Learn about COVID-19 research and recent news from Saint Louis University.
06/16/21- Ana Santos Rutschman, J.D. (Law) was quoted in a Forbes article on the legality of businesses requiring their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
06/11/21- SLU's advisor to the President on COVID-19 will be honored June 28 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). She was instrumental in helping lead the University's response to the pandemic, allowing SLU to stay open and hold mostly in person throughout the 2020-2021 academic year.
05/28/21- Timothy Wiemken, Ph.D. (Infectious Diseases) was quoted in a St. Louis Public Radio story about summer festivals and COVID protocols.
04/19/21- Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., RN, CIC, FAPIC, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, director of the Institute for Biosecurity and special assistant to the president, was quoted by Healthday discussing vaccine hesitancy.
03/14/21- Chris Prener, Ph.D. (Sociology and Anthropology) was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the data around how the state of Missouri is shuffling vaccine doses.
02/28/21- Rhonda BeLue, Ph.D. (Health Management and Policy) was quoted by the an Associated Press on an effort to vaccinate St. Louis's most vulnerable populations for COVID-19.
02/22/21- Rob Gatter, J.D. (Law) was quoted by St. Louis Public Radio on training for judges that will help them better understand the COVID-19 pandemic.
02/22/21- Rob Gatter, J.D. (Law) was quoted by St. Louis Public Radio on training for judges that will help them better understand the COVID-19 pandemic.
02/22/21- The co-founders of SLU's Institute for Healing Justice and Equity (Keon Gilbert, DrPH; Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D.; Amber Johnson, Ph.D.; and Kira Banks, Ph.D.) penned a column on racism in health care for The Guardian.
02/19/21- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of the Geospatial Institute at SLU (GeoSLU), was quoted in the Wall Street Journal about mask mandates.
02/15/21- Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D., professor of law and executive director of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio about the ethics of waiting your turn for a COVID-19 vaccine.
01/26/21- Timothy Wiemken, Ph.D., associate professor with the SLU Center for Health Outcomes Research, was quoted in a St. Louis Public Radio story about the CDC ranking Missouri last among all states in COVID-19 vaccinations.
01/26/21- SLU researchers Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., a professor of behavioral science and health education and associate director of the SLU Geospatial Institute (GeoSLU); Flavio Esposito, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science; and Roberto Coral, a research assistant in computer science, developed an app to monitor real-time symptoms and the location of symptomatic individuals.
01/22/21- Chris Prener, Ph.D. (Sociology and Anthropology) was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on how Missouri is reporting positive COVID-19 cases.
01/14/21- Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D. (Infectious Diseases) was quoted in St. Louis Magazine about COVID-19 vaccinations.
12/14/20- Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development will be a testing site for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s Phase 3 clinical research study, ENSEMBLE trial, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Janssen’s investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735, also known as Ad26.COV2.S.
12/11/20- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of the Geospatial Institute at SLU (GeoSLU), was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about a rise in COVID-19 cases in St. Louis.
- SLU Communication Professor Studying Credibility of COVID-19 Information, Impact on Health Behaviors
12/07/20- Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, staying up-to-date with reliable information has become essential. Jennifer Ohs, Ph.D., associate professor of communication, is analyzing how people are getting their information during the pandemic.
12/04/20- Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D., professor of law and executive director of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, was interviewed by the Kansas City Star about hospital workers' demands for a $15 minimum wage and better coronavirus safety in their workplace.
12/01/20- Sharon Frey, M.D., clinical director of the Center for Vaccine Development, was interviewed by USA Today about the progress being made on COVID-19 vaccines and strategies for distribution. Frey previously served as Principal Investigator of a study testing the effectiveness, safety and immune response generated by a vaccine co-developed by scientists at Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center.
11/27/20- Epidemiologists at Saint Louis University say the rate of new coronavirus cases significantly decreased in St. Louis and St. Louis County after government officials began requiring people to wear masks in public. The study was co-authored by Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of the Geospatial Institute at SLU.
