Author: Jim Goodwin

​As the use of e-cigarettes has risen dramatically in the United States in recent years, so have calls to poison centers about them. Yet many parents who use e-cigarettes – or “vape” – aren’t aware of the dangers to children, according to a study at the School of Medicine.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Siteman Cancer Center​ at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis an “exceptional” rating, based on a rigorous review of Siteman’s research programs. The rating is the highest possible by the NCI, the principal federal institute that funds cancer research.

John DiPersio, MD, PhD, the Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named to the American Cancer Society’s National Medical Advisory Group for Patient Lodging.

​President Barack Obama has named internationally recognized cancer expert Timothy Ley, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, to the National Cancer Advisory Board.

Grant W. Farmer, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate at Washington University School of Medicine and an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University, died unexpectedly April 7, 2015, at his home in Richmond Heights. He was 36.

​While the federal health-care law has reduced the number of uninsured people by about 10 million, challenges remain, including how to educate new enrollees about their coverage options. New research at Washington University shows that communicating information about the Affordable Care Act can be made simple.

Elaine Mardis, PhD, the Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn Distinguished Professor of Medicine, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Siteman Cancer Center’s parent institutions have named two new leaders in radiation oncology. Dan Kinzel is executive director of radiation oncology at Washington University School of Medicine. Sharon Endicott is director of radiation oncology for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

​William Gillanders, MD, a physician-scientist and avid cyclist, keeps the wheels turning in the race against breast cancer. His career goal is to change treatment paradigms by making breast cancer vaccines a reality for those being treated for the disease.

​Avik Som, a second-year student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the School of Medicine, has been invited to attend the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting this summer in Lindau, Germany.