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The top 10 stories of 2015

New discoveries, a new campus, Star Wars economics and another presidential debate – these were among the most-read stories of 2015 at Washington University in St. Louis.

Six faculty honored with Emerson teaching awards

Six members of the Washington University in St. Louis faculty have been honored with 2015 Emerson Electric Co. “Excellence in Teaching” awards.

Campus & Community

Obituary: Cheryl M. Mueller, administrator in bone and mineral diseases, 52

Cheryl Marie Mueller, clinical administrator in the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases at the School of Medicine, died Dec. 17, 2015, after a 12-year battle with cancer. She was 52.

LaRose named assistant dean for student affairs, strategic initiatives at Olin

Paige LaRose assumes the role of assistant dean for student affairs and strategic initiatives at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School Jan. 1, 2016.

Medicine & Health

New for weight loss: balloon therapy

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital are offering a newly approved, nonsurgical therapy to help people lose weight. Shelby Sullivan, MD, holding models of the two systems being used, said the therapy involves placing special balloons into the stomach and inflating them to give patients the feeling of being full after eating small meals.

IEEE honors Washington University engineers

A collaboration of engineers and researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, led by Viktor Gruev, PhD, has received the highest award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for developing a bio-inspired imaging sensor for medical imaging applications.

Science & Technology

New moon rock offers clues to moon’s formation

The Moon was never a fully homogenized body like Earth, analysis of Moon rocks made by the Chinese rover, Yutu, suggests. The basalts the rover examined are a new type, chemically different from those retrieved by the Apollo and Luna missions 40 years ago.

Science & Technology

Forensic seismology tested on 2006 munitions depot ‘cook-off’ in Baghdad

Curious seismologists who looked at the recordings made by a seismic station four miles away from the “cook-off” of an ammunition holding area in Iraq in 2006 found they could distinguish, mortars, rockets, improvised explosive devices, helicopters and drones. Seismology is increasingly being used for investigative purposes, they said, not just to detect earthquakes.

Medicine & Health

Study uncovers inherited genetic susceptibility across 12 cancer types

In a new analysis, researchers at the School of Medicine have shed light on the hereditary elements across 12 cancer types — showing a surprising inherited component to stomach cancer and providing some needed clarity on the consequences of certain types of mutations in well-known breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.

WashU Expert: Top 10 tips for a happier New Year

Wishing family and friends a “Happy New Year” is all well and fine, but if you’re serious about spreading cheer in the New Year, consider passing along more specific advice from a psychologist who studies the science of happiness at Washington University in St. Louis.