SPOT targets area youth with HIV, STDs

Robert Boston(From left) Kelly Krahl, Lawrence Lewis, Regina Whittington and Brandii Mayes talk at the SPOTs open house Oct. 8.In the last 10 years, the St. Louis area has seen an alarming increase in new diagnoses of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among 13-24 year-olds. Nationwide, St. Louis has among the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in this age group. To head off this trend, Project ARK (AIDS/HIV Resources and Knowledge) and the Adolescent Center in the Department of Pediatrics in collaboration with community partners have launched the SPOT (Supporting Positive Opportunities with Teens) aimed specifically at the 13-24 year age group.

Ray Arvidson to deliver inaugural Robert M. Walker Distinguished Lecture

Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Washington University, will deliver the inaugural Robert M. Walker Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Room 100, Brown Hall, on the university’s Danforth Campus. Arvidson, who has played key roles in NASA’s missions to Mars, including the current Phoenix Mars Mission, will discuss “Mars: Environments, Habitability, and Life” during the free lecture that is open to the public.

Seemingly suicidal stunt is normal rite of passage for immune cells

Researchers have shown that self-induced breaks in the DNA of immune cells known as lymphocytes activate genes that cause the cells to travel from where they’re made to where they help the body fight invaders. The new finding is the first to link such serious damage to activation of genes not directly involved in the cells’ attempts to either fix the harm or self-destruct to stop themselves from becoming cancerous.

Creating dialogue through dance: Liz Lerman addresses the intersection of art and community

Dancer, choreographer, and creative/performance artist Liz Lerman, together with WUSTL faculty, will participate in a panel discussion on the intersection of art and community called “Still Crossing: Expressing Identities, Building Communities” for the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. Thursday, October 30 in the Women’s Building Lounge, on the Danforth Campus. The panel discussion, free and open to the public, includes Sunita Parikh, Ph.D., associate professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, and Robert Hansman, associate professor of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. Lerman created the dance, “Still Crossing” to address issues of immigration, transition and the meaning of “home” and “community.” Lerman will be in residence at Washington University to restage this now-classic dance for a student performance in December as the end piece of this project (see accompanying announcement for details.)

Health Happening to focus on hypertension Oct. 24

About one-third of adults in the United States has high blood pressure, but because there are no outward symptoms, many people don’t know they have it. High blood pressure can lead to serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. The School of Medicine is hosting free blood pressure screenings and […]

Excited about discovery

Photo by Robert BostonYarasheski’s skills lead to insights into cardiovascular problems in HIV patients

Graduate degree fair spotlights social change

Looking for a graduate degree program that will give you the tools to help make a difference? Attend the Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Athletic Complex.