Campus blood drive coming up

The next university-wide blood drive will be Tuesday, Jan. 28, at seven locations throughout WUSTL. All students, staff and faculty members are encouraged to participate in this effort to replenish the region’s blood supply, which has been especially hard-hit due to the recent wintry weather.

Unwanted side effect becomes advantage in photoacoustic imaging

Biomedical engineer Lihong Wang, PhD, and researchers in his lab work with lasers used in photoacoustic imaging for early-cancer detection and a close look at biological tissue. But sometimes there are limitations to what they can do, and as engineers, they work to find a way around those limitations. Wang and his team have discovered a unique and novel way to use an otherwise unwanted side effect of the lasers they use — the photo bleaching effect — to their advantage.

Work, Families and Public Policy series begins Monday, Feb. 3

Faculty and graduate students from St. Louis-area universities with an interest in labor, households, health care, law and social welfare are invited to take part in the continuing series of Monday brown-bag luncheon seminars held biweekly on the Danforth Campus beginning through April 14. The series begins Monday, Feb. 3, with Sean H. Williams, JD, professor at the University of Texas School of Law. His topic is “Dead Children: Tort Law and Parental Investments in Child Safety.”

Bear Cub pitch competition

Beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, each of about 30 contenders for Bear Cub grants will present a two-minute elevator pitch outlining innovative ideas in neurology, cardiology, engineering, plant science, software development or other disciplines.

10th Annual Art Show to open Jan. 21

The School of Medicine’s 10th Annual Art Show — featuring artworks of students, faculty and staff — will be held in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center atrium, 520 S. Euclid Ave., from Jan. 21 through Feb. 21.

Malaria discovery may aid vaccine design

Malaria parasite
A new study provides details that will help scientists design better vaccines and drug treatments for Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) a dangerous form of malaria common in India, Southeast Asia and South America.