Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have made a surprising discovery about the origin of diabetes. Their research suggests that problems controlling blood sugar — the hallmark of diabetes — may begin in the intestines. The new study, in mice, may upend long-held theories about the causes of the disease.
WUSTL has been named one of the top universities nationwide for producing Peace Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps recently released the “Top Colleges” list, which ranks WUSTL No. 21 among medium-sized (5,000-15,000 undergraduates) universities. Currently, 24 alumni are serving as Peace Corps volunteers.
At Washington University in St. Louis this
semester, the Department of Physics and University College, both in Arts
& Sciences, will describe a few great experiments in physics.
Four lectures will be held at 10 a.m. on
four consecutive Saturday mornings, March 10–31, in the Hughes Lecture
Room, Room 201 in Crow Hall.
Due to an unavoidable conflict, a talk slated for Saturday, Feb. 18, as part of the Master of Liberal Art (MLA) Seminar Series, has been rescheduled. The talk, “The Works of Mercy,” by Daniel Bornstein, PhD, the Darrow Professor of Catholic Studies and director of the Religious Studies Program in Arts & Sciences, will now take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 3, in January Hall, Room 110.
Washington University in St. Louis will host the “Work & Livable Lives Conference”
Feb. 27 and 28 to address current employment-related challenges and how
they limit the ability of U.S. households to lead secure and stable
lives, raise children successfully, and contribute to the community. The conference will include panels on household financial fragility,
measurement of economic security, the American Dream, labor and
employment policy, and health policy and employment. All conference events will be held in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom of
Anheuser-Busch Hall and are free and open to the public.
Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball or even learning how to write. But scientists have not known whether those difficulties run in families or are linked to autism. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis by Claudia List Hilton, PhD, points to autism as the culprit.
Antibiotics that doctors typically prescribe for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo, according to Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, and his co-investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Instead of giving antibiotics, the researchers suggest treating
symptoms, such as pain, cough and congestion, along with watchful
waiting to see whether further treatment is necessary.
A proposal by two WUSTL students to introduce
turf reduction, large bio-swales, more cisterns and even sheep
“lawnmowers” to campus as part of plan to make landscaping more
sustainable at the university won the $5,000 first prize in the annual
Olin Sustainability Case Competition.
Mike McLaughlin, MBA student Olin Business School, will spend the day in a hammock Feb. 15, doing
homework, reading and raising funds and awareness for his 2,500-mile
six-month hike4kids.com hike through the entire Appalachian and Ozark trails beginning in late February.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, led by Philip Stahl, PhD, professor of cell biology and physiology have identified a potent regulator of sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. The new findings may help scientists find better treatments for type 2
diabetes, obesity and other health problems caused by the body’s
inability to properly regulate blood sugar.