Newsroom Stories

Volunteers gathered at the Danforth University Center for a Give Thanks Give Back wrapping party. Sophomores Cherisse Onuigbo (left) and Shawnee Gao helped wrap. WUSTL student groups, departments and residential floors donated money and presents for the “100 Neediest Cases” campaign.

Two faculty members from Washington University in St. Louis have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society. They are Michael J. Holtzman, MD (left), and Rohit V. Pappu, PhD.

Our sense of smell is often the first response to environmental stimuli. Odors trigger neurons in the brain that alert us to take action. However, there is often more than one odor in the environment, such as in coffee shops or grocery stores. How does our brain process multiple odors received simultaneously? Barani Raman, PhD, of the School of Engineering & Applied Science, is using locusts to help find the answer.

Visiting scientist Stephen Blake has traveled the world trying to protect endangered species, including forest elephants and giant tortoises. Lately he and his wife veterinarian Sharon Deem have put increasing emphasis on trying to restore another endangered species: kids who care about nature. They’ve started the St. Louis Box Turtle Project as a kid-friendly way to re-introduce kids to the woods.

Reducing barriers to breast-feeding and providing a welcoming and accessible space for students and staff to pump milk or feed their babies is the focus of a new initiative at the School of Medicine. Shown is Assistant Vice Chancellor Melissa Hopkins, who is leading the effort.

Tours of the MySci Investigation Station housed at the MySci Resource Center were in full force Nov. 19 at the latest event of the STL PREP (Perception, Reality, Engagement and Partnership) orientation series. The MySci Resource Center hosted a learning session for WUSTL faculty and staff called “Impacting K-12 Education.”

Washington University in St. Louis law students have begun offering privacy and Internet safety education to local middle school students. Students, under the supervision of WUSTL law professor Neil Richards, JD, are adapting an original middle school curriculum for privacy education developed by Fordham law school’s Center on Law and Information Policy.

The board of trustees of the National Humanities Center recently elected Holden Thorp, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, as one of its three new members.

Rotator cuff disease in the shoulder is among the most common of all musculoskeletal disorders. Several patients recently were on hand for an update on a landmark study on rotator cuff injury at the Eric P. Newman Education Center at the School of Medicine. The study, Asymptomatic Rotator Cuff Tears: A Model for Pain Development, was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Fighting cancer requires a team of medical experts. But for many patients, another key team member is a licensed clinical psychologist. Siteman Counseling Service at Siteman Cancer Center provides free therapy to help patients cope. Pictured is patient Eileen Garofalo (left) with Amanda Kracen, PhD, one of the service’s three licensed psychologists.