Medicine & Health

Two researchers at Washington University in St. Louis took a closer look at the signals that coordinate a heartbeat at the molecular level. What they found may provide new insights into different heart conditions and how to develop better therapies.

School of Medicine scientists are working to minimize the risk of another devastating coronavirus pandemic by designing a vaccine that reduces sickness and death caused by all potentially deadly coronaviruses, including ones that have not yet affected people. The research is supported by an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The School of Medicine’s Cynthia Rogers, MD, and co-investigator Christopher Smyser, MD, have received a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support their research focused on preterm babies’ brains as the children age.

Four Washington University in St. Louis faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering: Hongyu An, Elliot Elson, Srikanth Singamaneni and Jessica Wagenseil.

Makedonka Mitreva, a professor of medicine and of genetics at the School of Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in recognition of her contributions to the field of microbiology.

People infected with COVID-19 who then took the antiviral medication Paxlovid within five days after testing positive experienced a reduced risk of long-term health problems, hospitalization and death for up to six months, according to a study by researchers at the School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system.

New research led by Washington University researchers identifies a common genetic signature that may increase a person’s risk of developing substance use disorders. The work eventually could lead to universal therapies to treat multiple substance use disorders and potentially help people diagnosed with more than one.

Three early-career scientists who have conducted their research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been honored with the Young Physician-Scientist Award by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Michael Vahey at the McKelvey School of Engineering, will investigate how influenza virus proteins contribute to the spread of infection with a five-year, nearly $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Researchers at the School of Medicine have developed a new imaging method to produce detailed 3D maps of uterine contractions in real time. The technology could help define the progression of healthy labor and identify when problems may be developing, such as in preterm labor or labor arrest.