Author: Ken Duenke

Fatemeh Keshavarz, Ph.D., professor of Persian language and literature and chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages & Literatures in Arts & Sciences, will give the Assembly Series lecture at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Graham Chapel.

Go to BearSports Director of Athletics John Schael announced women’s golf will be added to the intercollegiate athletics program and begin play for the 2008-09 season. Director of Intramurals and Club Sports Sean Curtis, who has coached the team as a club the past two seasons, will lead the squad. With the addition of women’s […]

“Chemical chaperones” might be able to help a mutant protein (green) do its job of removing excess cholesterol (blue) from cells.An unexpected finding turned out to be a clue leading researchers at the School of Medicine to propose a new treatment approach for Niemann-Pick disease, a rare, deadly neurodegenerative disorder. To overcome the genetic defect in Niemann-Pick disease, the researchers suggest that chemical compounds could potentially “chaperone” mutant protein molecules through the cell’s quality control machinery.

Courtesy photoDrew PinskyPhysician, radio and television personality, health advocate and writer Drew Pinsky, M.D., will present “Loveline with Dr. Drew” at 6 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Laboratory Sciences Building Auditorium, Room 300 . The talk is the keynote address for Sexual Responsiblity Week, sponsored by Washington University in St. Louis’ Student Health Advisory Committee, Student Union and the Assembly Series.

Courtesy photoFatemeh KeshavarzIn her most recent book, “Jasmine and Stars,” Keshavarz blends personal memoir with literary analysis and social commentary to break pervasive Western stereotypes of Iranians.

Scientists at the School of Medicine are seeking individuals who have depression and are overweight to volunteer for a study evaluating whether a diabetes drug might help improve mood. The five-year, NIH-funded study seeks 200 people with depression who are overweight and at risk for developing diabetes.

Medical professionals from Washington University and Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing are helping older adults in underserved areas of St. Louis identify and address wide-ranging health problems — from osteoporosis and frailty to impaired physical function and depression.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease who took part in regular tango dance classes for 20 sessions showed significant improvements in balance and mobility when compared to patients who did conventional exercise, a new study by researchers at the School of Medicine shows.

Go to BearSports The Bears dropped a pair of games on the road last week, losing at No. 3 University of Rochester, 73-70, in overtime Feb. 1, and then falling flat at Carnegie Mellon University, 86-55, Feb. 3. WUSTL led Rochester 60-54 with two minutes remaining in regulation, but the Yellowjackets closed on a 9-3 […]

With a key protein disabled, a pair of kidney filtering units can’t keep antibodies (shown in red) from building up in the filter.The kidney actively cleans its most selective filter to keep it from clogging with blood proteins, scientists from the School of Medicine reveal in a new study. Researchers showed that breakdown of this self-cleaning feature can make kidneys more vulnerable to dysfunction and disease.