Washington People

Gammon Earhart, PhD, a professor in the Program in Physical Therapy at the School of Medicine, works to restore movement to patients with Parkinson’s disease. Arguably her most significant contributions as a researcher have been her studies demonstrating the benefits of tango dancing on patients with Parkinson’s. Freedom of movement, it turns out, has become a theme of sorts for Earhart — professionally and personally.

Arny Nader creates large sculptural installations that feel fantastic and whimsical yet grounded in utilitarian purpose. Last fall, Nadler won a $20,000 artist fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of Greater St. Louis. We sat down to discuss growing up in Chicago, restructuring the undergraduate majors and the malleability of steel.

Karen Seibert, PhD, research professor of pathology and immunology and of genetics, helps scientists connect and collaborate. Seibert, who does so with a mixture of warmth, optimism, enthusiasm and humor, is the director of Genomic Pathology Services at Washington University, a groundbreaking service that simultaneously analyzes many different genes to help patients and their doctors identify the best treatment options.

Marie Griffith, PhD, is the director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Griffith, the John C. Danforth Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, came to WUSTL in 2011 from Harvard Divinity School. Her husband, Leigh E. Schmidt, PhD, Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor, is also a faculty member at the Danforth Center.

Cancer genetic counselor Jennifer Ivanovich helps bridge the gap between what genome sequencing can tell patients and what patients and their families want to know.

Clifford Holekamp oversees the entrepreneurship platform at Olin Business School but is also highly involved in the St. Louis startup scene.

The brain uses more glucose than just about any other organ in the body, and Tamara Hershey, PhD, uses brain-imaging tools to study the effects of diabetes. She also studies Parkinson’s disease, obesity, Tourette syndrome and Wolfram syndrome, learning about how fluctuations in glucose levels can influence brain function.

Cris Baldwin, assistant dean of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, is five-term president of Women On Wheels, the nation’s largest female-focused motorcycling organization. She discusses long rides, wayward art students and the best way to jury-rig a busted shock absorber.

​​Anthony Odibo, MD, specializes in identifying and treating high-risk pregnancies using ultrasound and genetic testing. In his research, he evaluates the effectiveness of fetal surgeries and diagnostic techniques before birth.​

Renee Cunningham-Williams, associate dean of doctoral education at the Brown School, leads by example.