Newsroom Stories

Eating fish may help reduce the risk for dementia.Nutritionists have long endorsed fish as part of a heart-healthy diet, and now some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of certain fish may also benefit the brain by lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In order to test whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, can impact the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the School of Medicine and Saint Louis University School of Medicine will evaluate DHA in a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Courtesy photo*Fremde Haut (Unveiled)*The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present “A Festival of Contemporary German Film” April 11 to 15. Screenings will include four recent critically acclaimed films: Vier Minuten (Four Minutes), Alles auf Zucker! (Go for Zucker!), Fremde Haut (Unveiled) and Sommer vorm Balkon (Summer in Berlin). In addition, the Kemper Art Museum will host a panel discussion exploring contemporary German film within the artistic and socio-political context of post-unification Germany.

Leonard Berg, M.D., was a pioneer in the assessment and detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the founder and former director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and professor emeritus of neurology. In honor of his distinguished careers both as a clinician and researcher, a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. March 31 in the Connor Auditorium of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center. A reception will follow. Berg died Monday, January 15, 2007, at age 79 following a stroke.

A grease fire broke out in an apartment kitchen in Millbrook Building Two on Saturday, March 24, forcing the evacuation of the building. The Clayton Fire Department coordinated the fire response, which included emergency crews and vehicles from six surrounding municipalities. Millbrook Two, which is part of the Millbrook Square Apartments located in the northwest corner of the Danforth Campus, houses 51 students. No students were injured, but some are still not able to return to their apartments and are being housed temporarily at the Knight Center on campus.

This image combines three MRI scans of a mouse: one is a typical scan showing internal organs, and the second two are scans tuned to the frequency of fluorine-laced nanoparticles (colored red and green).Nanoparticles developed by Washington University scientists in the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence could soon allow researchers and physicians to directly track cells used in medical treatments using unique signatures from the ingested nanoparticle beacons. The nanoparticles contain a compound that can be detected by MRI scanners, and the researchers believe nanoparticle-labeled cells could be used to evaluate cancerous tumors and many medical therapies.

Jacqueline Tatom, assistant professor of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, died at her home in the Central West End Sunday, March 18, following a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 51.

The following incidents were reported to University Police March 8-20. Readers with information that could assist in investigating these incidents are urged to call 935-5555. This information is provided as a public service to promote safety awareness and is available on the University Police Web site at police.wustl.edu. March 9 4:52 p.m. — A call was received from Millbrook #4 regarding a suspicious male who had entered a student’s apartment at this location. The student asked the subject to leave and he did so. he student described the subject as an African-American male, 5’6″, between 20-25 years old, wearing a black puffy coat, black hat and black pants. The subject was apprehended just east of the Millbrook overpass. Nothing was taken from apartment. March 13 3:30 a.m. — A caller reported a fire in a large trashcan outside McMillen Lab. Clayton Fire Department responded to extinguish the fire. Four suspects were seen fleeing from the fire. March 14 10:12 a.m. — A complainant reported damage to a door in Anheuser-Busch Hall that occurred sometime within the past three years. University Police also responded to three lost articles, false fire alarm, two assaults, two auto accidents and one report each of burglary and drug violation.

David G. Roskies, expert in Jewish literature, will present “1943: The Jewish World at Ground Zero” at 8 p.m. March 29 in McDonnell Hall, Rm. 162.

Linda Van Dillen, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy, has received a four-year, $1,438,316 grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research for research titled “Classification-directed Treatment of Low Back Pain.” … Michael R. DeBaun, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of neurology; Michael S. Diamond, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, of pathology and immunology and of microbiology; and Russell Van Gelder, M.D., Ph.D. associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences and of molecular biology and pharmacology, each received a five-year, $750,000 Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research from Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The awards are intended to support established, independent physician-scientists who are dedicated to translational research and mentoring physician-scientist trainees. .…

The last blood drives of the semester will be held March 26-29. Organizers urge everyone in the WUSTL community to participate and help make this the most successful drive of the year.