Newsroom Stories

Numerous prominent researchers will gather at WUSTL March 12-14 to discuss the nature of human sociality. The conference, titled “Man the Hunted: The Origin and Nature of Human Sociality, Altruism and Well-Being,” is the first of its kind to focus on the evolution of cooperation, altruism and sociality in primates and humans.

Residents with appropriate training can safely make the decision to administer stroke treatment in emergency cases, a new study shows.

Brain cells long lumped into the same category have hidden differences that may contribute to the formation of tumors, a new School of Medicine study shows.

A history of major depression increases the risk of heart disease over and above any genetic risks common to depression and heart disease, according to researchers at the School of Medicine and the VA. The findings are reported this week at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society this week in Chicago.

NorthCommunity-based conservation in Madagascar, property rights for the poor in Argentina and trade-offs between violence and power in societies throughout human history are among topics to be explored in a free public workshop on the social science of international development from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24 in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge.

The annual Washington University African Film Festival will be held March 26-29. The event will feature films that emphasize movement and migration and their impact on African’s shifting identities. All screenings are free and open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. each evening in Brown Hall, Room 100. A postshow discussion and reception will follow Saturday’s films.

The Performing Arts Department and the African & African American Studies Program, both in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, will host a residency March 13-22 for a nine-member touring ensemble of internationally known Kenyan performance group Haba na Haba. Group members perform acrobatics, music, dance and drama to educate their communities on topics such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, reproductive health, women’s issues and violence. The residency will culminate March 20 with a performance, titled “Co-existence,” based on the recent ethnic conflicts in Kenya following disputed elections. The event, free and open to the public, takes place at 8 p.m. in the 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., in University City.

New findings may significantly improve the safety of methadone, a drug widely used to treat cancer pain and addiction to heroin and other opioid drugs, according to researchers at the School of Medicine and the University of Washington in Seattle. The researchers discovered that the body processes methadone differently than previously believed.

Washington University School of Law and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies will bring together leading experts for “Federal Budget and Tax Policy for a Sound Fiscal Future,” March 20-21. Conference discussion panels will focus on budget process rules, budget process reform, entitlements, tax expenditures, and budget accounting. The conference is free and open to the public; registration however, is required.

Paul Harvey, whose news reports and human interest stories captivated American listeners for decades, died Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Mayo Clinic Hospital near his winter home in Arizona. He was 90. Harvey, and his wife, Lynne “Angel” Cooper Harvey, who died May 3, 2008, were long-time, generous supporters of Washington University.