Newsroom Stories

A study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describes a newborn screening test that identifies infants with Niemann-Pick type C, an often fatal condition in which cholesterol builds up and eventually destroys brain cells. Early detection may save lives and improve prospects for managing the disease.

An ongoing experiment — an “architectural twin study” — conducted by students, faculty and staff at Washington University on two 100-year-old St. Louis brick buildings produced some remarkable results.

IDEA Labs, a student-run bioengineering and design incubator started at Washington University in St. Louis, will expand its national reach through a partnership with the American Medical Association. The collaboration is aimed at supporting cutting-edge medical technology development from the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

The dramatic 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal one year ago left behind a landscape littered with crumbled homes, buildings and roads. While infrastructure can be rebuilt, the disaster may have a more lasting impact on the nation’s culture, suggests an interdisciplinary team studying the aftermath as part of a rapid response grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Feeding premature babies mostly breast milk during the first month of life appears to spur more robust brain growth, compared with babies given little or no breast milk, finds researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Cathy Rodgers, former fashion design faculty member in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, died April 6 at her home in Ladue. She was 87. She taught tailoring and pattern-making to generations of designers, including such fashion luminaries as Carolyne Roehm, Kay Unger, Judd Waddell and Paul Dillinger.

Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are using nanoparticle technology in an effort to meet the ever-increasing demand for food. Their innovative technique boosts the growth of a protein-rich bean by improving the way it absorbs nutrients, while reducing the need for fertilizer.

Each academic year, students from Washington University distinguish themselves at two annual mathematics competitions: The North American Putnam Competition, in which this year the team finished eighth; and the Missouri Collegiate Mathematics Competition, in which the team tied for first with a perfect score.

Washington University in St. Louis will award five honorary degrees during the university’s 155th Commencement May 20. During the ceremony, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Brookings Quadrangle on the Danforth Campus, the university will bestow academic degrees on approximately 2,800 members of the Class of 2016.

A podcast featuring Mosaic Whispers music directors Katie Greenberg and Hannah Lacava, and vocal percussionist Rohan Khazanchi. The Washington University a capella group competes in a national competition Saturday, April 30, at the Beacon Theatre in New York.