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WashU Expert: Proposed Missouri law revoking scholarships violates First Amendment

Two Missouri legislators have proposed a bill that would require public universities and colleges to revoke scholarships held by student-athletes who refuse to play, or incite, support or participate in a strike. The proposed law violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, says an expert on freedom of speech at Washington University in St. Louis.

Science & Technology

Spectacular outburst lets scientists peer into quasars

An outburst from a distant quasar known as PKS 1441+25 in April of this year gave astronomers at the gamma-ray telescope VERITAS an opportunity to measure the density of the optical “fog” that lies between the quasar and Earth and to deduce the surprising separation of the high-energy emission from the black hole that drives it.

Medicine & Health

Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations

New research, led by Li Ding, PhD, shows that current genome analysis approaches systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients’ tumors. A significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

Humanities & Society

WashU Expert: Five holiday talking points for families facing aging, end-of-life decisions

Few things are as certain as the end of life, so why is it so hard to talk about? That’s a question that many families will be grappling with over the holidays. And while it’s easy to put off dark discussions during festive times, it’s best to have them sooner than later, says Brian Carpenter, a psychologist who studies family relations in later life at Washington University in St. Louis.

Campus & Community

International Conference on Advances in Energy Research begins in Mumbai

Washington University in St. Louis will be well-represented at a pivotal environmental summit, held in India and hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Chancellor Mark Wrighton and Pratim Biswas, PhD, the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor and Chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, will each give talks to scientists and researchers gathered in Mumbai for the 5th International Conference on Advances in Energy Research.

Blankenship wins 2015 Midwest Award from American Chemical Society

Robert Blankenship, PhD, the Lucille P. Markey Distinguished Professor of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has won the St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society’s 2015 Midwest Award.

Campus & Community

Obituary: Jason S. Goldfeder, assistant professor of medicine, 45

Jason S. Goldfeder, MD, a revered teacher in the Division of Medical Education of the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine, died Dec. 9, 2015, following a 12-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Medicine & Health

New center focuses on regenerative medicine

A new center has been formed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to facilitate research that explores the regenerative properties of cells and tissues. The Center of Regenerative Medicine is headquarted in the recently opened 4515 McKinley Research Building, along with several other School of Medicine centers and divisions.

Emke, Friedman named Loeb Teaching Fellows

Amanda R. Emke, MD, and Michael Friedman, MD, have been named the 2015-2017 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at the School of Medicine. The fellowship program was established in 2004 to advance clinical education.

Arts & Culture

New MFA in Dance

The Performing Arts Department, in collaboration with The Center of Creative Arts (COCA) — one of the nation’s foremost community arts schools — will launch a new Master of Fine Arts in Dance in fall of 2016.