11/25/20- John Ammann, J.D., emeritus professor of law, was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the growing number of COVID-19 related deaths in the Missouri prison system.
11/23/20- This time of year is usually a time of joy and celebration with family and friends. Yet, as COVID-19 cases surge across the country, Thanksgiving in 2020 will look different than it has in other years. A global pandemic, like COVID-19, can have a profound impact on a person’s psyche.
11/23/20- Utilizing $600,000 of CARES Act funding, SLU’s College for Public Health and Social Justice (CPHSJ) is expanding its existing partnership with the County Department of Public Health in response to the public health emergency. CPHSJ has the only academic health department in Missouri that creates a bridge between City and County Health Departments and the public health expertise at SLU.
08/24/20- Matthew Breeden, M.D., a family and community medicine specialist with SLUCare, was quoted in the “Ladue News” about returning to the physician’s office following the COVID-19 pandemic.
08/12/20- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on millions worldwide, researchers at Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development will begin enrolling participants in a phase 3 clinical trial to study the effectiveness, safety and immune response generated by a vaccine co-developed by scientists at Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center.
08/07/20- Ana Santos Rutchsman, J.D., assistant professor of health law, was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Network about the possible ways to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine following its approval.
08/06/20- Dan Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Vaccine Development at SLU, was quoted in a Chicago Tribune story about what volunteers can expect when participating in human trials for possible COVID-19 vaccines.
08/05/20- Michael Lim, M.D., a SLUCare cardiologist, discusses the consequences of COVID-19 for the heart and lungs.
08/05/20- Dan Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Vaccine Development at SLU, was quoted in a New York Times story about what volunteers can expect when participating in human trials for possible COVID-19 vaccines.
08/01/20- SLU’s John Ammann, J.D., emeritus professor of law, was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons, specifically the outbreak at Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Center.
07/31/20- A new Saint Louis University/YouGov Poll finds Missouri voters with school-age children were more likely to state they had been impacted by the pandemic, while 65% of the Missouri voters polled approved of the way their school district handled the pandemic in the spring.
07/29/20- Sharon Frey, M.D., clinical director of the Center for Vaccine Development at SLU, was interviewed by the Washington Post about COVID-19 vaccine trials and how to distribute a vaccine once it is approved.
07/27/20- Ana Santos Rutchsman, J.D., assistant professor of health law, was interviewed by Vox about COVID-19 vaccine development and nationalism.
07/26/20- Chris Prener, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about rising COVID-19 cases across the St. Louis region.
07/24/20- SLU’s Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of GeoSLU, was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about rising COVID-19 cases across Missouri and what can be done to help stop the rise.
07/22/20- Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D., professor of law and executive director of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, spoke with “Elemental” on the disparities in early COVID-19 research.
07/21/20- As U.S. scientists ramp up a national effort to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine candidates at clinical trial sites across the country, researchers at the Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been tapped to join the historic effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine that can prevent the illness.
06/02/20- Roger Lewis, Ph.D., primary investigator with the WATER Institute and professor with the College for Public Health and Social Justice, discusses water quality in buildings that are reopening after being closed for extended periods of time due to the pandemic with the St. Louis Business Journal.
05/30/20- Sarah George, M.D., associate professor of infectious diseases and principal investigator of the remdesivir trial at SLU, was interviewed by the St. Louis Business Journal on the antiviral drug's impact on the virus and how the findings of the trial may be "the first ray of light" since the start of the pandemic.
05/26/20- SLU's Chris Prener, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, was quoted in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story about the challenges related to testing and tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Missouri. Prener has been tracking the spread of the virus in Missouri by county.
05/25/20- Ana Santos Rutschman, J.D., assistant professor with the Center for Health Law Studies, was quoted in a South China Morning Post article about questions related to distribution as the world races to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
05/25/20- Nancy Bell, a theatre program director in Fine and Performing Arts, mined the COVID-19 pandemic to create the farce “MUTE: A Play for Zoom.”
