News Highlights – October 1 through December 31, 2003

Washington University faculty and staff make news around the world. Following is a representative sampling of media coverage from clippings and electronic sources received between October 1 and December 31, 2003.

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Cancer gene may predict relapse
A first-of-its-kind genetic test will soon be available to help women with breast cancer make one of their most crucial decisions: whether to undergo the rigors of chemotherapy. Two dozen genes have been identified that can predict with a high degree of accuracy the likelihood that tumors will return in women whose breast cancer was caught at an early stage. If the chances of recurrence are seen as very low based on the gene test, a woman may opt not to endure the vomiting, hair loss and high cost of chemotherapy. Matthew Ellis, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, said he sees much promise in the scoring method, even though it does not precisely measure each woman’s individual risk of relapse. “What we’re seeing here is version 1.0,” said Ellis. “Version 1.0 is a great step forward, but we should not overestimate what we have right now.” Los Angeles Times, Newsday, USA Today, CBSNews.com, ABCNews.com, Baltimore Sun, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, New York Sun, Marin Independent-Journal, Hartford Courant, Times Picayune (New Orleans), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KOTV-TV (OK), WOAI-TV (TX), San Mateo County Times, Tuscaloosa News, The Ledger, Wilmington Morning Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Yahoo News, Troy Recorder, Macon Telegraph, Mlive.com, Lorain Morning Journal, Billings Gazette, Topeka Capital Journal, North County Times, Duluth News Tribune, Aberdeen American News, Macon Telegraph, Belleville News-Democrat, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Bradenton Herald, Centre Daily Times, Grand Forks Herald, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, FoxReno.com, KTVU-TV (CA), San Jose Mercury News, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fredericsburg.com, KSDK-TV St. Louis, Appeal-Democrat, Daily Telegraph (Australia), Leader Post (Canada), Edmonton Journal, Munster Times, Santa Maria Times, Brisbane Courier Mail, The Australian, Rapid City Journal, Times Daily (AL), Wichita Eagle, Biloxi Sun Herald, Wilkes Barre Weekender, Clinical Oncology Week, Genomics & Genetics Weekly, Health & Medicine Week, Clinical Oncology Week, Cancer Weekly, Biotech Week, Women’s Health Weekly, Associated Press

WUSTL to host a 2004 presidential debate

Washington University will host the presidential debate scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT on Oct. 8, 2004, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). This is the fourth consecutive time the CPD has selected the university to host a debate. The university hosted the first presidential debate held prior to the 1992 election, was selected to host a presidential debate in 1996 that eventually was canceled, and hosted the third and last presidential debate of the 2000 campaign season. “It is an honor and a privilege to once again be chosen to host one of the presidential debates,” said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. “To host such an event at Washington University is a significant responsibility and the effort is one that will bring important benefits to St. Louis and the Washington University community. The 2004 presidential election will stimulate much national and international interest, and hosting a debate will engage our community in issues that will affect our future. Being selected as a host is a sure sign of the quality and commitment of our employees and students.” NBC National, CSPAN National, WSVN-TV Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL, KCTV-TV Kansas City (MO), KMBC-TV Kansas City (MO), KSHB-TV Kansas City (MO), WPTV-TV West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce (FL), KYTV-TV Springfield (MO), KMIZ-TV Columbia-Jefferson City (MO), KOMU-TV Columbia-Jefferson City, MO, WTVF-TV Nashville (TN), WDAF-TV Kansas City (MO), WGHP-TV Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem (NC), WBBH-TV Ft. Myers-Naples (FL), WTVM-TV Columbus (GA), KSDK-TV St. Louis, KTRS-AM St. Louis, KTVI-TV St. Louis, KMOV-TV St. Louis, KMOX-AM St. Louis, KPLR-TV St. Louis

