NIH Director’s Pioneer Award to Washington University scientist
A Washington University scientist has won a prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award — one of only 18 given this year — to develop innovative ways to simultaneously monitor the activity of many neurons.
Leading psychiatry researcher Lee Robins dies
RobinsLee Nelken Robins, professor emeritus of social science in psychiatry at the School of Medicine, died peacefully at her home Sept. 25, 2009, following a long battle against cancer. Robins was a world leader in psychiatric epidemiology research and had worked in the Department of Psychiatry for more than 50 years.
Vitamin D’s role in preventing asthma studied in pregnant women
A group of pregnant women who have asthma or allergies will get extra vitamin D as part of a study to determine if the vitamin can prevent their children from developing asthma.
Sleep loss linked to increase in Alzheimer’s plaques
Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease makes Alzheimer’s brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers at the School of Medicine report online this week in Science Express.
WUSTL joins university research news site, Futurity.org
Washington University in St. Louis has joined a group of leading research universities in launching Futurity (futurity.org), an online research channel covering the latest discoveries in science, engineering, the environment, health, and more.
Young age at first drink may affect genes and risk for alcoholism
The age at which a person takes a first drink may influence genes linked to alcoholism, making the youngest drinkers the most susceptible to severe problems.
Registry to track children with infantile spasms
PaciorkowskiResearchers at the School of Medicine and the University of Chicago have launched what is believed to be the first worldwide, online registry of children with infantile spasms, a severe type of epilepsy that affects babies in the first few months of life.
Researchers find two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease
An international team of scientists has identified two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. The findings are reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.
Genomics and Future of Medicine is focus of Institute of Medicine meeting
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) will host a regional meeting on Genomics and the Future of Medicine from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center at the School of Medicine.
Discrediting official uninsured estimates only minimizes the real health care problem, says health economist
McBrideThe health reform debate to date has been characterized by a lot of confusion and misinformation. “The conclusion that most of the uninsured either are voluntarily uninsured or do not need assistance is erroneous,” says Timothy McBride, Ph.D., leading health economist and associate dean of public health at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. The Census Bureau will announce the official health insurance estimates on Thursday, Sept. 10. According to McBride, because of the economic downturn, the number of uninsured may top 50 million.
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