Author: Elizabethe Holland Durando

Jason S. Goldfeder, MD, a revered teacher in the Division of Medical Education of the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine, died Dec. 9, 2015, following a 12-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Amanda R. Emke, MD, and Michael Friedman, MD, have been named the 2015-2017 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at the School of Medicine. The fellowship program was established in 2004 to advance clinical education.

Daniel E. Goldberg, MD, PhD, a renowned researcher in molecular parasitology, has been named the inaugural David M. and Paula L. Kipnis Distinguished Professor. Goldberg, who earned his medical degree and a doctorate in molecular biology from Washington University, is a longtime professor of medicine and of molecular microbiology at the School of Medicine.

For Kathy Grange, MD, every day is a professional adventure, solving medical mysteries and pursuing diagnoses of rare diseases. A professor of pediatrics, Grange is director of the Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics.

Emil R. Unanue, MD, an internationally renowned immunologist at the School of Medicine, has received a Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Award for his invaluable contributions to the field of immunology. The annual awards honor scientists who have made outstanding contributions to biomedical research in fields that profoundly affect global health.

To further the goal of improving patient safety and quality in health care, three institutions — the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine — have created the Center for Interprofessional Education (CIPE) at Washington University Medical Center.

A new study shows that the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to crib bumpers has spiked significantly in recent years, prompting the researchers to call for a nationwide ban on the bedding accessory. The findings indicate that in the majority of incidents studied, crib bumpers were the sole cause of harm, rebutting beliefs that other items also in the cribs caused the deaths and injuries.

Gary A. Silverman, MD, PhD, has been named the Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and head of the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. With the new appointment, effective in April, Silverman will become pediatrician-in-chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and executive director of the Children’s Discovery Institute, a partnership of the school and hospital.

Stuart Weiss, MD, a beloved, longtime professor of clinical neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, died Oct. 27, 2015, in St. Louis. He was 85.

Salmon and other freshwater fish and amphibians supercharge their ability to see red and infrared light. Scientists at the School of Medicine have shown that this evolutionary adaptation hinges on the activity of an enzyme that converts vitamin A1 to vitamin A2, enabling the aquatic creatures to more easily navigate murky waters.