Page 178 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Virginia Herrmann, MD, breast cancer specialist, 73

Virginia Herrmann, MD, a distinguished breast cancer specialist and past co-director of the breast surgery program at the School of Medicine, died Oct. 16 at her home in St. Louis following a two-year battle with cancer. She was 73.

Climate & Environment

Grant funds green fertilizer research at WashU

Biologist Himadri Pakrasi in Arts & Sciences, who studies how cyanobacteria contribute to the chemistry of life, will lead a $5 million effort to develop technology to convert atmospheric nitrogen into fertilizer. Yinjie Tang and Yixin Chen at the McKelvey School of Engineering are co-investigators on the project.

Chemistry

Book showcases digital innovation in WashU chemistry instruction

“Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry,” co-edited by Gabriela Mirowitz in Arts & Sciences, features WashU chemistry instructors and explores high-tech approaches to learning beyond the lab.

Literature

‘Object Lessons’ book series comes to WashU

“Object Lessons,” the long-running series of pocket-sized books that explores the secret lives of ordinary things, is now based in the Program in Public Scholarship in Arts & Sciences.

St. Louis Region

St. Louis Fellows partner with local nonprofits, civic organizations to improve region

From dressing bullet wounds to analyzing biosolids to developing LGBTQ outreach plans for the Alzheimer’s community, St. Louis Fellows made many contributions to regional nonprofits this summer. The Gephardt Institute celebrated their efforts Oct. 18.

Nutrition & Wellness

Antibiotic treatment in malnourished children improves gut microbiome development

A new study led by Gautam Dantas, at the School of Medicine, shows that the concerns of increasing antibiotic resistance have merit but that the long-term benefits may outweigh the short-term risks. The findings were published Oct. 19 in The Lancet Microbe.

Art & Design

Ruppert-Stroescu to speak for TEDx St. Louis Women Oct. 27

Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, an associate professor and coordinator of the Sam Fox School’s Fashion Design program, will discuss the current state of sustainable fashion Oct. 27 as part of TEDx St. Louis Women: Two Steps Forward.

Advancement

Pappu installed as Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Rohit V. Pappu, an internationally renowned researcher in biomolecular condensates and intrinsically disordered proteins, was installed Oct. 9 as the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Engineering

AI for Health Institute launches to promote growing intersection of artificial intelligence, health

Washington University has launched the AI for Health Institute to design data-driven tools to characterize complex diseases, support clinical decisions and drive precision health. The institute was introduced at the AI & Digital Health Summit, held Oct. 18-19 at the university.

Appointments & Promotions

Biotech industry leader to helm WashU drug development accelerator

Shripad Bhagwat, a drug development expert with decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, has been named the inaugural senior director of the university’s Needleman Program for Innovation and Commercialization.