Medicine & Health

People with Down syndrome are at very high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A project led by Jason Hassenstab, at the School of Medicine, aims to develop tools to measure cognitive function in people with Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease.

Members of minoritized racial or ethnic groups and people who live in less affluent neighborhoods are less likely than others to receive specialized care for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, a new study from the School of Medicine indicates.

A new study by researchers at the Prevention Research Center and colleagues surveyed public health departments in the U.S. to understand current health equity-related work practices and identify ways to bolster equity-focused work in chronic disease prevention and control efforts.

Philip R.O. Payne, at the School of Medicine, has joined the steering committee of a National Academy of Medicine working group to draft a code of conduct for artificial intelligence in health, medical care and health research.

Scientists at Washington University have developed a breath test that quickly identifies those who are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. The device requires only one or two breaths and provides results in less than a minute.

Ismael Seáñez at the McKelvey School of Engineering is developing a new method to treat spinal cord injuries that uses a low-tech electrode array that effectively stimulates muscles in the legs in people with spinal cord injuries.

Philip Bayly and Jordan Escarcega at the McKelvey School of Engineering led a multi-institutional team to compare how the human brain deforms in response to movement using two types of magnetic resonance imaging. Such deformations are key to understanding traumatic brain injury but are challenging to study since the brain is hidden inside the skull.

Derek E. Byers, MD, PhD, has been named executive chair of the university’s Institutional Review Board, which reviews and approves protocols for research studies that involve human subjects. He begins the new role Tuesday, Aug. 1.

With support from a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a multidisciplinary team led by Hong Chen at the McKelvey School of Engineering seeks to integrate ultrasound with genetics to precisely modify neurons in the brain.

The Division of Physician-Scientists at the School of Medicine has named its 2023 Dean’s Scholars. The awardees will receive up to two years of financial support and mentorship, as well as dedicated lab time to conduct scientific research.