Olin School of Business ranked
In Forbes Magazine rankings of “The Best U.S. Business Schools,” the Olin School of Business is ranked No. 12. The Forbes survey measures “best return on investment” for the Class of 1998 at 85 top business schools. In the new Business Week EMBA rankings, the Executive MBA program at the Olin School of Business is ranked No. 17. In the Financial Times 2003 rankings of the top 75 Executive MBA programs, the Olin School of Business is ranked No. 21 in the United States. The Olin School of Business is ranked among the Top 25 MBA programs for Hispanics by Hispanic Trends. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal

Project Aria lifts off
Project Aria is a Washington University outreach, education, and research program designed to aid engineering undergraduates, engineering graduate, and elementary and secondary students. Project Aria is a hands-on space engineering and science program that allows students to gain technical and scientific experience through the analysis, design, manufacture, launch, and operations of various space-related projects including spacecraft and space technology projects. On this current flight, TIGER carried two piggyback experiments, including one from Project Aria, the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s K-12 science and technology outreach program. Newsday, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Wilmington Morning Star (NC), Penn Live (PA), Wichita Eagle (KS), Grand Forks Herald (ND), Aberdeen American News (SD), Fort Worth Star Telegram, Macon Telegraph (GA), Tuscaloosa News (AL), Bradenton Herald (FL), Biloxi Sun Herald (MS), WIlkes Barre Weekender (PA), Akron Beacon Journal (OH), Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (IN), Duluth News Tribune (MN), Belleville News Democrat (IL), Centre Daily Times (PA), Fort Wayne News Sentinel (IN), Yahoo News, 1010 Wins, Newark Star Ledger (NJ), WDAF-TV Kansas City (MO)

Brain tumors may depend on neighbors

For some brain tumors to develop the surrounding brain cells must be genetically abnormal, a new study shows. Researchers at the School of Medicine made the discovery while trying to develop a mouse model of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that predisposes children to certain types of brain tumors. The team, led by David Gutmann, the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology at the School of Medicine, discovered that tumors only developed when all brain cells were genetically abnormal, not just the cell type that becomes cancerous. “Our findings suggest that as in real estate, location is everything,” said Gutmann. “A permissive environment may be the key to whether a tumor cell becomes cancerous or just sits dormant for a person’s entire life.” Newsday, ABCNews.com, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Ledger, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Times Daily, Wilmington Morning Star, Aberdeen American News, Wichita Eagle, Macon Telegraph, Akron Beacon Journal, Biloxi Sun Herald, Belleville News-Democrat, Duluth News Tribune, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Grand Forks Herald, Tuscaloosa News, Bradenton Herald, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, Centre Daily Times, Science Daily, Proteomics Weekly, Pain & Central Nervous System Week, Health & Medicine Week, Clinical Oncology Week, Cancer Weekly, Biotech Week, WXYZ-TV Detroit, KMOV-TV St. Louis, KEZK-FM St. Louis, KTRS-AM St. Louis, KTVI-TV St. Louis, United Press International

Rhodes Scholars ‘bring great honor’

Arts & Sciences seniors Bethany Ehlmann and Allison Gilmore received early holiday presents Nov. 22 when they were named Rhodes Scholars. Since 1902, 23 Washington University students have won the highly acclaimed scholarship. Six have been named in just the past five years. Ehlmann is a double major in earth and planetary sciences and environmental studies, both in Arts & Sciences. Gilmore is studying for joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics in Arts & Sciences. The two were among 32 students in the United States chosen from 963 applicants. Winners were selected based on high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and physical vigor. Ehlmann’s and Gilmore’s scholarships will provide two years of all-expenses-paid study at Oxford University in England. They will begin their studies at Oxford next fall. Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor and dean of Arts & Sciences, said of the two winners: … “They bring great honor to Washington University and reflect well the academic and social environment at our university, the quality of our students and faculty, and the commitment of Washington University to the world. …” USA Today, The New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Minnesota Star-Tribune, Times Union (Albany, NY), Tallahassee Democrat (FL), The Record (Bergen County, NJ), St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN), Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN), Belleville News-Democrat, Edwardsville Intelligencer, Alton Telegraph, KPLR-TV St. Louis, KMOV-TV St. Louis, KMOX-AM St. Louis, KTVI-TV St. Louis, KWMU-FM St. Louis, KSDK-TV St. Louis, KTRS-AM St. Louis, WCIA-TV Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL, KARE-TV Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Associated Press

