Newsroom Stories

School of Medicine researchers have linked mutations in a gene to a benign pediatric brain tumor.

A group at Washington University recently tackled a simple circuit in the visual processing area of a chicken’s brain that detects motion in its field of view — with surprising results.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is one of 10 programs nationwide to receive a $2.4 million grant to establish a scholars program. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant establishes the medical school as a Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Center.

Pancreatic tumors can be identified by a readily detectable marker that shows promise as a basis for immune therapy against the disease, according to research at the School of Medicine.

Washington University’s Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will present its annual sing-along of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in Graham Chapel. John Stewart, director of vocal activities, directs the program.

Research into Alzheimer’s disease seems an unlikely approach to yield a better way to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), but that’s what scientists at the School of Medicine, and elsewhere report. One element links the disparate areas of research: amyloids, which are fibrous, sticky substances.

In conjunction with World AIDS Day, the School of Medicine’s Infectious Diseases Clinic will offer free, confidential HIV testing Monday, Nov. 30 – Thursday, Dec. 3, from 9 am – 4 pm. No appointment is necessary. Participants will receive a rapid HIV test using a finger prick to obtain a drop of blood. Results will be available 20 minutes after testing.

Should weather conditions create potentially hazardous travel conditions, Washington University will evaluate the situation and take into consideration the safety of the University’s faculty, staff and students as well as the services that must be provided despite the inclement weather. In the unlikely event that WUSTL alters the normal work and/or class schedule, an announcement will be posted on theWUSTL home page, and a number of media outlets also will air an announcement.

Richard M. Hazelton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of English in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. He was 91.

Washington University Dance Theatre (WUDT), the annual showcase of professionally choreographed works performed by student dancers, will present Transmotion, its 2009 concert, Dec. 4 to 6 in Edison Theatre. Performances — sponsored by the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences — will feature more than three dozen student dancers, selected by audition, in seven original works by faculty and guest choreographers. Pieces range from ballet and contemporary dance to works drawing on Chinese and Native American traditions.