Civic Scholars program develops engaged citizens

Jason Silberman, a senior in Arts & Sciences, spent his summer working to develop guidelines to better prepare doctors for treating patients with disabilities. The project was part of Silberman’s training as a Civic Scholar, an initiative of the Gephardt Institute for Public Service. Applications for the Class of 2017 cohort are due Feb. 2.

Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo Jan. 20

Does the recent decision by President Barack Obama to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba truly represent fresh opportunity? Or is it merely the latest chapter in a long, tortuous narrative of manipulation and misunderstanding? At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cuban novelist Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo will discuss “U.S.-Cuba: A New Era or a New Ire?” in the Danforth University Center.

Medical Campus winter concert Saturday, Jan. 17

Washington University Medical Center faculty, staff and students will perform their annual winter concert at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the lobby of the Center for Advanced Medicine, 4921 Parkview Place. The event is free and open to the public.

Elbow stiffness after injury focus of new research

Spencer Lake, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, has received a one-year, $19,919 grant from the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons to study the causes of stiffness and tightening, or contracture, of the joint after an injury to the elbow, called post-traumatic joint stiffness.

Doug Varone and Dancers Jan. 23 and 24

​A dance may begin with a thought or gesture but making art requires more than mere inspiration. On Jan. 23 and 24, Doug Varone and Dancers, one of today’s most celebrated companies, will visit Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis for an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.

WashU Expert: New method of finding drugs more important than new antibiotic itself

It was big news this week when Nature published the discovery of a new antibiotic, teixobactin. Teixobactin, which kills bacteria by a different pathway than other antibiotics, represented the first new class of antibiotics to be discovered in 30 years. But, says, Michael S. Kinch of Washington University in St. Louis, the drug itself may be less important than the way it was found.

Monk receives nerve research grants

Kelly Monk, PhD, assistant professor of developmental biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received three nerve research grants.