Humanities & Society

Sen. Jim Talent, Michael DeBaun and Isaac Singleton Jr. help raise awareness about sickle cell disease at a recent stamp dedication ceremony.In sickle cell disease, red blood cells change from their normal round shape to a curved, or sickle-shape. Sickle-shaped cells become stuck in blood vessels, causing damage to tissues and organs. WUSM pediatric hematologist Michael DeBaun says that ongoing blood transfusion therapy is vitally important for children with sickle cell disease, and treatment requires a sufficient supply of blood from African-American donors. “Black History Month is an ideal time to encourage African-Americans to come out and donate blood,” he says.

Union of Concerned Scientists co-founder Kurt Gottfried will present evidence in support of their claim that the Bush administration has systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, biomedical research, nuclear weapons and other issues. His talk is at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9 in Graham Chapel.

Students from Washington University in St. Louis Olin School of Business will have a shot at being Donald Trump’s next “Apprentice.” Recruiters for the popular NBC reality series, “The Apprentice,” will be on campus Feb. 10 to interview MBA students from the Olin School of Business.

OlsonTheodore B. Olson, former United States Solicitor General and partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, will deliver the School of Law’s 2005 Tyrrell Williams Lecture. “A Conversation With Theodore B. Olson” will begin at 4 p.m. Feb. 8 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall. Olson is expected to discuss his experience as one of the nation’s premier advocates before the Supreme Court of the United States. He has argued 41 cases before the Court including Bush v. Gore and Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board. Olson will also answer questions from the audience throughout his lecture.

It’s not uncommon for a child with Down Syndrome to receive regular care from as many as six or seven specialists. The new Down Syndrome Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital allows families to coordinate all these doctor visits into one trip.

On the heels of President Bush’s call for medical liability reform during a recent visit to Collinsville, Ill., Washington University hosted a conference on the same topic, “Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform: Finding Truth and Common Ground.” Medical and legal experts gathered to discuss the hard road that must be paved toward a solution for this growing national concern. The consensus of the conference seemed to be that cooperation is the key.

Some instant teas may contain excess fluoride.Instant tea, one of the most popular drinks in the U. S., may be a source of harmful levels of fluoride, researchers at the School of Medicine report. The researchers found that some regular strength preparations contain as much as 6.5 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, well over the 4 ppm maximum allowed in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 ppm permitted in bottled water and beverages by the Food and Drug Administration.

Successful students have help at home.Many kids dread them, but all parents should embrace them. Parent-teacher conferences can play an integral role in a child’s education. In the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Dennis O’Brien, research associate in psychiatry, gives a few tips for successful parent-teacher conferencing.

Brain cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease have surprised scientists with their ability to recuperate after the disorder’s characteristic brain plaques are removed.

The former U.S. Solicitor General, the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Lesbian & Gay Rights Project and the president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition are part of the spring lineup for the School of Law’s seventh annual Public Interest Law Speakers Series. Titled “Access to Justice: The Social Responsibility of Lawyers,” the series brings to the University outstanding academics and practitioners in areas such as international human rights, the economics of poverty, civil liberties, racial justice, capital punishment, clinical legal education, and government and private public service. The series, which is free and open to the public, begins 11 a.m. Jan. 26 in Anheuser-Busch Hall.