Author: Kelly Wiese Niemeyer

A device aimed at enabling physicians to perform noninvasive blood-based biopsies in adults with brain tumors has received Food and Drug Administration “Breakthrough Device” designation. The device includes Washington University technology.

Tescha Hawley, a 2002 Brown School alumna, is among 10 finalists for CNN’s “Hero of the Year.” Cast online votes through Dec. 5.

Sarah D. Ackerman, Gabor Egervari, MD, PhD, and Tao Xie, all of the School of Medicine, have been named 2023 Young Investigator grantees by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. The funding supports promising early-career scientists in neuropsychiatry with innovative ideas in mental health research.

Applications are being accepted for the Washington University in St. Louis chapter of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Lunch-and-learn sessions for doctoral students seeking more information will take place next week.

Katharine Flores is the Christopher I. Byrnes Professor and director of the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Also an alumna, she has brought dedication, leadership and expertise to the materials science program and is helping it reach the next level.

Parking & Transportation Services shares an update as the semester winds down, including information about vehicle storage, inclement weather preparation and spring U-Pass registration.

Open enrollment to change or re-enroll for 2024 benefits, such as health insurance, for Washington University faculty, staff and trainees will take place Nov. 1-17. Selections can be made online through Workday.

Washington University has partnered with Awardco to launch a new employee recognition platform for eligible faculty and staff. The digital tool provides a quick and easy way to show appreciation with a “WashU Kudos” to individual faculty and staff members or teams.

Anesthesiologist Justin G. Knittel, MD, at the School of Medicine, volunteers for the nonprofit organization Doctors Collaborating to Help Children. The medical team provides care for Ukrainian children with burn injuries, and the need has grown since Russia’s invasion.

Virginia Herrmann, MD, a distinguished breast cancer specialist and past co-director of the breast surgery program at the School of Medicine, died Oct. 16 at her home in St. Louis following a two-year battle with cancer. She was 73.