Medicine & Health

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.

A Christian, a clown and a scientist — It may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, but it’s actually an accurate description of the life of WUSM professor Dana Abendschein. The following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article by Harry Jackson Jr. tells the story of how an overachieving researcher found fulfillment in a clown suit.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is a long-time leader in medical research and clinical practice. The school employs a number of experts in many areas of expertise, including health care policy issues. Under the direction of former dean William Peck, the university has established the Center for Health Policy to: Identify key […]

PeckThe National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine has named William A. Peck, M.D., a member of a national committee that will address ways to redesign health insurance benefits, payment and performance improvement programs.