Medicine & Health

P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., will present a lecture titled “Evolution from Basic to Translational Research (Washington University to Merck)” at noon Monday, November 29, in Cori Auditorium at Washington University School of Medicine. Vagelos was chairman of the Department of Biological Chemistry (currently the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics) at the School of Medicine […]

Scientists at Washington University have received a five-year, $4.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to explore new ways to produce, distribute and use radionuclides to detect cancers.

Pain management researchers at the School of Medicine are recruiting people who have had shingles to test the effectiveness of an investigational drug designed to reduce the severe pain that can last for months or years after a bout with the disorder.

In an effort to learn about the latest research and treatments for amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other nervous system diseases, the widow of Hans Vonk, former music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, will tour the newly established Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at the School of Medicine on Monday, Nov. 15.

Originating in Washington University research laboratories, St. Louis-based biotechnology company Apath has generated enough profit in just seven years to contribute $1 million in royalty payments back to the School of Medicine.

Joan Luby helps identify depression in children with “interview puppets.”Although all children are sad sometimes, preschoolers tend to be inherently joyful. But Joan Luby, director of the Early Emotional Development Program at the School of Medicine, has found that, like adults, very young children can experience depression. Her research team has developed a checklist to help clinicians identify young children at risk for developing the disease.

Washing hands can cut the risk of coming down with the flu.October saw long lines at flu vaccine locations as many people waited hours hoping for a shot. As health officials scramble to find doses of vaccine for those at high risk, a Washington University emergency medicine specialist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis says most of us may have to rely on hand washing and common sense if we want to stay healthy this winter.

PET scans: normal (top 2 rows) and Alzheimer’s.After decades of searching, scientists finally may have identified a way to study Alzheimer’s disease changes in living human brains. Researchers at Washington University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) have begun studies of an imaging agent developed at the University of Pittsburgh that could potentially detect amyloid plaques with a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, enabling earlier detection of the disease and improved testing of new treatments.

Is this a “cup” or a “mug?”No matter how hard we try to change our behaviors, it’s the old ways that tend to win out over time, especially in situations where we’re rushed, stressed or overworked, suggests a new study of human memory from Washington University in St. Louis. The findings are bad news for people struggling to change harmful behaviors, such as smoking or overeating, and good news for people who establish healthy lifestyles at an early age. Even when we consciously try to put new good intentions into place, those previously learned habits remain stronger in more automatic, unconscious forms of memory.

Tips for kicking the butts.The Great American Smokeout — the day each November the American Cancer Society encourages smokers to say “no thanks” to cigarettes for 24 hours — helps many people recognize how dangerous smoking is and how much they really want to quit, says a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis who is an expert on helping people gain control of personal habits.