Medicine & Health

Part of the risk for alcohol dependence is genetic. The same is true for eating disorders. Now, School of Medicine researchers have found that some of the same genes likely are involved in both. They report that people with alcohol dependence may be more genetically susceptible to certain types of eating disorders and vice versa.

The School of Medicine has received a $7.8 million grant to determine whether the length of time red blood cells (RBCs) are stored affects organ failure in critically ill children who receive RBC transfusions. Pictured is Philip Spinella, MD, one of study’s principal investigators, with Ronald Jackups, MD, PhD, in the blood bank at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

In patients with early Alzheimer’s disease, disruptions in brain networks emerge about the same time as chemical markers of the disease appear in the spinal fluid, School of Medicine researchers have shown. Pictured is senior author of the study, Beau Ances, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology and of biomedical engineering.

School of Medicine researchers have described another link in the chain of events that connects acute viral infections to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Their discovery points to a new therapeutic target for COPD, an extremely common disease of the lower airways. The image depicts airway epithelial cells from lung tissue of a COPD patient.

Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton welcomed more than 60 scholars from around the world — including Washington University in St. Louis and representatives from the McDonnell International Scholars Academy partner institutions — to Seoul, South Korea, in June for the Global Aging Initiative. The meeting, sponsored by the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at WUSTL’s Institute for Public Health, was the first opportunity for scholars to connect and identify opportunities for collaboration on cross-national aging-related research.

Incoming medical students took part last week in the Washington University Medical Plunge, or WUMP, a weeklong crash course in public health, diversity and health-care disparities. Pictured are students Ally Schelble (left) and Harleen Grewal helping prepare teaching materials for the upcoming school year at Epworth Children & Family Services. WUMP introduces students to myriad opportunities to volunteer.

The Midwest Society for Developmental Biology will hold its 51st annual meeting Sept. 26-28 at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. 

A shuttle service that provides rides home to School of Medicine students and employees has been expanded to include the Central West End.

Three highly regarded faculty members in the Department of Medicine  have been named Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professors in their respective fields. They are (from left) Daniel C. Brennan, MD, Chyi-Song Hsieh, MD, PhD, and Daniel S. Ory, MD.

The School of Medicine’s Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) will celebrate its 40th anniversary Wednesday, Aug. 21. The division also will honor 10 faculty members who have served on more than 100 DDBS PhD thesis committees.