Newsroom Stories

The School of Medicine’s Susan E. Mackinnon, MD, has received the 2013 Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons for her leadership in the innovative use of nerve-transfer procedures in the treatment of patients with devastating peripheral nerve injuries. Pictured is Mackinnon after receiving the award from A. Brent Eastman, MD, ACS president.

Scientists at the School of Medicine have measured a significant and potentially pivotal difference between the brains of patients with an inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease and healthy family members who do not carry the mutation. Randall Bateman, MD, is the study’s senior author.

Melissa Hopkins has been named assistant vice chancellor and assistant dean of facilities operations at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The appointment is effective Aug. 19.

L. Michael Brunt, MD, professor of surgery in minimally invasive surgery at the School of Medicine, received a 2013 Philip J. Wolfson Outstanding Teacher Award at the annual meeting of the Association for Surgical Education, held April 25-27 in Orlando, Fla.

When children fall and try to catch themselves with an outstretched hand, they can suffer “buckle fractures,” forearm injuries traditionally treated with casts. But new research shows that removable splints are cpreferred by patients and parents, building on earlier findings that such splints are just as effective as casts. Shown are study co-authors Kristine G. Williams, MD, holding a splint, and Janet D. Luhmann, MD.

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, the debut novel of Anton DiSclafani, writer in residence in the Department of English in Arts & Sciences, is set for release June 4. The book is a result of a reported seven-figure publisher bidding war, which includes foreign rights in 12 countries, and finds itself on scores of “must-read” summer book lists.

Washington University will be participating in this year’s St. Louis PrideFest, held June 29 –30 at Soldiers’ Memorial in Downtown St. Louis. All WUSTL faculty, staff, students and alumni are invited to be a part of the celebration by marching in the 2013 Pride STL LGBT Parade on June 30 at 11 a.m. For more information visit http://pridestl.org/. To participate in the parade with members of the WUSTL community contact Nate Lucena at nlucena@go.wustl.edu.

The City of Clayton and the Clayton Fire Department awarded Life Saver Awards to Nikoleta Kolovos, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Robert Barrack, MD, (shown) the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery.

More than 30 local high school juniors and seniors were on campus June 6 for the third annual Explore Engineering day, sponsored by the School of Engineering & Applied Science. The community outreach event allows students to work with WUSTL engineering faculty and students and get hands-on experience in engineering projects to promote critical thinking.

Shelby Jordan, a 1974 WUSTL graduate and an 11-year National Football League (NFL) veteran, was selected to the 2013 Divisional College Football Hall of Fame Class, as announced by the National Football Foundation Wednesday.