Grant spreads entrepreneurship education campus-wide
Washington University will get a $3 million grant from the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for entrepreneurship education. The grant is part of $25 million the foundation made to eight U.S. universities. Schools must match the Kauffman grant at least two to one, creating a minimum of $75 million to form new interdisciplinary entrepreneurship education programs in higher education. Other universities receiving grants under the program include Florida International University; Howard University; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Rochester; University of Texas-El Paso; and Wake Forest University. MSNBC, Chicago Tribune, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, South Florida Business Journal, Chicago Tribune, Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester Democrat, Ithaca Journal, Wilmington Morning Star, Raleigh News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Business Journal

Mission to Mars

Raymond Arvidson, professor and chair of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, is deputy principal scientist for the Athena Science team of the Mars rover missions. He and other Washington University colleagues are working with NASA on the science data retrieved from the missions, and Washington University will archive data after the missions are over. USA Today, Los Angeles Times, ABC News, Newsday, Yahoo News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Centre Daily Times (PA), Columbus Dispatch (OH), Bradenton Herald (FL), Duluth News Tribune (MN), Wichita Eagle (KS), Macon Telegraph (GA), Akron Beacon Journal, Wilmington Morning Star (NC), Aberdeen American News (SD), Tuscaloosa News (AL), Wilkes Barre Weekender (PA), Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA), Fort Wayne News Sentinel (IN), Biloxi Sun Herald (MS), Belleville News-Democrat

Chimp genome mapped
The genetic code of the chimpanzee has been mapped by a team of scientists, providing a new tool for understanding human health and evolution. As the chimpanzee genome is more similar to the human version than any other organism —the two are 98.5 percent identical — comparisons between them will shed new light on some of the most important questions in science. The chimp genome was mapped by an international team, led by Richard Wilson, Ph.D., professor of genetics at the School of Medicine. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Times (London), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, Oakland Tribune, Sydney Morning Herald, China Daily, MSNBC.com, ABCNews.com, HealthCentral.com, Straits Times (Singapore), New Zealand Herald, SciScoop.com, People’s Daily (China), National Post (Canada), Financial Times (London), Hindustan Times (India), Science Daily, Innovations Report (Germany), Topeka Capital Journal, Nature.com, Xinhua General News Service (China), Biotech Week, Genomics & Genetics Weekly, Health & Medicine Week, Reuters, Yahoo News, United Press International

Sam Fox Arts Center to break ground on new buildings April 14

The Sam Fox Arts Center will break ground for two new buildings in a public ceremony April 14. Earl E. and Myrtle E. Walker will house graduate studios for the School of Art. The adjacent Museum Building will house the Gallery of Art; Department of Art History & Archaeology in Arts & Science; Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg Information Center; and The Newman Money Museum, a state-of-the art, 3,000 square-foot numismatic museum honoring Eric P. and Evelyn Newman. Internationally renowned artist Frank Stella and architect Fumihiko Maki are featured speakers. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Boston.com, Times Picayune, LA, Springfield News Sun, OH, St. Louis Business Journal, KMOX-AM, KSDK-TV, KTRS-AM, Ladue News, Coin World, St. Louis-Post Dispatch, Associated Press

Psoriasis gene identified
After a decade of searching, researchers have identified three genes linked to psoriasis. The project’s leader, Anne Bowcock, professor of genetics at the School of Medicine, said the results could help scientists understand the molecular details of what happens in psoriasis and improve ways to treat the condition. “Now we can look at the functional roles of these genes—how they normally keep the skin and the immune system from damaging healthy tissue with their defensive mechanisms,” said Bowcock. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, New York Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, CNN.com, Science Daily, Straits Times (Singapore), HealthCentral.com, Ocala Star-Banner, MD Consult, Fort McMurray Today, American Health Line, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Commercial Appeal, Deseret News, Tallahassee Democrat, Times Union, Toronto Sun, Winnipeg Sun, Sydney Morning Herald, The Record (Ontario), Weekend Australian, International Herald Tribune – France, Genomics & Genetics Week, Biotech Week, Immunotherapy Weekly, Health & Medicine Week, Ocala Star-Banner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Jose Mercury News, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, WFMY-TV Greensboro-High Point- Winston Salem (NC), KFVS-TV Paducah (KY), WDEF-TV Chattanooga (TN), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Associated Press, United Press International

