Humanities & Society

A class of anti-seizure medications slows the rate of aging in roundworms, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. When exposed to drugs used to treat epilepsy in humans, worms lived longer and retained youthful functions longer than normal.

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.

A little anxiety can be a good thing when it comes to cancer symptoms, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They report that people with low overall anxiety levels were more apt to ignore symptoms of rectal cancer for long periods of time, thereby delaying treatment.

MLK delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech.”Be The Change” is the theme of the University’s annual Commemoration Celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday at 7 p.m., Jan. 17 in Graham Chapel. The celebration is free and open to the public. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will begin the program with a welcome and remarks. The evening will include performances by Vashon High School’s drumline, the YMCA Boys Choir, the University’s Vision Gospel Choir and Black Anthology, as well as testimonials from University students.

In an effort to foster and encourage productive and proactive dialogue about race within the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University and the St. Louis region, the Society of Black Student Social Workers will host ” Forum on Race: The Dialogue Continues,” Jan. 17, featuring Lee Mun Wah, a nationally acclaimed director, lecturer and diversity consultant. Mun Wah will present his film, Last Chance for Eden, a documentary featuring nine men and women engaging in an electrifying and honest conversation about the anguish and pain of dealing with racism, sexism and heterosexism in their lives and communities.

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum”Inside Out Loud”This spring, more than 30 campus and community partners will join the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis to present close to 70 events relating to women’s health. Events — which range from exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances to lectures, seminars and health screenings — are held in conjunction with the museum’s Inside Out Loud: Women’s Health in Contemporary Art, the first major exhibition dedicated to the topic, which will be on view Jan. 21 to April 24.

RossWill Ross, M.D., associate dean and director of the Office of Diversity at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2005 Distinguished Community Service in Medicine Award by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Commission.

MathewsFaith, formal education and life experiences have shaped the character of Katherine Jahnige Mathews, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine. A faculty member at the Siteman Cancer Center and a physician at ConnectCare, Mathews’ efforts have earned her the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Herbert W. Nickens, M.D., Faculty Fellowship for 2004.

Chimpanzees don’t need haircuts.Mammals have fur over most of their bodies, but at some point during evolution, we humans lost that fur covering. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis argue that hair on the head is somehow different from fur because fur stops growing when it reaches a certain length, but our head hair continues to grow.

Researchers knew that prions, the misfolded proteins that cause mad cow disease and other brain disorders, were killing off a class of important brain cells in a transgenic mouse model. But when they found a way to rescue those cells, they were astonished to discover the mice still became sick.