05/21/20- Sarah George, M.D., associate professor of infectious diseases, was named a "WISER Woman Fighting COVID-19" by Missouri Cures. George was the principal investigator on a recent study of remdesivir at SLU as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
05/21/20- As students in Saint Louis University’s Department of English learned about new media production during the spring 2020 semester, they also learned about how to create media in a crisis setting as the world around them shifted dramatically due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The students are mentored by Nathaniel Rivers, Ph.D., associate professor of English.
05/20/20- Research from John McGowan, Ph.D., professor of accounting, showing the connection between job losses and death on a state-by-state basis during the COVID-19 pandemic was highlighted in ThinkAdvisor.
05/07/20- Ken Haller, M.D., Ken Haller, SLUCare pedicatrician at SSM Health Cardinal-Glennon Children's Hospital, was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio about the importance of maintaining children's vaccination schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
05/07/20- Ken Warren, Ph.D., professor of political science, was interviewed on KTRS-AM 550 about the politics of the pandemic in St. Louis region and state of Missouri.
05/07/20- The Lived Religion in the Digital Age project at Saint Louis University seeks reflections on the upheavals, changes and creativity that have resulted from the COVID-19 crisis. The Lived Religion initiative explores religion as it is lived in the world around us, in our own lives, and as it traverses multiple formations of the local, the digital, and the public.
05/04/20- Maps from Chris Prener, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, tracking the number of COVID-19 cases in the St. Louis region were highlighted on Fox2Now.
05/01/20- Researchers at Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development were cheered by early data from a clinical trial showing that patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 recovered faster when they were given the experimental drug remdesivir, cutting recovery time from 15 to 11 days. SLU was one of 68 study sites that enrolled patients in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial.
05/01/20- Sarah George, M.D., associate professor of infectious diseases, discusses the effect of the antiviral drug on COVID-19. George is the principal investigator of the remdesivir study at SLU.
05/01/20- Jerome Katz, Ph.D., professor and Robert H. Brockhaus Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship, was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio on the economic waves hitting big businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/29/20- Jeffrey Bishop, M.D., Ph.D., Tenet Endowed Chair in Health Care Ethics, wrote an essay about imagining the theological whole in a time of social distancing for Political Theology Network.
04/27/20- Saint Louis University clinical psychologists are helping those fighting to save lives endangered by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) by creating a new hotline for frontline health care workers at SSM Health hospitals. The hotline will allow those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic to care for their psychological and mental health during this time of pandemic.
04/27/20- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of GeoSLU, was interviewed by KSDK-TV Ch. 5 about St. Louis's preparations for a pandemic.
04/27/20- Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D., professor of law and executive director of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio on housing and healthcare disparities in St. Louis during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
04/27/20- Ruqaiijah Yearby, J.D., professor of law and co-founder of the Institute for Healing Justice & Equity, discussed how existing healthcare disparities and racial inequalities are exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data from St. Louis shows that African Americans account for the majority of positive coronavirus cases in the city.
04/24/20- Joseph Espiritu, M.D., of the SLUCare Sleep Disorders Center, about people experiencing sleep issues tied to the current pandemic.
04/24/20- As the pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of daily life SLU psychologist Terri Weaver, Ph.D., looks at the emotional impact and shares some advice on coping
04/23/20- Robert Wilmott, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, was interview by the St. Louis Business Journal about the effectiveness of virtual care and telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/20/20- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of GeoSLU, was interviewed on KTRS-AM500 about coronavirus research at SLU, continued testing and when stay at home measures may begin to ease.
04/20/20- Responding to the need for nurses on the frontlines of COVID-19 care, Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing and SSM Health are mobilizing trained nurses who currently are out of the workforce to return to practice through an expedited training program.
04/19/20- Scott Isbell, Ph.D. (Pathology) was quoted in the Wall Street Journal about COVID-19 testing and the availability of tests in St. Louis.
