Author: Edward

How an unlikely collaboration revolutionized heart treatment

Cuculich and Robinson collaborating in their lab

For patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT), the heart’s rhythm turns into a chaotic short circuit — beating so fast it can’t pump blood. Standard treatment can mean a procedure as involved as a 6-hour surgery. Too often, the heart doesn’t cooperate. Cardiologist Phillip Cuculich, MD, needed a better way forward. He asked a colleague a simple but audacious question, “Do you know anybody in radiation oncology who would be crazy enough to think about ablating cardiac tissue?” That question changed everything.

The milestones that changed medicine

Research scientists studying a slide of lungs

Discover some of the research firsts that WashU Medicine introduced to the world WashU Medicine has been home to history-making discoveries for more than 13 decades. Today, our researchers continue to lead with determination, pushing the boundaries of science to unlock cures and transform patient care.  1920s First U.S. treatment for childhood diabetes  By preparing […]

From the OR to the end zone: Elijah & Dr. Goldfarb’s Journey

Elijah Schultz with a football

Elijah Schultz was never supposed to throw touchdowns.  Born with amniotic band syndrome, he was missing a leg and most of his fingers. His adoptive family quickly realized he would face physical limitations that could narrow his world, but were unsure what options were available to their son. Then, Elijah’s family discovered something extraordinary.  We […]

WashU Medicine clinical trials: Offering hope for patients who’ve run out of options

Imagine a world where Alzheimer’s no longer robs families of their loved ones. Where cancer is stopped cold. Where cardiovascular diseases are a distant memory. This is the world WashU Medicine researchers work tirelessly towards, and this relentless pursuit drives our most crucial clinical trials. WashU Medicine is leading the way at the intersection of […]

One family’s journey with the Undiagnosed Diseases Network

Jason, James, and Amy Lair on the family farm

When you seek medical care, you expect a diagnosis. You may need to answer a lot of questions and undergo tests, but usually doctors can figure out the root of the problem. This is not the case for a surprisingly large group of patients. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 25 million to […]

Treating the untreatable: David’s story

David Duggan, has an appointment with Armin Ghobadi, MD, for follow-up of his treatment of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia.

Three years ago, a routine blood test showed that David B. Duggan, MD, had a high white-blood-cell count, suggesting an infection or illness of some sort.  “But I felt great,” recalled Duggan, a hematologist in New York. In his late 60s at the time, Duggan was active — he cycled, swam and worked on his […]

Hope against the odds: surviving a complex brain tumor

Scott Keifer spends time at home with his wife, Claire, and dogs, Rome (dark coat) and Murphy

When a life-threatening diagnosis brought Scott’s world to a halt, he was referred to the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery at WashU Medicine, where hope awaited. Not only were the specialists who could help him here, but it was also where the innovative treatment that ultimately saved his life was first performed. In the fall […]