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William F. Stenson, MD

William F. Stenson, MD

William F. Stenson, MD ’71, is the Dr. Nicholas V. Costrini Professor of Gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He is known as an outstanding leader in the area of intestinal injury and wound repair research.

The major focus of his research involves the interaction between the intestinal epithelium and the immune system. His work established the role of inflammatory mediators, in particular prostaglandins, and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. In a mouse model, he elucidated the molecular events that control how the intestinal epithelium responds to injury. Although most of his work has involved in vitro studies in animal models, he has also performed significant clinical studies including a demonstration of the association between celiac disease and osteoporosis. He has published more than 100 articles largely in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Medicine and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

He has served in several national leadership roles, including as chair of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Gastrointestinal Mucosal Pathobiology Study Section and as a member of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases, a group created to advise the NIH on future directions in digestive disease research. At Washington University Medical Center, Stenson led the Jewish Hospital of St. Louis’ Division of Gastroenterology from 1981 to 1997 and was acting chief of gastroenterology at the School of Medicine in 1997 and 1998. He has served on a number of School of Medicine committees and currently heads the Disclosure Review Committee.

Stenson is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and is a 2007 NIH MERIT Award winner.

Stenson earned his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in 1967 from Providence College and his medical degree from Washington University in 1971. He completed his medical training with an internship and residency at Barnes Hospital and fellowships in gastroenterology and allergy and immunology at Washington University. He served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of major prior to his discharge in 1975. He joined the Washington University faculty in 1979 and became a professor in 1991.

The Washington University Medical Center Alumni Association is pleased to present its Alumni/Faculty Award to Dr. Stenson.

Published: 05/02/2011