Newsroom Stories

Americans are bombarded with antismoking messages, yet at least 65 million of us continue to light up. Genetic factors play an important role in this continuing addiction to cigarettes, suggest scientists at the School of Medicine. They show that certain genetic variations can influence smoking behaviors and contribute to a person’s risk for nicotine dependence.

David KilperJohn HoalJohn Hoal, Ph.D., associate professor of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, will speak about his recent work in New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 5, as part of the spring Architecture Lecture Series. Last fall Hoal’s firm, H3 Studio Inc., was one of five selected to lead the Unified New Orleans Plan, which will coordinate rebuilding in the city’s 13 planning districts.

Linda Babcock, co-author of “Women Don’t Ask: Negotiations and the Gender Divide,” will discuss her book and research in a community forum on “societal factors that hold women back from asking for what they want” that runs from 7 – 8:30 p.m. March 5 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom, Anheuser Busch Hall, Danforth Campus of Washington University.

Michael Kimmel, a leading expert in the study of American male identity and behavior, will give a talk on “Mars, Venus, or Planet Earth? Women and Men in a New Millennium,” as part of the Assembly Series. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 28 in Graham Chapel, on Washington University’s Danforth campus. Co-sponsored by the WUSTL student group, Reflections.

Feb. 13 3:22 p.m. — A person reported unknown person(s) used her debit card online to make a purchase. The fraudulent purchase occurred Jan. 30. The victim had possession of her debit card when the fraudulent activity took place. Feb. 14 12:03 a.m. — The complainant reported that suspect(s) unknown entered their unsecured dorm rooms in Myers Residence Hall and took two cameras and an iPod. They believe that the incident occurred between Feb. 11 in the evening and today.

School of Medicine researchers are looking for volunteers for a study into factors related to memory in older adults.

– See latest results

Crazy chemistry demonstrations, a paper airplane competition and sticking a person to a wall with duct tape are part of the campus events planned for EnWeek 2007, celebrating National Engineers Week, Feb. 18-24.

June-Ho Shin, Ph.D., postdoctoral research assistant, has received a one-year, $20,000 grant from the National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation for research titled “Prevent and Treat Noise-Induced Hearing Loss by Drug Blocking T-Type Calcium Channels.” … Jeffrey M. Arbeit, M.D., professor of surgery, has received a one-year, $19,001 grant from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation for Cervix Spore Research. … Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., associate professor of medicine, has received a one-year, $15,000 grant from P&G Pharmaceuticals Inc. to support a study to examine bone trabecular architecture in the distal tibia of CR subjects by using the non-invasive MicroMRI. … Samuel Wickline, M.D., professor of medicine, has received a one-year, $12,444 grant from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation for the Cardiology Research Salary Fund.

The Dean of the School of Medicine is looking for a few good staff members for his service award.