Newsroom Stories

Studying zebrafish embryos, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that the epigenome plays a significant part in guiding development in the first 24 hours after fertilization. The research may deepen understanding of congenital defects and miscarriage.

An investigational drug appears to cut the risk of severe asthma attacks in half for patients who have difficulty controlling the disorder with standard medications, according to results from two multicenter clinical trials headed by Mario Castro, MD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the School of Medicine.

The next round of spring Assembly Series programs at Washington University in St. Louis will cover a variety of topics, from how society talks about contagious diseases to delving into major philosophical theory to the possibility of cloning a mammoth.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation announced Feb. 23 that Kater Murch, PhD, assistant professor of physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded a 2015 Sloan Research Fellowship. He is among 126 outstanding U.S. and Canadian researchers selected as fellowship recipients this year. The fellowships are given to early-career scientists and scholars whose achievements and potential identify them as rising stars, the next generation of scientific leaders.

School of Medicine faculty members were honored with Distinguished Faculty Awards on Wednesday, Feb. 18, for their dedication, talent and wide-ranging achievements. Shown is D. Katherine Grange, MD, who was given a Distinguished Clinician Award, and Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the medical school.

​The new CIRCLE Fellows program is assisting faculty in their implementation of active-learning teaching strategies that can enhance student engagement and learning.

Most state legislators say testimony at legislative hearings is influential, though few report that it changes their votes, finds research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. “Testimony does matter, especially if it is delivered by credible, trustworthy presenters,” said lead author Sarah Moreland-Russell, PhD, assistant research professor at the Brown School.

A new study at the School of Medicine is focused on understanding how the pathways identified by the Human Connectome Project differ in people with psychiatric illnesses. Principal investigator Daniel Mamah, MD, said the group’s goal is to look at diagnosing psychiatric illness in a different way.

Engineers Week on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, Feb. 23-Feb. 28, aims to celebrate how engineers make a difference in the world and increase public dialogue about the need for engineers. The week features an array of events aimed at engaging students, faculty and the campus community on subjects ranging from solar energy to space travel.

Using antibodies from camels and alpacas, scientists led by David T. Curiel, MD, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way to deliver anticancer viruses directly to tumor cells, leaving other types of cells uninfected. The discovery may solve a longstanding problem in the field of gene therapy.