The Record

Richards serves as privacy ombudsman in 23andMe case

WashU privacy law expert Neil Richards had a unique opportunity this year to put his training to use: He was named an ombudsman to guide the courts on how genetic data owned by 23andMe should be handled during its sale.

Immune ‘bouncers’ protect the brain from infection

A new study by WashU Medicine researchers found that, in mice, histamine-releasing immune cells protect the brain from infection.

Maxwell installed as Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature

William J. Maxwell has been installed as the inaugural Fannie Hurst Professor of Creative Literature in Arts & Sciences. His scholarship explores modern American and African American literature and its ties to political history.

Career Catalysts: WashU stipends fund internships, fuel growth

Career Catalysts is a new series by and about WashU interns. In this installment, see how Fiona Sun, a McKelvey School of Engineering student, is working with Equine Smartbit to develop a sort of smartwatch for horses at Fairmount Park.

Research Wire

WashU Medicine researchers, led by Carlos Cruchaga, have identified biomarkers of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and frontotemporal dementia from blood plasma, suggesting new therapeutic avenues.

Notables

Building on strong early outcomes, WashU has been awarded a $1.1 million four-year grant to extend its participation in the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, which supports first-generation, limited-income college students.

Notables

The WashU Arboretum, home to more than 7,000 trees, has received a national sustainability honor from the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Gary Wihl, former dean in Arts & Sciences, 72

Gary Wihl, the Hortense and Tobias Lewin Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, died July 17 in Clayton, Mo., after battling Parkinson’s disease. He was 72. Wihl served as dean of Arts & Sciences from 2009 to 2012.