Newsroom Stories

Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook recently received the Tony Conigliaro Award from the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Cook garnered the award — established in 1990 to honor major league players who overcome adversity — for his return to the mound following two surgeries to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. Both procedures were performed by WUSM surgeon Robert Thompson, who conducted similar surgery on Arizona outfielder Luis Terrero in 2003.

Karen Elshout, Post-DispatchRobin Harris holds a blanket that belonged to her daughter, Kaitlyn, a teen whose depression led her to kill herself.The teenage brain may hold secrets which could help unlock some of the mysteries of mental illness. Adolescent brains undergo serious transitions and can become very volatile, making it sometimes difficult to distinguish between normal teenage behavior and serious mental illness. Some scientists believe several severe mental illnesses may even have roots in the developing teen brain.

Listed below are this month’s featured news stories. • Tongues can sense fat (week of Dec. 7) • Bipolar preschoolers (week of Dec. 14) • Gambling risk factors (week of Dec. 21) • Genetic link to alcoholism (week of Dec. 28)

Structure of the fatty acid receptor CD36French researchers recently reported that mice have a receptor in their tongues that can sense fat, and the presence of that receptor seems to drive the mice to crave fat in their diets. The research was based on work from scientists at the School of Medicine, where investigators previously had identified a protein receptor for fat and documented its function in recognizing and using fatty food.

WillClifford M. Will, Ph.D., has been named the James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, announced Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor, dean of Arts & Sciences and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences. Will is known worldwide as one of the leading experts in using experimental and observational data to explain Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Repair proteins (bright green areas) are inhibited from gathering at sites of DNA damage.To remain healthy, all cells must quickly mend any breaks that arise in their DNA strands. But cancer cells are particularly dependent on a process called homologous recombination to repair DNA and stay alive. Now researchers at the School of Medicine have identified a protein with a role in homologous recombination, and the discovery could be exploited as part of a two-pronged treatment strategy to kill cancer cells by eliminating their ability to repair DNA.

Women’s hoops team wins invitational The No. 9 women’s basketball team (7-0) won the Eleanore Moyer Tournament on Dec. 3 in Hanover, Ind. WUSTL senior Kelly Manning, who scored a career-high 32 points in the championship game against host Hanover College, took home tournament MVP honors. The Bears defeated Thomas More College on Dec. 2 […]

The trustees also voted to approve amendments to the constitution and bylaws of the Faculty Senate, according to Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton.

A Dec. 9 performance of works from the Renaissance and American folk songs is dedicated in memory of Elizabeth Gray Danforth.

A 37-foot-long semi-trailer is the centerpiece of MySci, a comprehensive K-2 science experience developed thanks to a $3.7 million grant from the Monsanto Fund.