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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – One organ donor can save up to eight lives and improve the lives of more than 75 people through eye and tissue donation. More than 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, highlighting the urgent need for donors. For Joseph Wright, that need became personal. “The gift of organ donation allows patients to receive organs before something irreversible or tragic happens,” said Dr. Joel Schilling, a WashU cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “Up to 10% of people die while waiting for a heart transplant.”

The WashU Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) and The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital have awarded 22 investigators as part of the 19th annual Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP). The CTRFP is the largest internal grant funding program of the ICTS. Applicants are required to submit proposals for projects that promote the translation of scientific discoveries into improvements in human health. For 2026, awards were considered across three project categories: clinical/translational, community-engaged research, and biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design.

When it comes to dealing with strokes, every second truly does matter. Nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke remains untreated. And every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. 795,000 strokes happen each year and chances are if you have one stroke… you’re more than likely to have another one. Statistics show of those 795,000 strokes, one in four have had a previous stroke. And the majority of strokes that happen are ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked.

The structural heart program at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital has completed its first cases using the J-Valve transcatheter device as part of the JOURNEY Trial, a national clinical study evaluating a novel treatment approach for native aortic regurgitation. The milestone expands access to transcatheter options for aortic regurgitation — a condition in which the heart’s aortic […]

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have released new guidance on cholesterol management, as heart disease remains the leading cause of death nationwide. Health professionals said what makes high cholesterol even more dangerous is many people do not realize they have it. Dr. Mark Huffman, Washington University Medicine cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, in St. Louis, said there is some good news.

Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from WashU Medicine’s cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery divisions used the used newest technology to successfully treat a high-risk patient with a failing heart valve. Physicians at WashU Medicine have performed the first procedure in the region using a novel catheter-based tool that simplifies a complex and potentially life-saving heart valve intervention. […]