Medicine & Health

Smoking shrinks the brain and effectively causes premature brain aging, according to a study by researchers at the School of Medicine. The findings help explain why smokers are at high risk of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

David T. Curiel, MD, PhD, and James W. Janetka, PhD, professors at the School of Medicine, have been elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors.

Matthew A. Ciorba, MD, a professor of medicine and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the School of Medicine, has received a $2.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate a new treatment for colorectal cancer.

A woman who never developed Alzheimer’s despite a strong genetic predisposition may hold the key to stopping the disease in its tracks. Researchers at the School of Medicine found clues that could help cut the link between the early, asymptomatic stage and the late stage, when cognitive decline sets in.

Washington University in St. Louis researchers will adapt their COVID-19-detecting breathalyzer to one that can also screen for common seasonal viruses with a two-year $3.6 million grant from Flu Lab. With the funding, they plan to take the technology from bench into clinical trials with the goal of preparing the handheld rapid screening breath test for commercial application and FDA registration.

Michelle Oyen, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, has been named among the 200 Trailblazing Leaders in Women’s Health and FemTech for 2023 by Women of Wearables.

Benjamin Humphreys, MD, PhD, at the School of Medicine, has received a five-year $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research into chronic kidney disease.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Abuja in Nigeria have received grants to work with community organizations in St. Louis and Abuja to improve cardiovascular health during and after pregnancy.

Researchers and clinicians at Washington University in St. Louis developed a new imaging method to better diagnose lesions in the ovaries and fallopian tubes that may help to avoid unnecessary surgeries.

Researchers working with Fuzhong Zhang at the McKelvey School of Engineering have genetically engineered a protein-based bio-adhesive with programmable material properties.