Newsroom Stories

Sixteen St. Louis youth will be in Forest Park on June 13 tracking box turtles, fitted with telemetry devices — all to help with a project aimed at studying box turtle movements and their health. The 12- and 13-year-olds are participating in a pilot study designed by scientists from the Saint Louis Zoo and Washington University in St. Louis to document box turtle movements and their health status in urban and rural areas in and around St. Louis.

Some 200 U.S. scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere detail findings from the most comprehensive census of the microbial make-up of healthy humans.

Researchers have identified the primary player of the biochemical bugle call that musters the body’s defenders against viral infection. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a key molecule, MDA5, is essential for producing enough interferon (the bugle call) to rally virus-fighting cells during certain viral infections.

The American Academy of Microbiology has named two Washington University in St. Louis faculty members as fellows: Robert Blankenship, PhD, and John Heuser, MD.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) honored Barbara Schaal, PhD, the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, with the 2011-12 AIBS Distinguished Scientist Award June 1.

From baking birthday cakes to greeting visitors with a smile, Pat Smith, chief administrative assistant for the WUSTL football team, makes it a priority to help all involved with the football program feel special. In recognition of her more than 10 years of dedication, Smith was recognized with the Gloria W. White Distinguished Service Award in a May 21 Staff Day ceremony in Edison Theatre.

The following people have been recognized for 10 years of service to Washington University in St. Louis: Michael Adrio, Jeffrey Allison, Christiane Auston, Dru Bartos, Debbie Blandford, Gloria Boley, Teresa Braunseis, Jeanette Brew, John Brinley, Wesley Brooks, Susan Caine, Vicki Carlson, John Chapie, Hugh Chou, Adam Comer, Darla Dale, Allison Davis, Katie Diekemper, Mary Dillender, […]

Each spring, the dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences recognizes outstanding teaching assistants who have been nominated by a department or a program. This year, 18 graduate students received the 2011-12 Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. A ceremony was held April 19 in the Women’s Building Formal Lounge.

Architect Jason Mrdeza has won Washington University in St. Louis’ 2012 Steedman Fellowship in Architecture International Design Competition. Sponsored by the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, the biennial competition is open to young architects from around the world and carries a $50,000 first place award to support study and research abroad — making it one of the largest competition prizes in the United States. Mrdeza’s winning design was chosen from among 120 entrants representing more than 20 nations.

Studying mice and humans, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and their collaborators in Paris have identified two proteins that are required to maintain a supply of stem cells in the developing kidney. The work is a small step toward the future goal of growing kidney stem cells in the lab.