Newsroom Stories

A new study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, University of California, Los Angeles, and Indiana University found that listeners can accurately determine the relative heights of speakers just by listening to them talk. The key clue may be contained in a particular type of sound produced in the lower airways of the lungs, known as a subglottal resonance.

Washington University in St. Louis has been recognized as one of the top institutions in the nation for producing Fulbright students for 2013-14. Twelve Fulbright grants were awarded to current or recent WUSTL students for this academic year to fund various international educational exchange endeavors.

It is perhaps the most beloved work of holiday music. The debut was almost prevented by Jonathan Swift. But on Dec. 15, the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences will present its annual sing-along of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah (1741) in Graham Chapel.

Older adults who have good vision when tested at their eye doctors’ offices may not see as well at home. A new study from researchers at the School of Medicine suggests dim lighting may be the culprit.

In Science, scientists at Washington University in St. Louis report on a new technique that allowed them to extract a photosynthetic megacomplex consisting of a light antenna and two reaction centers from the membrane of a cyanobacterium. This is the first time an entire complex has been isolated and studied as a functioning whole.

As a young saxophonist in the early 1970s, Marc Copeland experimented with modern and electric harmonies but grew dissatisfied with his instrument. He quit the sax and, a decade later, re-emerged as a jazz pianist, renowned for his dexterous lyricism. On Friday, Dec. 6, Copland will join acclaimed bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Joey Baron for a performance in WUSTL’s 560 Music Center.

Epidemiologists have designed a better method to quantify a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The model could help identify women at high risk of breast cancer who may benefit from prevention strategies that reduce the chances of developing the disease.

The School of Medicine has been awarded a career-development grant to support junior faculty members interested in using “omics” technologies to diagnose, treat and prevent lung diseases. The grant, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will help train young pulmonary scientists to apply new analytic omics tools to the study of lung diseases.

To show appreciation for exemplary service in medical education, School of Medicine students recently presented faculty and house staff with the annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards. Shown are Nigar Kirmani, MD, (right) and other awardees enjoying the ceremony.

From tap to West African dance to contemporary ballet, WUSTL’s Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will highlight seven new works by guest and faculty choreographers Dec. 6-8 as part of Shifting Limits, the 2013 Washington University Dance Theatre concert.