04/17/20- Fred Rottnek, professor and director of community medicine and program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at SLU, was quoted in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch column about the dangerous impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on the ongoing opioid crisis.
04/17/20- Sharon Frey, M.D., clinical director of the Center for Vaccine Development, was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio about plans to reopen Missouri businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/17/20- Rob Gatter, J.D., professor from the Center for Health Law Studies, was quoted in a St. Louis Public Radio piece about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black Americans. Gatter is currently serving on the St. Louis County Health Department COVID-19 Response Team.
04/17/20- University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., was interviewed by the St. Louis Review on SLU's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The story also highlighted research by Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D. (Infectious Diseases) and Chris Prener, Ph.D. (Sociology).
04/17/20- The Saint Louis University Research Institute has awarded more than $765,000 to support several innovations in cross-discipline research related to COVID-19, along with critical, specialized equipment, in its latest round of funding. This support is made possible through the historic generosity of Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield.
04/16/20- In a piece published by the St. Louis Review, University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., and Sr. Virginia Herbers, ASCJ, director of spiritual formation in the Office of Mission and Identity, offered advice to Catholics on coping during difficult times or times of change.
04/16/20- The University News at Saint Louis University highlighted the ongoing research and leadership from the Center for Vaccine Development during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In Response to COVID-19 Pandemic, Philanthropists Bolster Vaccine Research at Saint Louis University
04/13/20- Stephen C. Peiper, M.D. (Med ’77) and Zi-Xuan “Zoe” Wang, Ph.D., his wife, have given $750,000 to SLU to support research aimed at developing new vaccines for COVID-19 and other illnesses. This gift will establish a center of excellence in vaccine research and will be called the Stephen C. Peiper and Zi-Xuan Wang Institute for Vaccine Science and Policy.
04/10/20- SLU Geospatial Institute Associate Directors Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., and Ness Sandoval, Ph.D., recently launched research aimed at better tracking and understanding the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
04/08/20- Timothy Wiemken, Ph.D., associate professor from SLUCOR, was interviewed on the appropriate use and way to wear a face mask to protect against COVID-19.
04/06/20- SLU biostatician Steve Rigdon, Ph.D., has co-authored a book on how statistics can be applied to detect diseases and track epidemics - an exercise that has moved from textbook to reality in the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
04/06/20- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of GeoSLU, was highlighted by theSTL for her work tracking COVID-19. Shacham has been tracking the spread of the virus since it appeared in China in 2019.
04/06/20- In the midst of the debate over privacy during COVID-19, SLU's Michael Rozier, S.J., Ph.D., assistant professor of health management and policy and EthicalGEO Fellow with the American Geographical Society, reminds us that we should never lose sight of the quality of the data being used to make policy decisions.
04/05/20- As more people are spending time in their houses as a result of COVID-19 precautions, Whitney Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University, gives some advice on eating healthy at home.
04/05/20- A feature story in the paper's Sunday issue highlighted the efforts of SLU researchers across many fields who are working to combat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). There are currently more than 36 researchers across the University studying the pandemic and its broader effects.
04/01/20- Rob Gatter, J.D., professor in the Center for Health Law Studies, was interviewed for a "St. Louis on the Air" segment about quarantine procedures in the St. Louis area. A portion of that interview appeared in this KBIA article.
03/31/20- Despite the quarantine measures confining residents to their homes, locals seek out safe ways to remain connected and show gratitude. SLU-Madrid professor Tania de la Fuente, Ph.D., had an idea of how SLU-Madrid could do even more.
03/31/20- Saint Louis University is studying an investigational treatment for COVID-19, the disease causing the current coronavirus outbreak. The trial, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), may be conducted in up to approximately 75 sites across the country and worldwide.
03/30/20- SLUCare's Allan Fisher, M.D. (Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health) and Sharon Frey, M.D., Clinical Director of the Center for Vaccine Development, answered listeners' questions on KBIA 91.3 FM. Fisher discussed the impact of COVID-19 on expectant mothers while Frey discussed how best to protect yourself from infection.
