A glimpse at DNA

Undergraduate students were in St. Louis Nov. 9-12 for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, designed to encourage undergraduate, post baccalaureate and graduate underrepresented minority students to pursue advanced training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Washington University, under the leadership of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, hosted a visit the Danforth and Medical campuses for about 200 students.

WUSTL’s Diwali: A fusion of cultures

The WashU Bhangra team performs at Edison Theatre this past weekend as part of the Diwali “Festival of Lights” celebration. Ashoka, the university’s South Asian student association, presents the annual event, one of the largest student-run productions on campus.

Girls with family history of breast disease should avoid alcohol

A new study shows that adolescent girls with a family history of breast disease – either cancer or the benign lesions that can become cancer – have a higher risk of developing benign breast disease as young women than other girls. And unlike girls without a family history, this already elevated risk rises with increasing alcohol consumption.

Introducing new faculty members

The following are among the new faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis: Colin Burnett, PhD; Marie Griffith, PhD; Musa Gurnis-Farrell, PhD; Ron Mallon, PhD; Jacob Montgomery, PhD; Carl Sanders, PhD; Leigh Schmidt, PhD; Rebecca Wanzo, PhD; and Hayrettin Yücesoy, PhD. Others will be introduced periodically.

Surgery to prevent stroke causes too many complications

An operation for preventing repeat strokes in high-risk patients has failed in a multi-institutional clinical trial, led by Colin P. Derdeyn, MD, professor of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine. Results are reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Made In India screening at law school Nov. 16

The School of Law is hosting a screening and discussion of the award-winning documentary Made In India at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom of Anheuser-Busch Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The film explores the practice of “outsourcing” surrogacy arrangements to countries in which poor women agree to gestate pregnancies for intended parents from the U.S.

McDonnell Scholars to present cultures from around the world at Saint Louis Science Center

Graduate and professional students within the McDonnell International Scholars Academy are sharing their respective cultures with the general public in an interactive fair at the Saint Louis Science Center. The program, “Planet Passport: Your Journey to Our Multicultural World,” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the center’s May Hall on the ground floor. Free and open to the public, the hands-on learning fair is suitable for children, teens and families.

A cappella meets architecture Nov. 20

For 56 seasons, the St. Louis Chamber Chorus — which describes itself as the area’s only “itinerant choir” — has devised a cappella programs that allow audiences to both visually and acoustically explore many of St. Louis’ most architecturally significant venues. On Nov. 20, the Chamber Chorus will pay its first visit to Washington University’s 560 Music Center. The concert, titled “A Mentor’s Memory,” will honor the academic setting with a series of works highlighting the relationships between celebrated classical composers and their most influential teachers.