Preventing costly computer damage

A computer scientist at Washington University has developed technology to stop malicious software—malware—such as viruses and worms long before it even has a chance to reach computers in the home and office. John Lockwood, an assistant professor of computer science, has developed a hardware platform called the Field-programmable Port Extender (FPX) that scans for malware transmitted over a network and filters out unwanted data. R&D Magazine, Wired, MIT Review, ACM Technews, Continuity Central, SlashDot.org, e4engineering

IPOs

School of Law dean Joel Seligman commented on the recent class actions lawsuits about initial public offerings. New York Times

Washington University’s success makes New York Times front page
Washington University was the focus of a front-page story in The New York Times that examines the university’s ascent. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, Special Assistant to the Chancellor Ben Sandler, Alumni & Development Vice Chancellor David Blasingame, Admissions Director Nanette Tarbouni, and several students comment. New York Times reporter Greg Winter writes: Less than 30 years ago, Washington University was so obscure that the trustees decided to stick “in St. Louis” at the end of its name, exasperated by the perennial question “So, where are you guys anyway? Seattle or D.C.?” Today, Washington University in St. Louis has 15 times as many applicants as it can accept. Beyond that, the former “streetcar college,” as it once called itself, pierced the Top 10 circle of U.S. News & World Report rankings this year, humbling several Ivy League institutions along the way, including Brown, Cornell and Columbia. Such an ascent is what almost every university strives for, but none have come close to matching Washington’s success. International Herald Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, nytimes.com

Small shells offer big help
Tiny gold shells that absorb certain types of radiation may become a new weapon in the ongoing battle against cancer. Called nanoshells, the golden balls have a bit of mica in their center and can be designed to absorb radiation at various frequencies. Researchers injected the nanoshells into tumors in mice. They then exposed the tumors to near infrared radiation, heating them enough to kill the cancer but without injuring normal tissue. Andrei Laszlo, associate professor of radiation oncology at the School of Medicine, said that although the method is a novel approach for removing tumors, it “will require a considerable amount of further work” to overcome the problem of directing the nanoshells to the specific tumor sites. Los Angeles Times, MSNBC.com, CBSNews.com, Newsday, Seattle Post Intelligencer, CNN.com, Rapid City Journal, The Porterville Record, Hampton Roads Daily Press, Patriot-News, Aberdeen American News, Macon Telegraph, Biloxi Sun Herald, Duluth News Tribune, Grand Forks Herald, Centre Daily News, Wilkes Barre Weekender, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, The Gazette (Montreal), Health & Medicine Week, Clinical Oncology Week, Cancer Weekly, Biotech Week, Associated Press

Drug price study

A collaborative research effort between Washington University’s Olin School of Business, the FDA, and Georgetown University aims to tackle pharmaceutical manufacturing costs with a benchmarking study of manufacturers. The study will identify the most efficient, low-cost ways to organize pharmaceutical manufacturing, according to Olin School Associate Professor Jackson Nickerson, one of the principle investigators. Washington Drug Letter, Drug Industry Daily, Pharmaceutical Science & Technology News

Saddam on trial

Leila Sadat, professor of law and Israel Treiman Faculty Fellow, commented on the trial options for Saddam Hussein. CNN, USA Today, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Tribune (FL), KSDK, Canadian Broadcasting Company, Yahoo News, Biloxi Sun Herald

