Author: Ken Duenke

On March 1, the seminar will be open to the public during “Civic Service in an Unequal World: Analyzing Four Paradoxes,” a lecture by Teresa Matus Sepúlveda, at 1:10 p.m. in Brown Hall Lounge.

If you wanted to start today to reduce your chances of getting cancer, what would you have to do? Lose excess weight, get more exercise, eat a healthy diet and quit smoking. Those basic behavior changes would have a tremendous impact on the incidence of the most prevalent types of cancer — lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer — says Graham Colditz, associate director of Prevention and Control at the Siteman Cancer Center.

Investigators at the School of Medicine are expanding an ongoing study of the effects of combining exercise training with hormone therapy to improve physical function and quality of life in men 65 years of age and older.

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disease that has features similar to cystic fibrosis, says Thomas Ferkol from the School of Medicine. He reports finding that about 80 percent of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) have a history of newborn respiratory distress.

Americans are bombarded with antismoking messages, yet at least 65 million of us continue to light up. Genetic factors play an important role in this continuing addiction to cigarettes, suggest scientists at the School of Medicine. They show that certain genetic variations can influence smoking behaviors and contribute to a person’s risk for nicotine dependence.

Michael Kimmel, a leading expert in the study of American male identity and behavior, will give a talk on “Mars, Venus, or Planet Earth? Women and Men in a New Millennium,” as part of the Assembly Series. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 28 in Graham Chapel, on Washington University’s Danforth campus. Co-sponsored by the WUSTL student group, Reflections.

Photo by Kevin LowderElizabeth Grace Wiese, daughter of Eliot Society benefactors Chip and Jane Wiese, gets her face painted during Eliot Family Night Jan. 26 in the Athletic Complex. The popular annual event for Eliot Society members, their families and guests includes clowns, magicians, a buffet dinner and family activities followed by Bears men’s and women’s basketball games. Both teams were victorious that night. More than 740 people attended, setting a record for participants.

Christopher Buckley, novelist, political satirist and editor, will present “Thank You for Smoking: A Conversation With Christopher Buckley,” as the ArtSci Council/Neureuther Library Lecture for the Assembly Series. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 11 a.m. Feb. 21 in Graham Chapel.

The higher education cable station HEC-TV is sponsoring a series of interactive, participatory television programs related to The Big Read, a University-sponsored initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.

The novelist, political satirist and editor will present “Thank You for Smoking: A Conversation with Chris Buckley,” the ArtSci Council/Neureuther Library Lecture for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m., Wednesday, February 21 in Graham Chapel.