Newsroom Stories

When it comes to holiday gift-giving, we all know it’s the thought that counts. But there is such a thing as giving it too much thought, at least when it comes to picking out a gift card, according to Robyn LeBoeuf​, PhD, associate professor of marketing in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Katie Plax, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, has received the Dr. Corinne Walentik Leadership in Health Award from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The award, in its second year, was created to honor the late Dr. Walentik’s commitment to serving vulnerable populations.

Two major Alzheimer’s disease studies at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received federal funding totaling $30 million over the next five years.

​Fuzhong Zhang, PhD, assistant professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, will study these systems with a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The five-year, $605,000 award is for his project titled “Synthetic Regulatory Systems for Dynamic Metabolic Pathways.”​

Longtime philanthropists and civic leaders James and Elizabeth McDonnell have pledged $25 million to endow The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The gift will fund innovative research to understand the genetic origins of diseases ranging from cancer and diabetes to autism and Alzheimer’s disease, with the aim of developing more effective diagnosis and treatment for patients.

Enhancing hearing appears to improve balance in older adults with hearing loss, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Patients with hearing aids in both ears performed better on standard balance tests when their hearing aids were turned on compared with when they were off.

As a show of their appreciation for exemplary service in medical education, Washington University School of Medicine students recently presented the school’s faculty and house staff with the annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards. The awards were for the 2013-14 school year.

Washington University in St. Louis and the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) have announced plans to create the Newman Numismatic Portal, an online research tool that will become the ultimate go-to resource for the study of coins and currency. A commitment of $2 million from EPNNES will support the project.

Secondary infection with hepatitis C does not cause the memory loss, personality changes and other mental impairments seen in patients with long-term HIV infections, a new study shows. Pictured is first author David Clifford, MD, of the School of Medicine.

Shenyang Guo, PhD, was installed Nov. 25 as the Frank J. Bruno Distinguished Professor of Social Work Research. Guo is the McDonnell International Scholars Academy’s ambassador to Fudan University in Shanghai and also serves as assistant vice chancellor for international affairs-Greater China.