Lodge named associate dean for research at Washington University School of Medicine

Lodge Jennifer Lodge has been named associate dean for research at the School of Medicine. The appointment is effective Feb. 1, 2009. In the newly created position, Lodge will coordinate efforts to advance research at the school, focusing particularly on projects that involve multiple departments, multiple disciplines and core facilities that can serve a wide variety of researchers.

Anxious older adults may benefit from antidepressants

Many older adults worry — a lot. Almost one in 10 Americans over age 60 suffer from an anxiety disorder that causes them to worry excessively about normal things — like health, finances, disability and family. Although antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can improve anxiety symptoms in younger adults, little has been known about their effects in older people. In the largest study of SSRIs in older people with anxiety disorders, a team of psychiatric researchers found the drug escitalopram (Lexapro®) improved anxiety symptoms and quality of life.

Obituary: Herbert F. Hitzeman Jr., senior vice chancellor emeritus, 81

Herbert F. Hitzeman Jr., 81, retired senior vice chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, passed away Jan. 16, 2009. A lifelong resident of St. Louis and a 1953 University graduate, Hitzeman rose from an entry-level Washington University development officer in 1966 to become one of the most successful advancement officers in American higher education by the time of his retirement in 1990.

University honors legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

“Shattering Ceilings: Celebrating Success in Pursuit of ‘The Dream'” is the theme of Washington University’s 22nd annual celebration honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in Graham Chapel.

Bringing patients back

Photo by Robert BostonCobb heals the critically ill in the surgical ICU.