Newsroom Stories

Courtesy Edward LifesciencesIn a nationwide clinical trial, physicians are testing an investigational device that allows them to insert replacement aortic valves without opening the chest or using a heart-lung machine, making the procedure available to high-risk and formerly inoperable patients. The School of Medicine has been selected as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigative site in the trial evaluating this technique, which uses a far less invasive procedure than the standard open-heart surgery.

Thaddeus Strode, *Absolutes and Nothings*Since the late 1980s Los Angeles-based painter Thaddeus Strode has created wild, vibrantly colored mash-ups in which California surf and skateboard culture collide with Zen philosophy, rock music, literature, film, comic books and other popular motifs, all mixing freely with the artist’s own inventions. In February, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present the first major museum exhibition dedicated to Strode’s work as part of its Contemporary Projects series.

Thaddeus Strode, *Absolutes and Nothings*Download high-resolution press images for *Thaddeus Strode: Absolutes and Nothings,* the first solo museum show for the acclaimed Los Angeles painter, on view at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Feb. 8 to April 21.

As the holidays approach, toy store shelves are stocked with toys that make noise. While toys with sound may be appealing to children, William Clark, Ph.D., director of audiology and communication sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, cautions parents to be careful in choosing such toys.

The executive faculty of the School of Medicine unanimously approved changing the name of the Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology to the Department of Developmental Biology. The change reflects a shift that has already occurred in the department’s research focus and coincides with the search for a department head.

David Kilper/WUSTL Photo ServicesThe combination of beer, wastewater, microbes, fuel cells, high-school students and teachers sounds like a witches’ brew for an old-fashioned, illicit 1960s beach party. Instead, these are the components of a new high-school science curriculum being developed by researchers at Washington University and two St. Louis area high-school teachers.

This is the last official Record of the calendar year. We will resume regular publication on Jan. 17, 2008. In the event of urgent announcements or breaking news, the eRecord may be e-mailed periodically during the break. The Record staff wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at WUSTL has announced the recipients of its first annual Faculty Creative Activity Research Grants. Five faculty members from the College of Art and the College of Architecture will each receive $5,000 to support a variety of projects, from publications and video documentary to large-scale public sculpture.

The Washington University School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity Programs will present its annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration lecture at 4 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Angela E. Oh, internationally recognized author, teacher and public lecturer, will speak.

Photo by David KilperPeter Joy’s dedication and experience benefits both students and those in need.