Author: Brittney Wheeler

Vaccinating people with updated boosters as new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 emerge could shore up population immunity even as the virus mutates, according to School of Medicine research. Such action could prevent another deadly COVID-19 wave.

New research from the School of Medicine suggests that transposable elements in various cancers potentially may be used to harness novel immunotherapies against tumors that don’t typically respond to immune-based treatments.

Washington University faculty, staff and students are encouraged to explore and use WashUReuse. The platform promotes peer-to-peer sharing of unwanted items such as equipment, supplies and furniture, reducing costs and keeping items out of landfills. 

School of Medicine scientists are working to minimize the risk of another devastating coronavirus pandemic by designing a vaccine that reduces sickness and death caused by all potentially deadly coronaviruses, including ones that have not yet affected people. The research is supported by an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Daniel C. Link, MD, a highly regarded physician-scientist who treats patients with leukemia and also conducts innovative research, has been named director of the Division of Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine.

The School of Medicine’s Cynthia Rogers, MD, and co-investigator Christopher Smyser, MD, have received a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support their research focused on preterm babies’ brains as the children age.

Washington University Emergency Management plans to test its emergency communication system at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 4. The test ensures that the university can effectively communicate with its community in an emergency.

Makedonka Mitreva, a professor of medicine and of genetics at the School of Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in recognition of her contributions to the field of microbiology.

People infected with COVID-19 who then took the antiviral medication Paxlovid within five days after testing positive experienced a reduced risk of long-term health problems, hospitalization and death for up to six months, according to a study by researchers at the School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system.

Susan Shannon, an accounting and payroll assistant in the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences, died of cancer March 16, 2023, at her home. She was 60.