New clues to human deafness found in mice

Providing clues to deafness, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene that is required for proper development of the mouse inner ear. In humans, this gene, known as FGF20, is located in a portion of the genome that has been associated with inherited deafness in otherwise healthy families.

Licensee fairs Jan. 11 and 17

The university will host licensee fairs Wednesday, Jan. 11, on the Medical Campus and Tuesday, Jan. 17, on the Danforth Campus. The licensee fairs provide an opportunity for the university community to become better acquainted with the resources available through the WUSTL trademark licensing program, including already set-up artwork and service-oriented, knowledgeable licensed suppliers.

Balázs Kicsiny: Killing Time opens at Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Jan. 27

The army, the circus and the restaurant: three diverse institutions, each embodying distinct ideas about the nature of service. In Killing Time, Hungarian installation artist Balázs Kicsiny both investigates and conflates these institutions and their raisons d’être: to protect or kill, to entertain, and to feed. Beginning Friday, Jan. 27, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will present Killing Time, Kicsiny’s newest work and his first U.S. museum exhibition, developed while in residence with the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts as the Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Visiting Artist.

Winter concert to be held Jan. 14

A winter concert showcasing the musical talents of medical school faculty, staff and students will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 in the lobby of the Center for Advanced Medicine. The evening features solo and ensemble vocal and instrumental performances.

Jackie and Me at Edison Jan. 11-27

In 1947, Jackie Robinson took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers and changed baseball forever. Now, imagine traveling back in time to witness Robinson’s historic season first-hand. In Jackie and Me, young Joey Stoshack does exactly that, when a rare baseball card transports the headstrong Little Leaguer to Ebbets Field.

Founders Day 2011

Alumni and friends gathered for the Founders Day dinner Nov. 5, 2011, at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott. Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, was this year’s guest speaker.

Pions don’t want to decay into faster-than-light neutrinos, study finds

In the December 24 issue of Physical Review Letters, WUSTL physicist Ramanath Cowsik and his collaborators put their finger on a problem with the now-famous OPERA experiment that reported faster-than-light, or superluminal, neutrinos last September. Cowsik raises theoretical considerations that would make the creation of superluminal neutrinos impossible.

WUSTL celebrates Martin Luther King Day

The 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, in Graham Chapel. This year’s theme is “Creating a Community of Access, Inclusion and Excellence for All … Fear is Not an Option.” WUSTL alumnus Ron Himes, founder of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, will be presented with the Rosa L. Parks Award for Meritorious Service to the Community.