Newsroom Stories

City versus forest. Apollonian rationality versus Dionysian subconscious. Wayward lovers and working-class thespians versus the regal, glittering world of the fairies. William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a study in contrasts, joining elegant verse and bawdy humor with cruel punishments and magical enchantments “past the wit of man.” This month, the Performing Arts Department will present the Bard’s most popular comedy — arguably the most popular ever written — as its spring Mainstage production.  

Young women who have experienced traumatic events are more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who have not, according to researchers at the School of Medicine and the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center. 

People who sleepwalk can now blame the disorder on their family. A study involving a four-generation family of sleepwalkers has suggested a genetic link to the common disorder, according to Christina A, Gurnett, MD, PhD. 

Recipients of the annual James M. Holobaugh Honor were recognized at a reception Feb. 9 in Holmes Lounge. The award recognizes individuals and organizations that promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender equality, perform direct advocacy and service to the St. Louis metro community and incorporate education and dialogue as part of their practice.

The way the heart responds to an early beat is predictive of cardiac death, especially for people with no conventional markers of cardiovascular disease, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Seven finalists were selected Feb. 10 from a field of 45 to compete for $100,000 in grants in April at the 2011 YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition (SEIC) offered by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

BBC | Earth News Prairie dogs kiss and cuddle for an audience 2/14/2011 A prairie dog kiss may be a form of social reassurance, much like a human kiss. It seems humans are not the only animals that change their behaviour when they are being watched. Captive prairie dogs — large and very sociable rodents— […]

Sports updates for week of Feb. 14, 2011.

Focusing light into a scattering medicum such as tissue has been a dream since the beginning of biomedical optics, according to Lihong Wang, PhD, WUSTL biomedical imaging expert. Previous techniques allowed light to be focused only within a millimeter of the skin. Now Wang has invented a technique called “TRUE”  that uses an ultrasound guide star to allow scattered optical light to be focused deep within tissue.    

Eleven faculty members from Washington University School of Medicine were honored Feb. 9 at the 2011 Distinguished Faculty Awards ceremony at the Eric P. Newman Education Center.