The following list of experienced WashU faculty have expressed interest in, and are passionate about, supporting postbaccalaureate scholars in their labs. This is not an exhaustive list, and does not guarantee that the mentor is currently available to accept scholars into their lab.

If you have identified a WashU mentor that is not on this list, please contact us to seek final approval.

Ana Maria Arbelaez Perez, MD, MSCI

Ana Maria Arbelaez Perez, MD, MSCI

Professor of Pediatrics

Leadership, Alumni

Department: Pediatrics

Division: Pediatric Endocrinology

Leadership Role(s):
Co-Director, TL1 Predoctoral Program

Director, Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

Director, The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)
KL2 Career Development Award
TL1 Predoctoral Program
TL1 Postdoctoral Program

Research keywords: complications, metabolic regulation, and obesity

Washington University Physicians

Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD

Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, MD

Philip E. & Carolyn E. Cryer Professor of Medicine

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)
KL2 Career Development Award
TL1 Predoctoral Program
TL1 Postdoctoral Program

Research keywords: Metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, cell innate immunity, vitamin D, insulin resistance

Bernal-Mizrachi Lab

Jonathan R Brestoff, MD, PhD, MPH

Jonathan R Brestoff, MD, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Laboratory & Genomic Medicine

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Immunometabolism, mitochondria transfer, mitophagy, obesity, metabolic diseases

Brestoff Lab Website

Rita Brookheart, PhD

Rita Brookheart, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Nutritional Science & Obesity Medicine

Leadership Role(s):
Director, Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

Director, The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: metabolism, skeletal, muscle, ER stress, mitochondria

Brookheart Lab

Clair  Crewe, PhD

Clair Crewe, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Cell Biology and Physiology

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, extracellular vesicles, mitochondria

Crewe Lab

Abhinav Diwan, MD, FACC, FAHA

Abhinav Diwan, MD, FACC, FAHA

Professor of Medicine

Department: Internal Medicine

Division:  Cardiovascular Division

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: diabetes, heart failure, lysosomes, autophagy, mitochondria

Diwan Lab

Brian Finck, PhD

Brian Finck, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Nutritional Science

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

KL2 Career Development Award

Research keywords: mitochondria, liver, diabetes, amino acids

Finck Lab Website

Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD

Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: Obstetrics & Gynecology

Division: Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: High-risk obstetrics, maternal medical conditions complicating pregnancy, preterm birth, abnormal labor

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Ultrasound

Benjamin Garcia, PhD

Benjamin Garcia, PhD

Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and Head

Department:  Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Division: Biology & Biomedical Sciences

Leadership Role(s):

Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

K12 Career Development Program for Clinical Oncology

Research Keywords: mass spectrometry, proteomics, post-translational modifications, epigenetics

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics

Valene Garr Barry, PhD

Valene Garr Barry, PhD

Instructor

Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology

Division:  Center for Reproductive Health Sciences

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: disparities, pregnancy, fetal growth, preeclampsia, wearable technology, remote monitoring

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Irfan Lodhi, PhD

Irfan Lodhi, PhD

Professor of Medicine

Department: Department of Medicine

Division: Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Obesity, diabetes, adipose tissue, thermogenesis, lipid metabolism

PubMed

Gretchen  Meyer, PhD

Gretchen Meyer, PhD

Associate Professor

Department: Physical Therapy

Division:   Physical Therapy, Neurology, and Orthopaedical Surgery

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Muscle Physiology, Regeneration, Tissue Cross-talk

Integrative Muscle Physiology

Jeffrey  Millman , PhD

Jeffrey Millman , PhD

Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering

Department: Medicine

Division: Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: stem cells, diabetes, regenerative medicine, disease modeling, biomedical engineering

Millman Lab

Natalie Niemi, PhD

Natalie Niemi, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department: School of Medicine

Division: Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: mitochondria, metabolism, phosphorylation, signaling, and mitophagy

The Niemi Lab

 

David W Piston, PhD

David W Piston, PhD

Edward J. Mallinckrodt, Jr. Professor and Head of Cell Biology & Physiology

Department: Biology and Biomedical Sciences

Division: Cell Biology & Physiology

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Pancreatic islets, glucagon, hypoglycemia

Piston Lab

Rithwick Rajagopal, MD, PhD

Rithwick Rajagopal, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor; Director of Clinical COVID Preparedness

Department:  Internal Medicine

Division:  Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research

Leadership Role(s):  Director of Clinical COVID Preparedness

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Diabetic retinopathy: photoreceptors: lipid metabolism: neurovascular coupling: cellular energy sensing

Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Dominic Reeds, MD

Dominic Reeds, MD

Professor of Medicine

Leadership

Department: Medicine

Division: Nutritional Science

Leadership Role(s):
Director, KL2 Career Development Program

Director, Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

Director, The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)
Associate Director, Postdoctoral Mentored Training Program in Clinical Investigation (MTPCI)
Associate Director, Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI)

Mentor for Program(s):

Summer Program for the Advancement of Research Relevant NIDDK (SPARK) (STEP UP R25)

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Use of stable isotope tracers to study the regulation of substrate metabolism in humans. Metabolic abnormalities present in patients with HIV infection, and changes in glucose and lipid metabolism during weight gain or loss.

Rajan Sah, MD, PhD

Rajan Sah, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine

Department: Internal Medicine

Division: Cardiovascular

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: cardiometabolic, ion channel, therapeutic

Sah Lab

Stephen Stone , MD

Stephen Stone , MD

Assistant Professor

Department: Pediatrics

Division: Endocrinology and Diabetes

Mentor for Program(s):

The Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (PRIDE R25)

Research keywords: Insulin resistance, Atypical Diabetes, Metabolic diseases, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, Transgenic models

Stephen Stone Lab