Medicine & Health

Philip Stahl, prominent cell biologist and physiologist and Jonathan Turner, internationally recognized for his accomplishments in computer networks and telecommunications, will receive Washington University’s 2004 Faculty Achievement Awards and summarize their scholarly work at an awards ceremony, as part of the Assembly Series on Sept. 23.

St. Louis Jewish LightFlanceFor retired physician I. Jerome Flance, more than 60 years of helping people as a doctor and teacher wasn’t quite enough. So six years ago, at age 87, he accepted the appointment of special associate for community redevelopment and began what is planned to be a 10-year project to revitalize the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Read more in the following article published by the St. Louis Jewish Light Simcha magazine.

St. Louis Post-DispatchOsteoporosis is the cause of more than 1 million bone fractures each year — injuries which can be devastating to the elderly. The condition, however, seems to be spreading among the young, even those in prime physical shape. Kathryn Diemer, director of the Bone Health Program, talks about the increase of cases in younger adults in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, which focuses on a 34-year-old marathon runner.

The season for sneezin’ is here.Ragweed pollen counts appear to have peaked in early September this year, nearly a month later than usual. H. James Wedner, chief of the division of allergy and immunology, comments on what this means for allergy sufferers in this article by Tina Hesman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Why do some people live longer?Researchers at the School of Medicine will head an ambitious study of people who live exceptionally long and healthy lives to identify the factors that account for their longevity. A team led by Michael Province, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics and genetics, received a $4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to establish a Data Management and Coordinating Center for the Exceptional Longevity Family Study.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are seeking women who have had two or more unexplained first trimester miscarriages to evaluate an experimental treatment to help women carry babies to term.

Backpacks are intended for convenience, but they can also be a source of pain for children who lug them around. Thousands of kids report injuries due to backpacks each year. Overloaded packs and improper usage are often the culprits in these injuries. Matthew Dobbs, a WUSM pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, outlines the risks of wearing a backpack and preventative measures that can be taken in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

A national team of investigators led by psychiatric geneticists at the School of Medicine has identified a gene that appears to be linked to both alcoholism and depression. The study, published in the September issue of the journal Human Molecular Genetics, is the first to identify a specific gene associated with both depression and alcoholism.

MorganOccupational Therapy Instructor Kerri Morgan and Shae Communications CEO Kevin Brown set a precedent Sept. 4 when the two compete in the Lake St. Louis Triathlon. The athletes will be the first-ever to compete in the event’s newly created wheelchair division. Columnist Kathleen Nelson tells the full story in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

Approximately 1 million stroke victims suffer from a condition called aphasia, which can affect reading, writing, speaking or understanding speech. Generally, speech therapists rely on their own experience and intuition to determine treatment for these patients, but a multidisciplinary research team from the School of Medicine has developed a speech rehabilitation program using the same evidence-based approach used by physicians and surgeons.