Cell phones make ‘letting go’ a challenge
Ahh … the cell phone. A great tool for keeping in touch, getting help in an emergency or calling home to see what groceries to pick up. It’s also one of the most visible additions on the college campus scene in the last several years, says Karen Levin Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students and associate dean for the freshman transition. According to the newest edition of Coburn’s book Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years the “arrival of the ubiquitous cell phone has created not only convenience and ease of communication, but also a challenge to the process of letting go” by providing a way for students and parents to always be able to reach each other. USA Today, Newsweek, The Arizona Republic, Associated Press

Pacing intake
A kind of pacemaker for the stomach, an implanted electrical device that fools the body into feeling full, appears to be an effective alternative to radical digestive surgery for helping obese people shed large amounts of weight. If it proves out in larger studies, the experimental device could offer a new way to help very large people slim down when they cannot lose weight on diets or with appetite-suppressing drugs. “These early findings are exciting,” said Samuel Klein, the Danforth Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine. “This is a potential new approach for the management of obesity that is separate from drugs or surgery.” CNN, Boston Globe, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, Newsday (New York), Tampa Tribune, Detroit News, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Times Picayune, (New Orleans), Daily Democrat, Charleston Post Courier, Tri-Valley Herald, San Mateo County Times, Oakland Tribune, ABCNews.com, CBS News.com, Arizona Republic, Provo Daily Herald, Tallahassee Democrat, Springfield News Leader, Ottawa Citizen (Canada), Newark Star Ledger (NJ), Billings Gazette, The Ledger, Wilkes Barre Weekender, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Duluth News Tribune, Fort Wayne News Sentinel, Wichita Eagle, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Belleville News-Democrat, Akron Beacon Journal, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Wilmington Morning Star, Tuscaloosa News, Aberdeen American News, Grand Forks Herald, Centre Daily News, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Biloxi Sun Herald, Vancouver Sun, Deseret News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Biotech Week, Hamilton Spectator, Associated Press

Flashbulb memories of JFK’s assassination may not be so accurate

On Nov. 22, 2003, the nation marked the 40th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. The 1963 event was so surprising and traumatic, that many people who were alive that day claim they can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. However, James V. Wertsch, Ph.D., the university’s Marshall S. Snow Professor in Arts & Sciences and an expert in collective memory, claims those memories may not be as accurate as people think. Kansas City Star, Newsday, San Diego Union-Tribune, KMOX-AM St. Louis

Alcoholism gene
Family environment goes a long way toward moderating the influence of genes in alcoholism, according to a new study. Researchers looked at sets of identical male twins in which one twin was an alcoholic and one was not. The study found that children raised by the alcoholic father were twice as likely to develop alcoholism as the children raised by the genetically identical twin who was not an alcoholic. “This strongly suggests that environmental influences can be brought to bear in the prevention of alcoholism,” said Kathleen Bucholz, research professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine. Houston Chronicle, San Diego Union-Tribune, Newark Star Ledger, Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Newhouse News Service

Eye-catching development
As people age, the lenses in their eyes harden, making it more difficult to focus on objects up close. Researchers at the School of Medicine are working on a modified hydrogel to replace hardened lenses and those blurred by cataracts, one of the most common vision problems. The material is characterized by a reversible bond, meaning the gel can be liquefied, injected into the eye, then returned to a harder state like the original lens. “The liquid takes the shape of the natural lens and forms a gel,” said Nathan Ravi, associate professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine. “It’s transparent, soft and can be made to match the optical, physical and mechanical properties of a young human lens.” USA Today, Global News Wire, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Panafrican News Agency Daily Wire, Biotech Week, Virus Weekly, Anti-Infectives Week

Surprising little play
Twenty years after his death, one of Tennessee Williams’ plays is seeing the light of a stage for the first time. “Me Vashya,” an early play by Williams, will receive its world premiere at Washington University in February. Written in 1937 while Williams was a student here and known as Tom, his birth name, the play has remained in Washington University archives for more than 60 years. It has never been published or performed — until now. USA Today, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Fudan reports success
An MBA boom is taking hold in China with the Olin School of Business taking the lead among several top U.S. universities offering MBA programs in the sleeping giant. The total number of students enrolled in master’s in business administration degree programs in China exceeds 82,000, according to statistics from the Chinese government. MBA and EMBA programs are multiplying in China, with about 166 programs offered and 20 more being put together. Executive master’s degrees in business are becoming prevalent in the country, with joint programs such as the Olin School and Fudan University School of Management in Shanghai. The Olin-Fudan program is ranked in the Top 10 of all EMBA programs in China. Financial Times (three articles), Wall Street Journal Europe, Asian Wall Street Journal, Shanghai Daily News

