SPH convening this week

Fireside chat with Kenneth Cole

From 4 to 5:30 p.m Thursday, November 6, Kenneth Cole will join Dean Sandro Galea for a conversation in Hillman Hall’s Clark-Fox Forum. This conversation will explore, among other topcis, how collaborations between business, public health, and advocacy can drive measurable impact regarding population mental health. Register here to attend at WashU or online.

Kenneth Cole is a designer, social activist, business owner, philanthropist, and the subject of new documentary film, “A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole.” Through his leadership at Kenneth Cole Productions and The Mental Health Coalition, Cole has demonstrated how business platforms can positively influence health, and reduce stigma around mental health challenges. 

From the associate dean for faculty affairs

Faculty development seminar slides

The Faculty Development Subcommittee on October 14 hosted the SPH Faculty Development Seminar, “Enhancing Effectiveness Through Communication Skills,” featuring John Horn, PhD, from the Olin Business School. Dr. Horn provided valuable tips for improving communication skills in presentations. His suggestions included using visuals to enhance presentations, and tips to help stay organized and on topic during presentations. He also shared some excellent resources, which you can find and review in his talk slides.  

Please save the date for the next Faculty Development Subcommittee seminar. It will be at noon February 5, and will be led by Hilary Anger Elfenbein, PhD, focusing on team leadership. The event will be at 4300 Duncan.

Faculty coaching program

The Office of the Provost is offering professional coaching to graduates of the Faculty Transformational Leadership Institute, as well as to department chairs and directors. This program aims to help faculty members develop and reach their academic and professional goals. Each participant may have three professional coaching sessions per semester, with an option for a fourth session. A limited number of spots are available each semester. Applications are open now. 

From the associate dean for education

Nurturing Future Teachers

This is a reminder that the Office of Education is launching Nurturing Future Teachers (NFT), a new teaching assistant professional development program for MPH and doctoral students.

For faculty slated to teach in Spring 2026, please complete this form by November 7 so that we can gain a better understanding of your teaching assistant needs.

For any questions or concerns, please contact the master’s program director, Charlene Caburnay, or master’s program manager, Jonesey Johnson.

From the director of communications

Comms team office hours

If you have communications-related questions, big or small, and would like to chat with the SPH comms team in person, we will have office hours from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, at 4300 Duncan, on the second floor, near the entryway into the office area. SPH’s news contact in University Marketing & Communications, Deb Parker, will join us this week as well. We are happy to answer any questions, hear story ideas, talk about events … you name it.

We plan to do this at both Hillman and Duncan; watch this space to find out future office hours.

Our team bounces between Hillman and Duncan on a regular basis, so we also can easily schedule a meeting with you or your team wherever it’s convenient for you. And, of course, you can reach out to us anytime at sphcomms@wustl.edu.

From the interim associate dean for research

Funding opportunities

Siteman Cancer Center offers travel awards to support trainees in presenting their cancer research at national or international meetings. These awards help cover travel, registration, and related costs, with a maximum of $1,500 per person. The application deadline is November 20, with awards announced by mid-December. This program provides an excellent opportunity for early-career investigators to share their work and engage with the broader cancer research community. 

The 2026 Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) Scholar Program is accepting applications for early-career investigators pursuing research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This one- to two-year mentored research experience offers 50% salary support, individualized development planning, hands-on training, monthly career development seminars, grant-writing instruction, and opportunities for professional networking and research presentations. Eligible applicants must be at the late postdoctoral, instructor, or assistant professor stage with the ability to commit 50% effort to research training. Applications are due January 9.

The NIH Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1)supports highly integrated research teams of three to six principal investigators addressing ambitious, cross-disciplinary research questions aligned with the mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This opportunity is intended for projects that require true collaboration and synergy beyond the scope of individual efforts, advancing transformative discoveries through managed team science. Each institution may submit up to two applications, and WashU applicants must coordinate through the internal competition process. The internal submission deadline is November 10. 

The Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) is accepting letters of intent by December 5 for its 2026–2027 Emerging Research Grants program, supporting innovative hearing and balance research. Three award types are available:

  • Elizabeth M. Keithley, PhD. Early-Stage Investigator Awards, offering up to $50,000 per year for early investigators without major federal funding.
  • Focused Discovery Awards, providing up to $50,000 per year for projects addressing age-related hearing loss, Ménière’s disease, hyperacusis, or tinnitus.
  • Expanded Discovery Awards, granting up to $100,000 per year for research on Central Auditory Processing Disorder. 

Funding forecast

The Patient‑Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funds patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that generates evidence to help patients, caregivers, and the broader health-care community make informed health-care decisions. Several PCORI funding announcements will open for LOI submissions onDecember 2. Applicants are encouraged to prepare early by exploring key resources, including What You Need to Know to Apply. Researchers whose work aligns with PCORI’s mission are also encouraged to attend a virtual applicant town hall.

SPH events this week

Faculty breakfast with the dean

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 5, at Duncan 4300, Room 3203, faculty are invited to breakfast and conversation with Dean Sandro Galea. This month, the time will be dedicated to a conversation, facilitated by Patrick Fowler, director of the SPH doctoral program, about restructuring the school’s doctoral program. All interested faculty are encouraged to attend, particularly faculty who supervise and are involved in SPH’s educational training.

Talking Public Health with Patrick Fowler and Christina Stallings

At noon Wednesday, November 5, Patrick Fowler, MA, PhD, professor and director of the doctoral program in public health sciences at WashU Public Health, will give a talk titled, “Community-Centered AI for Preventing Homelessness and Protecting Health.” The talk will be in the Cortex district’s Dorris Building, 20 South Sarah Street, in the first-floor Showroom, and also will be available over Zoom.

