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(Dawn Majors/P-D)Consuelo Washington, left, gets help labeling her microwave from occupational therapist Monica Perlmutter.Making sense of all the buttons on microwaves, dishwashers and coffee makers is hard enough when you can see them. For people with impaired vision, the gadgets can become more barrier than convenience. A program sponsored by Washington University helps people with poor eyesight maintain their independence by modifying their homes to make them more useful and safe.

Robert BostonBrooks Goedeker, Adam Chestnut, Maurice Harris and Larry Chestnut load donated gifts into trucks to be delivered to needy families in the Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood.About 25 families in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood adjoining the Medical Campus will have a brighter holiday this year thanks to the generosity of School of Medicine employees. The Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corp. — which works closely with neighborhood groups in addressing employment, public improvements, home repair and security and public safety issues — has coordinated a Holiday Outreach Program for nearly 10 years.

At the 10th anniversary poster session, School of Medicine dean Larry J. Shapiro is flanked by A. Greig Woodring, president and CEO of RGA International Ltd. (left) and Phillip S. Smalley, M.D., RGA’s vice president and medical director.On Nov. 20, the Longer Life Foundation (LLF), a cooperative effort between the School of Medicine and the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), celebrated 10 years of independent research into improving methods for predicting long-term mortality from various diseases and promoting quality and quantity of life. So far, LLF has funded more than 48 research grants, awarding some $2 million to support studies on topics from cancer treatment and screening to diabetes and nutrition to suicide risk.

In an attempt to reinvent itself as a “responsible corporate citizen,” tobacco company Philip Morris has begun an unlikely support of regulation of tobacco products by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, a new study by Peter Benson, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, shows that proposed FDA regulation fails to address the suffering of migrant tobacco workers, the prevalence of smoking and the redistribution of leaf production to the developing world.

The Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity for women will be the seventh National Panhellenic Conference organization to join the Greek community at Washington University in St. Louis, announced Ryan Jasen Henne, director of Greek Life. Colonization is slated for spring 2009.

Staying on campus during Thanksgiving break may seem like a lonely endeavor, but numerous groups on campus work hard to let students have a true taste of home during the holiday. For starters, more than 20 students will have dinner with 10 host families as part of the Home Plate program. Started by Risa Zwerling […]

A test that reveals brain changes believed to be at the heart of Alzheimer’s disease has bolstered the theory that education can delay the onset of the dementia and cognitive decline that are characteristic of the disorder. School of Medicine scientists at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center found that some study participants who appeared to […]

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“Seeking Freedom,” a television documentary based on Washington University-led research into the courageous stories of African-American slaves who sued for their freedom in St. Louis courts, has been awarded a 2008 Mid-America Emmy in the category for historical documentaries. Produced by the St. Louis-based, education-oriented HEC-TV cable broadcasting organization, the documentary features commentary by a […]

Photo by Joe AngelesLasater takes on many roles to keep athletics running smoothly.