Heuckeroth named Alumni Endowed Professor

Robert O. Heuckeroth, MD, PhD, has been named the Alumni Endowed Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is a professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and a pediatric gastroenterologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

October Car-Free Month draws to a close

During October, more than 180 faculty, students, and staff members participated in WUSTL’s second car-free challenge. Throughout the month, participants were encouraged to leave their cars in the garage and go “car-free” by using public transit, walking, biking, and carpooling.

Holobaugh recipients honored Nov. 7

Members of the Washington University in St. Louis community were recognized during the fifth annual James M. Holobaugh Honors ceremony Nov. 7 in Ridgley Hall’s Holmes Lounge. The award honors individuals and organizations that promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, perform direct advocacy and service to the St. Louis metropolitan area and incorporate education and dialogue as part of their practice.

Gruev receives grant to study, recreate mantis shrimp vision

Mantis shrimp, aggressive, predatory sea crustaceans, have among the most sophisticated vision of all animals. A group of researchers, including Viktor Gruev, PhD, want to recreate that vision to make a specialized camera that could bring more precision to biomedical imaging and weapon targeting in defense.

Student chapter collects ‘Locks of Love’ for children

The student-run local chapter of Locks of Love encouraged WUSTL community members to participate in the annual campus-wide hair drive Nov. 12. The drive yielded $600 and 26 hair donations. All hair and money collected is sent to the Locks of Love national organization, which aims to help restore self-esteem and confidence in children afflicted by disease-related, long-term hair loss.

Less of a shock

Two scientists at Washington University have developed a low-energy defibrillation scheme that significantly reduces the energy needed to re-establish a normal rhythm in the heart’s main chambers. They hope this electrotherapy will be much less painful than the existing electrotherapy, making treatment with a defibrillator much more acceptable to patients.

Olin Cup finalists announced​​

Alum Robbie Garrison (left), of MMBiosensing, LLC, talks with Ken Harrington, managing director of the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, following the selection of Garrison’s firm as one of seven finalists for the 2012 Olin Cup during a ceremony Nov. 8 in Simon Hall.

Social media auto-overshare to meet its demise in 2013, says privacy law expert

Everyone knows someone who overshares on social media, from constant updates about daily minutiae to an automatically generated stream of songs listened to, articles read, games played and other matters blast-broadcast through various applications. Intentional over-sharers may be a necessary nuisance in our wired world, but the days of the auto-generated social media stream may be numbered, says Neil Richards, JD, privacy law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.