Newsroom Stories

Scientists have decoded the genome of the platyfish, a cousin of the guppy and a popular choice for home aquariums. Scientists are interested in the fish because they tend to develop melanomas along the tail and fin.

Michael M. Awad, MD, PhD, has been named associate dean for medical student education at the School of Medicine, effective June 1. Awad is an assistant professor of surgery, program director of the university’s general surgery residency and director of the university’s Institute for Surgical Education.

On Monday, April 15, President Obama signed legislation rolling back the disclosure requirements of the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act, which would have required creation of a searchable, sortable database for the annual financial interest forms of 28,000 executive branch employees as well as highly paid Congressional staff. These forms contain detailed information about employees’ assets, outside income and gifts. Former national security officials raised security concerns about this publication requirement. Current employees filed a lawsuit, resulting in a federal court ruling that publishing such information on the web would violate employees’ right to privacy. “Both the court and the National Academy of Public Administration recognized that federal employees have a legitimate right to privacy regarding their personal financial information,” says Kathleen Clark, JD, government ethics expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

Richard K. Wilson, PhD, and colleagues have identified mutations responsible for the most common type of childhood brain cancer and shown that the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development.

On Thursday, April 11, the Senate voted to roll back the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act, limiting the web-based publication of government employees’ personal financial information. This action comes in response to a federal court ruling that such publication violated employees’ right to privacy and a critical report by the National Academy of Public Administration. “The court recognized that the federal employees have a legitimate right to privacy regarding their personal financial information and ruled that the federal government failed to identify a compelling government interest that would justify posting that personal information on the internet,” says Kathleen Clark, JD, government ethics expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday and his mom, Kathy, have teamed up with the Siteman Cancer Center to spread the word about the importance of colon cancer screening.

Timothy J. Moore, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Classics in Arts & Sciences, was installed as the inaugural John and Penelope Biggs Distinguished Professor of Classics. The professorship was established in 2002 with generous gifts from distinguished WUSTL alumni John and Penelope Biggs.

Alumna Anna DiPalma Amelung, PhD, a facilitator in WUSTL’s Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), was inducted as a Chevalier dans L’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight in the Order of Academic Palms) for outstanding contributions to the development of French culture and language. Amelung received a medallion on behalf of the French government during a March 22 ceremony and reception at the West Campus Conference Center. Amelung earned a PhD in French from WUSTL in 1980.

Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. This LED light can activate brain cells and may lead to the mapping of circuits involved in sleep, depression and addiction.

Washington University’s Gerald L. Early, PhD, a noted essayist and American culture critic, will get a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.  A eremony marking Early’s induction into the Walk of Fame in The Loop will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 11, in front of the Moonrise Hotel, 6177 Delmar Blvd.