Cancer drugs offer new hope
A new wave of colon-cancer drugs may offer the best hope in recent years for patients stricken with the deadly disease. Howard McLeod, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, is working to determine which of the new wave of drugs will work best for which colorectal-cancer patients. The goal is to identify a patient’s genetic profile and then target the drugs accordingly. “What we’ll have in a year’s time is several drugs on the market and no way to figure out which one is the best for individual patients,” said McLeod. “We need to be able to do better than just giving everyone the drug and seeing which fails.” Wall Street Journal

Making a smooth transition
Karen Levin Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students and associate dean for the freshman transition commented in several news outlets about how parents and students can prepare for the transition from high school to college and what to expect when students return home for holiday and summer breaks. Chicago Tribune, Salt Lake Tribune, Alameda Times-Star

Treating the heart and soul
Heart disease and emotional illnesses are intricately entwined. Lots of studies have suggested a link between depression and heart disease. One puzzle is whether or not treating depression will, in turn, improve the medical outcomes for cardiac patients. In the largest controlled trial of psychotherapy for cardiac patients ever conducted, patients treated for depression improved on some quality of life measures but didn’t live longer. The results were “discouraging,” said Robert Carney, professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine. “But we were reminded by cardiologists that there were many unsuccessful cholesterol and antihypertensive studies before they found the right treatment.” U.S. News & World Report

Forget rainy springs
So you think you know mosquitoes? Consider the venerable law that rainy weather is the cause of increased mosquito populations. Ecologist Jonathan Chase, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, says if you believe that, you’re all wet. Science, U.S. News & World Report, Washington Times, Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, United Press International,

‘Superman’ actor helps doctor transform medical research
It has been eight years since Christopher Reeve broke his neck at an equestrian competition after his horse stopped suddenly in front of an obstacle. Reeve flipped forward and suffered what doctors call a “hangman’s injury” — a fracture of the upper cervical vertebrae. His injury left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Not only does Reeve want to cure himself, but he is determined to transform medical research, which he feels is constrained by excessive caution. John McDonald, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at School of Medicine, supervises Reeve’s rehabilitation program, which is credited with helping him regain motion and feeling in some of his extremities. New Yorker, National Public Radio, People Magazine, LPTV-TV Des Moines-Ames (IA)

Cleaner air via water

In collaboration with oceanographers from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), Jill Pasteris, professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, and colleagues at Washington University are using a rare instrument on the ocean floor just west of California. One of their earliest projects was to see if it’s possible to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it on the ocean floor. The research is supported by the Department of Energy. Science Daily, Earth Observatory

Crohn’s treatment easier on immune system
Results of a new clinical trial show that patients receiving Leukine for the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease were significantly better and had higher rates of remission than those receiving a placebo. “The most promising aspect of these results is they suggest Leukine may offer a unique approach to treatment that, unlike many current Crohn’s disease treatments, does not involve immunosuppressive therapy,” said Brian Dieckgraefe, assistant professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and co-investigator of the study. Wall Street Journal, Seattle Times, Baltimore Sun, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Therapy offers new Alzheimer’s option
The first late-stage Alzheimer’s therapy could be on the market in January after its recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Meantine, in use since 1980 in Germany, has been eagerly anticipated in the United States even though it has shown only minimal benefits. “Every time there’s a new treatment, it understandably raises expectations and hopes,” said John Morris, the Friedman Professor of Neurology at the School of Medicine. The only other approved treatments are four early-stage therapies that work by a different mechanism. Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Connecticut Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, HealthCentral.com