At noon Thursday, November 6, Christina Stallings, PhD, professor of molecular microbiology at WashU Medicine, will give a talk titled, “Combating the tuberculosis global health crisis.” The talk will be in the Cortex district’s Dorris Building, 20 South Sarah Street, in the first-floor Showroom. The talk also will be available over Zoom.

Other events this week

WashU serves volunteer fair

From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m Tuesday, November 4, in Holmes Lounge, connect with local nonprofits making a difference across St. Louis, discover onetime and ongoing volunteer opportunities, and find causes that align with your passions. Whether you’re new to service or a seasoned volunteer, this fair is the perfect chance to get inspired, build connections, and sign up to serve alongside colleagues and friends. Learn more and RSVP.

An introduction to the scholarship of WashU’s provost

At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 4,WashU Provost Mark D. West will give an Assembly Series talk at Graham Chapel. The talk is titled, “An Introduction to the Scholarship of WashU’s Provost: Life and Love; Systems and Stories — and Japanese Law.” Register here. 

Skandalaris and public health entrepreneurship

From 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 4, the Skandalaris Center will host an event introducing opportunities for public health students, faculty and staff to engage with WashU’s innovation and startup ecosystem. From Launchpad to the Skandalaris Venture Competition, attendees will learn how entrepreneurship can shape their practicum and career paths. The event also includes pizza and informal conversation. Register for the public health entrepreneurship meeting.

New to the school

We welcome four new secondary faculty members this week.

Bo Li, PhD, the Stanley A. Sawyer Professor of Statistics and Data Science in Arts & Sciences, joins the SPH secondary faculty as a professor. Li’s work applies spatial and spatiotemporal statistics to public health, climatology and environmental questions related to HIV, vector-borne diseases, heat wave-related human morbidity, climate variability, agriculture and other topics. 

Pediatric emergency medicine physician George Hoganson, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at WashU Medicine, joins the SPH secondary faculty as an assistant professor. He leads studies on pediatric mental health, health communication, caregiver experience, and equity in care delivery for populations disproportionately affected by barriers to care, while also collaborating on multicenter studies addressing infectious disease and pediatric trauma. 

Margaret L. (Molly) McNairy, MD, MSc, the David C. and Betty Farrell Professor of Medicine and chief of the Division of General Medicine, Geriatrics, and Hospital Medicine at WashU Medicine, joins the SPH secondary faculty as a professor. A global health scholar with a particular focus on improving primary health care for chronic diseases including HIV and cardiovascular disease for people in extreme poverty, McNairy uses a multidisciplinary approach including rigorous observational research as well as clinical and implementation trials. 

Tomi Toler, DrPH, MS, an assistant professor of pediatrics and associate director of the Program in Genetic Counseling at WashU Medicine, joins the SPH secondary faculty as an assistant professor. A certified genetic counselor, Toler is interested in the return of research results related to genetic testing, neurogenetics and public health genetics and genomics.

Looking ahead

Global Research Excellence Showcase

From 1:30 to 7 p.m. November 10, the Global Research Excellence Showcase in Hillman Hall’s Clark-Fox Forum will showcase WashU research from across borders and disciplines. Featured presenters are recipients of Global Incubator Seed Grants, which aim to harness the power of international partnerships to advance innovative research. The program culminates with awards and recognition. See here for details and to register.

Kim Thuy Seelinger on ‘War, Gender, and Justice’

From noon to 1 p.m. Monday, November 10, Kim Thuy Seelinger, JD, professor of practice at WashU School of Public Health, will give a talk titled, “War, Gender, and Justice: What’s Public Health Got to Do With It?” The talk will be in the Farrell Learning & Teaching Center, Room 301, on the Medical Campus. See here for details and to register.

Vaccine Center Symposium

The Vaccine Center Symposium will be from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday,November 12, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on the Medical Campus. SPH Dean Sandro Galea will speak alongside leading experts in vaccine science and public health. See here for details and to register.

SPH convening: A Conversation with Katelyn Jetelina

From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, noted epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, MPH, PhD, will discuss her approach to public health communication and her experience translating complex data for audiences online. The event will be held in Hillman Hall’s Clark-Fox Forum on the Danforth Campus — and also will be available online. See here for details and to register.  

Environmental research gathering

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 13, in Umrath Lounge, the Center for the Environment invites WashU graduate students to attend the Graduate Student Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Dinner, an evening of presentations on climate scholarship with networking, community building and dinner. See here for details and to register. RSVP by November 6.

Advancing diabetes research webinar

The Intergenerational Diabetes Research via Home Visiting Networks (IDRN) core — a collaboration between the WashU Center for Diabetes Translation Research and the national Parents as Teachers home-visiting program — is hosting a webinar from noon to 1 p.m. November 14. IDRN provides services to help investigators translate research into solutions aimed at preventing the familial transmission of type 2 diabetes, and improving population health. The webinar will explore how researchers can engage with the data and services available through IDRN. See here for details and to register.

Enola Proctor lecture on implementation science

The annual Enola Proctor Lecture will be at 9 a.m. November 21 in Holmes Lounge on the Danforth Campus and also will be available via webinar. Sponsored by SPH’s Dissemination & Implementation Science Innovation Research Network (DISIRN), the lecture will feature Greg Aarons, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego, who will speak on, “The Why and How of Leadership and Teamwork for Implementation.” See the lecture page for details and to register. Because of space constraints, registration is required.

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.