Newsroom Stories

A gene linked to pediatric brain tumors is an essential driver of early brain development, researchers at the School of Medicine have found. The study, published in October in Cell Stem Cell, reveals that the neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) gene helps push stem cells down separate paths that lead them to become two major types of brain cells: support cells known as astrocytes and brain neurons.

“Maltreatment in childhood is a global issue,” says Melissa Jonson-Reid, Ph.D., a child welfare expert and a professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, in the U.S. there are about 3 million reports of abuse or neglect each year, and about 60 percent of such reports are deemed to meet states’ criteria for investigation or assessment. Jonson-Reid offers ways to get involved in protecting children from mistreatment.

David Kilper/WUSTL PhotoA math problem review session at the Kumon-Ladue math program on Clayton Road in Ladue.Parents of school-aged children might want to think of giving their children an enduring holiday gift this year: enrollment in a supplemental mathematics program. While it can cost anywhere from $80 to $110 a month, the results of practicing mathematics nearly daily is rewarding to both students and parents. In fact, parents might be even bigger recipients of this gift than their children. While their children gain self-esteem and confidence, the parents very likely will feel a sense of relief and pride in their children’s accomplishment.

In celebration of America Recycles Day, Green Action, a WUSTL student group that seeks to raise environmental awareness on campus and in the community, will be holding its third annual electronics recycling drive Nov. 15 in cooperation with Web Innovations and Technology Services, a local not-for-profit electronics recycler.

The anthropological works of Glenn Conroy, Ph.D., professor of anatomy and neurobiology and of anthropology, are on display through January 2008 in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center.

Glenn Conroy and Jane Phillips-Conroy with their awards for outstanding teachingHis modest demeanor provides little hint of neither his brilliant career nor the ivy-paved path that serendipitously led him to Washington University in St. Louis more than 20 years ago. A renowned anthropologist, Glenn Conroy, Ph.D., has been gathering valuable fossil remains of humans and non-human primates for more than 30 years. Some of his best work is on display through January in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (See it now).

Al Parker, *Tell Me the Time*Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and Olin Library Department of Special Collections will launch the new Modern Graphic History Library with a pair of exhibitions Friday, Nov. 16. Highlights from the Modern Graphic History Library will open with a reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Olin Library’s Ginkgo Reading Room & Grand Staircase Lobby. A reception for Ephemeral Beauty: Al Parker and the American Women’s Magazine, 1940-1960 will immediately follow, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.

Researchers at the School of Medicine are seeking volunteers with Parkinson’s disease for two studies. One is investigating the effects of antidepressant drugs on depression and motor function. The second study is assessing the safety and effectiveness of a drug for Parkinson’s patients who also have psychotic symptoms. In the NIH-funded depression study, investigators are evaluating paroxetine (Paxil) and venlafaxine XR (Effexor) for their success in alleviating depression and for their potential effect on motor function in Parkinson’s patients.

An innovative cancer imaging center at the School of Medicine has received a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The grant will fund a second cycle of research at the Washington University Molecular Imaging Center, where scientists from many different specialties collaborate on advanced imaging projects.

David Kilper/WUSTL Photo ServicesSeth CarlinThe Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will present two concerts in its newly opened 560 Music Center Nov. 17 and 18. Noted pianist Seth Carlin, professor of music, will present a solo piano recital at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. In addition, the Washington University Symphony Orchestra will perform works by Schubert, Franck and Britten at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.