Nutritious advice
Connie Diekman, director of University Nutrition, was quoted in several news outlets regarding her expertise on eating right during the holidays, getting enough exercise, helping overweight children and general nutrition. Better Homes and Gardens, ABCNews.com, KMOV-TV St. Louis, PR Newswire, Associated Press

To fuse or remove?
A complex operation called spinal fusion has emerged as the treatment of choice for many kinds of unrelenting back pain. But a number of researchers say there is little scientific evidence to show that for most patients, spinal fusion works any better than a simpler operation — a laminectomy. Even doctors who favor fusions say that more research is needed on their benefits. In the absence of better data, critics in the field point to a different reason for the fusion operation’s fast rise: money. Some surgeons are disturbed by the level of influence that industry has on their profession, particularly in research. “This is a topic which orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and the societies associated with both their groups are definitely concerned about,” said Brett Taylor, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the School of Medicine. New York Times, The Ledger, Tuscaloosa News

Bush taps HUD Deputy to head agency
President Bush nominated Washington University School of Law alumnus Alphonso Jackson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The New York Times, USA Today, ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian (London), Washington Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Contra Costa Times (CA), Biloxi Sun Herald, Springfield News Leader, Tacoma News Tribune, Wilkes-Barre Weekender, Dayton Daily News, News Journal (TX), Rocky Mount Telegram (NC), Penn Live, WFAA-TV Dallas (TX), KTVO-TV Kirksville (MO), Belleville News-Democrat, Associated Press

WUSTL Researches Mental Health Impact of 9/11
Washington University is taking a leading role in the study to find out what kind of mental health impact 9/11 is having on people who worked inside the World Trade Center. The study is the first to concentrate on employees inside the towers at the time of the attack. Investigators plan to interview 400 survivors and their spouses. They’ll examine how soon survivors should return to work. WDAF-TV Kansas City (MO), KOMU-TV Columbia-Jefferson City (MO), KMOX-AM St. Louis, KMOV-TV St. Louis, KSDK-TV St. Louis, KTRS-AM St. Louis, KTVI-TV St. Louis

Not your father’s periodic table

The Periodic Table isn’t what it used to be, thanks to innovations by a planetary chemist at Washington University. Katharina Lodders-Fegley, a senior research scientist in earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, has compiled data from numerous studies including her own and arranged the data into a Periodic Table slanted toward astronomers and cosmochemists. BBC, Voice of America, BrightSurf.com, Innovations-report.com

Access to a car
George Warren Brown School of Social Work professor and poverty researcher David Pollio comments on the impact not having a car has on low income families. The Advocate (LA), Associated Press

Linking daydreaming and Alzheimer’s
Researchers may have found a link between daydreaming and a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at Washington University looked at brain activity in young and older people. They found the part of the brain that controls daydreams switched off in young people when they were asked to concentrate on something. But in older people with Alzheimer’s that part of the brain became more active. KGO-TV San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose (CA)

SEC, Wall Street and corporate reform
The SEC, Wall Street and corporate reform remain top national news issues. School of Law dean Joel Seligman frequently commented on a variety of topics including the NYSE and self-regulation, William Donaldson’s tenure as SEC chief, the NYSE’s new CEO, the SEC’s culture, the NYSE’s new rules, the currency scams on Wall Street and the NYSE’s board of directors. Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, New Republic Magazine, CNNfn Market Call, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bloomberg News, CNN Financial News, NPR’s “Day to Day” and “Marketplace,” Dow Jones Newswire

Securities regulation in Canada
School of Law Dean Joel Seligman commented frequently on Canada’s review of its securities regulation. National Post’s Financial Post (Canada), Canada NewsWire, Windsor Star, Calgary Herald

Rights of 9/11 detainees
Washington University School of Law Professor Leila Sadat commented on the rights of foreign detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Los Angeles Times

Zacarias Moussaoui on trial
Washington University School of Law Professor Kathleen Clark comments on the trial of accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. Miami Daily Business Review, Legal Times, The Recorder (CA), The Legal Intelligencer, Broward Daily Business Review, Palm Beach Daily Business Review