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Advancing understanding of vaccine effectiveness in diverse populations, the Kao Lab focuses on evaluating how vaccines perform in special groups to inform strategies that improve protection and public health outcomes. Led by Carol M. Kao, MD, MSCI, our team combines clinical insight with rigorous research to address critical questions in immunization and ensure equitable, evidence-based care.

Research profile

Exploring novel mechanisms of lung injury during mechanical ventilation and critical care, the Katira Lab is dedicated to developing personalized strategies for respiratory support and lung protection in critically ill patients. Leveraging expertise in large animal models and advanced cardio-respiratory tools such as electrical impedance tomography, we translate cutting-edge research into approaches that improve outcomes and redefine standards of care.

Research profile

Promoting health and reducing barriers, the Lactation Room Program provides secure, private spaces for students, faculty, staff, trainees and visitors who breastfeed. Established in 2014 by WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the program raises awareness of breastfeeding’s importance while fostering a workplace culture that values new mothers and infant wellness.

Empowering faculty and staff to lead with confidence we provide structured programs that build essential skills for collaboration, decision-making and organizational growth. Our goal is to strengthen leadership capacity across the WashU Medicine community.

Childhood liver disease; liver transplantation; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; ischemia-reperfusion injury

Research profile

Dietary fat digestion and mechanisms of chronic pancreatitis.

Research profile

Investigating the role of serpins in maintaining cellular balance and understanding rare genetic disorders, our lab explores how disruptions in protease-serpin interactions contribute to disease. By studying mechanisms of cell stress, protease activity and serpin blockade, we aim to uncover pathways that lead to tissue damage and dysfunction. Our work includes modeling variants of uncertain significance through the Undiagnosed Diseases Network to advance diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for conditions such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and other serpinopathies.

Luke research profile
Pak research profile
Silverman research profile

Critical insights into causes of childhood leukemia and pioneering prevention strategies our lab investigates how leukemias arise from normal blood-forming stem cells, how malignant cells hijack developmental programs and why childhood and adult leukemias differ genetically. Using innovative mouse models we study leukemia evolution during early life and assess how stressors such as chemotherapy contribute to disease. Our goal is to develop new approaches to treat and ultimately prevent childhood leukemia.

Research profile