Medicine & Health

Thomas W. Ferkol, MD, the Alexis Hartmann, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, has been installed as president-elect of the American Thoracic Society (ATS).

Julio E. Pérez, MD, professor of medicine, has received multiple honors this year for excellence in teaching. The American College of Cardiology, the American Society of Echocardiography and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis each have recognized Pérez as a gifted educator and mentor in the field of cardiology.

A study of older adults has found that combining antidepressants with cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be effective as a treatment for anxiety. Pictured is Eric J. Lenze, MD, professor of psychiatry, discussing therapy options with Diana Simpson.

Thomas H. Steinberg, MD, associate professor of medicine, died Sunday, June 16, 2013, in St. Louis of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Samuel A. Wickline, MD, has been named the inaugural James R. Hornsby Family Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine.​

Dabeeru C. Rao, PhD, director of the Division of Biostatistics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the nation’s preeminent professional statistical society.

A rare, inherited form of mental retardation has led scientists at the School of Medicine to three important “travel agents” at work in the developing brain. The agents make it possible for brain neurons to travel from where they are born to other brain regions where they will permanently reside.

Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections acquired in hospitals, with most linked to the use of catheters. New research suggests that some urinary tract infections could be prevented if patients receive an antibiotic at the time they have a urinary catheter removed.

Richard Wilson, PhD, director of The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine, was named the world’s most-cited researcher by Thomson Reuters’ ScienceWatch. The list of most influential researchers also included Elaine Mardis, PhD, Li Ding, PhD, and Robert Fulton, all of The Genome Institute.

Nitrous oxide — best known as laughing gas — is one of the world’s oldest and most widely used anesthetics. Despite its popularity, however, experts have questioned its impact on the risk of a heart attack during surgery or soon afterward. But those fears are unfounded, a new study indicates.