Kharasch, Sadler elected to Institute of Medicine

The School of Medicine’s Evan D. Kharasch, MD, PhD (left) and J. Evan Sadler, MD, PhD, have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors medical scientists in the United States can receive.

Study suggests private NICU rooms may influence preemies’ development

Premature babies often spend their first months of life in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) — environments that, in recent years, have seen transformations, with hospitals adding private rooms to NICUs in place of open wards. But research at the School of Medicine adds new information to the discussion over what is the optimal setting for infants in the NICU. Shown is the study’s first author, Bobbi Pineda, PhD, in the NICU at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

New clue to aggressive brain tumors

Scientists at the School of Medicine have identified a biological marker that may help predict overall survival of people with deadly brain tumors. The marker is made by noncancerous cells known as monocytes (pictured in brown).

Amy Leach to read Oct. 24

At 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, Leach will read from her work as part of The Writing Program’s fall Reading Series. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Hurst Lounge, Room 201, Duncker Hall. A reception and book signing will immediately follow.

Basij-Rasikh delivers a simple but powerful message for the Assembly Series: ‘Educate a girl. Change the world’

Growing up under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, Shabana Basij-Rasikh’s family literally risked their lives to provide an education for their daughters. She learned early on the danger females face in seeking an education but she also experienced its rich rewards. Today she is paying her good fortune forward to empower some of the estimated 66 million girls who are denied a primary education. Her message is simple: “Educate a girl. Change the world.” She delivers that message at 4 p.m. Friday, October 25 in Graham Chapel for the Assembly Series/Olin Fellowship Conference Lecture.

Arts & Sciences recognizes outstanding staff

Four staff members received the 2012-13 Arts & Sciences Outstanding Staff Award from Barbara S. Schaal, PhD, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology. Schaal also presented the Dean’s Award to Ann B. Prenatt, vice chancellor for human resources, for her support, service and commitment to Arts & Sciences.

Genetic errors identified in 12 major cancer types

By analyzing the DNA in more than 3,000 tumors, scientists led by Li Ding, PhD, at The Genome Institute have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that likely drive the growth of a range of cancers in the body. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments.
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