Scholary Activities

Research Overview

The Department of Medicine at Saint Louis University continues to be a leader in health sciences research, furthering a tradition dating from its early history. During the early 20th century, SLU's achievements came in fields including anatomy, psychiatry; and ear, nose and throat surgery. Dr Edward Doisy, a biomedical researcher at the School of Medicine, shared the Nobel Prize in 1943 for his work on the discovery and isolation of vitamin K.

Currently, the Health Sciences Center is organized into multiple Institutes and Centers for Excellence including: the Institute for Molecular Virology (the first of its kind in the nation), the Anheuser-Busch Eye Institute, the Saint Louis University Pediatric Research Institute, the Center for Vaccine Development, the Surgical Research Institute, Liver Disease, and the Center for AIDS research. The Department is one of only four institutions that comprise an important new initiative to protect the United States against bioterrorism–the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research.

The Department of Medicine is ranked in the top third of all academic medical centers in Federal (NIH) funding with more than 26 million dollars of annual support. During the past 5 years the Department of Medicine faculty have published more than 1100 papers in hundreds of clinical and basic biomedical journals including, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Nature, and Science.

Accordingly, research opportunities for residents are abundant. Indeed, more than 50% of our graduates will have published an abstract or manuscript during their training. Presentation of research findings at local, regional and national meetings is strongly encouraged and supported by the Department. For example, in the past year our housestaff have presented original data at the American College of Physicians meeting, the American Heart Association meeting, the American Society of Nephrology meeting, the American Gastrenterological Association meeting, and the Liver meetings.The School of Medicine MD/Ph.D. program furthers the collaborative relationship of the Department with the basic sciences.

Senior Resident Conferences

Each senior resident presents an exhaustive review of a focused clinical or basic science topic as part of the core curriculum. This scholarly activity may also include the presentation of basic biomedical research.

Senior Resident Lectures 2007-2008

• Updates in Hemodynamic Monitoring
• ACLS and High Fidelity Simulation
• Chronic Kidney Disease: Bone and Mineral Disorders
• Pandemics: Past, Present, and Future
• Detailing Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
• Race and Medicine: Do Stereotypes Impact Medical Care?
• Implications for Testosterone Therapy
• Minimal Change Disease and FSGS
• Alternative Medicines
• Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption
• Lipid Management: A Historical Perspective to Future Trends
• Heart Remodeling
• Vitamin D Deficiency
• Global Health: A Personal Perspective From My International Elective
• The Non-Thyroidal Illness Syndrome
• Tying Up Loose Ends
• Physician Burnout
• Cardiac CT and MRI
• Multiple Myeloma
• Physician Burnout
• Advances in Diabetes
• Smoking Cessation: Update

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