research (SPHERE) research network. The event will explore the role climate change plays in reshaping patterns of infectious disease, and why coordinated, multisectoral collaborations are essential to build future readiness. The talks and panels end at noon; in-person attendees are invited to stay for a networking lunch with speakers and panelists.

CAHSPER research seminar with Ryan McDevitt

  • Thursday, January 22, 2026, 12 to 1 p.m.
  • Taylor Avenue Building, Medical Campus

Ryan McDevitt, a WashU professor of economics and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, will present.

Global Health Seminar on hypertension in Haiti

  • Monday, January 26, 2026, 12 to 1 p.m.
  • Farrell Learning & Teaching Center, Room 302; and Zoom.

Margaret McNairy, MD, MSc, the David C. and Betty Farrell Professor of Medicine at WashU Medicine and a member of the SPH secondary faculty, will speak on “The crisis of early-onset, untreated hypertension in Haiti: from epidemiology to implementation science.” The event is co-sponsored by the SPH Global Health Futures research network.

The Resilience & Recovery of Former Child Soldiers

  • Monday, January 26, 2026, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
  • Anheuser-Busch Dining Hall, Charles F. Knight Center, Throop Drive and Snow Way Drive; and online.

Dr. Theresa S. Betancourt, whose research includes a focus on former child soldiers in Sierra Leone from adolescence into adulthood, will discuss the long-term impact of war on child development, the ethics of cross-cultural trauma research, and how evidence-based interventions can support recovery in the most challenging circumstances.

SPH Toolbox

Let us know 

If you have SPH news, events or research to share, please send details to sphcomms@wustl.edu or  Elizabethe Holland Durando, SPH director of communications and change management. 

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