03/30/20- Chris Prener, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in St. Louis and the surrounding counties. Prener has begun tracking cases by county in Missouri.
03/30/20- Chris Prener, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and anthropology, was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the spread of COVID-19 and the need for balance in disclosing information regarding new cases.
03/30/20- Brookings published a piece examining the role that innovation communities across the country will play in the fight against COVID-19. SLU's research in vaccine and treatment development and geospatial health were specifically highlighted.
03/29/20- John Morley, M.D., professor of geriatric medicine, was quoted in a story that ran in the Washington Post about information for older adults during the pandemic.
03/26/20- Ana Santos Rutschman, S.J.D., assistant professor in the Center for Health Law Studies, spoke with KMOV about rising mortality rates related to COVID-19 infections and the effectiveness of social distancing during the pandemic.
03/26/20- Fred Buckhold, M.D. (Internal Medicine) was interviewed on KMOX-AM 1120 about the COVID-19 symptoms.
03/25/20- St. Louis County Executive Sam Page tapped Professor Rob Gatter of Saint Louis University School of Law’s Center for Health Law Studies to assist the county health department with reviewing and drafting policies aimed at fighting the spread of COVID-19.
03/25/20- Tony Buchanan, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and co-director of SLU’s Neuroscience Program, and his undergraduate and graduate students examine how stress impacts decision-making and behavior.
03/24/20- Saint Louis University first-year medical students are offering emergency child care for medical faculty who are needed on the front line to fight COVID-19. As of 3/23, 62 SLU students had signed up to help with childcare; 50 for pet care and 43 to deliver groceries. Around 74 families have sought help. The numbers of those who offer the services as well as those who need them continue to change.
03/24/20- Erica Salter, Ph.D., associate professor of healthcare ethics, was interviewed by Healthcare Dive about policy and resource scarcity in hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
03/23/20- Like generations of nurses before her, Joanne C. Langan, Ph.D., RN, CNE has answered the call when the unthinkable strikes. Langan, professor of nursing in the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, is an internationally known expert in the field of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Her work was sparked by her experiences in a military family, one that survived earthquakes, mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms and mass power outages.
03/22/20- Cort Rudolph, Ph.D., associate professor of industrial and organizational psychology, was interviewed by Bloomberg about the intergenerational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people coming of age.
03/22/20- SLUCare Pediatrician Ken Haller, M.D., discussed the impact that coronavirus has on children and what to do if someone in your house has symptoms.
03/21/20- Sharon Frey, M.D., Clinical Director of the Center for Vaccine Development, answered listeners’ questions about how to best to protect yourself from COVID-19 on St. Louis Public Radio.
03/19/20- Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, was interviewed by the Chronicle of Higher Education about recent suggestions that college campuses could be used to care for COVID-19 patients.
03/19/20- As schools close across the nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gary Ritter, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, shared how parents and teachers can best prepare their students for virtual learning. Additional resources are available on sluprime.org.
03/18/20- Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, was interviewed by the Verge about the risks to health care workers and the low supply of PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak.
03/18/20- Sarah George, M.D., associate professor of infectious diseases, answered questions about the COVID-19 pandemic from listeners on "The Charlie Brennan Show."
03/17/20- Michael Rozier, SJ, Ph.D., assistant professor of Health Management & Policy, wrote a reflection on social distancing and maintaining humanity during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
03/17/20- In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Tony Buchanan, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, joined a conversation on "St. Louis on the Air" about coping strategies for stressful times.
03/14/20- Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of the SLU Geospatial Institute (GeoSLU), was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on mobile care and drive-thru testing for COVID-19.
02/23/20- SLU's Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health and associate director of GeoSLU, and Timothy Wiemken, Ph.D., associate professor from the SLU Center for Health Outcomes Research, were guests on "The Pulse of St. Louis" to discuss how SLU researchers are tracking the spread and treatment of coronavirus (story begins at the 12:00 minute mark).