Gene directs stem cells to build the heart

MurphyResearchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Kenneth Murphy is senior author of the research at the School of Medicine.

Book’s plea: Save the bonobos

Image courtesy of Marian BricknerA biologist at Washington University in St. Louis is the mastermind behind a project that has led to an informative book, aimed at children but appealing to all ages, on an endangered species of ape. Ursula Goodenough, Ph.D., professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, is the driving force behind I’m Lucy, A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo, written by Mathea Levine, Goodenough’s daughter, and featuring the photographs of St. Louisan Marian Brickner. The book includes a convincing, impassioned Afterward by the famed primatologist Jane Goodall.

Weekends slow weight loss, researchers find

Saturday can be the worst enemy for our waistlines, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week.

Sophisticated database powers new, improved Volunteer for Health site

There’s a new and improved way for people to get involved with clinical trials at the School of Medicine — Volunteer for Health, the university’s organization for clinical study recruitment, is now using an improved web site backed by a more sophisticated database management system. Called the Research Participant Registry (RPR), the new system offers volunteers better access to clinical trials and gives researchers more powerful tools for recruiting participants.

Weekends slow weight loss, researchers find

Saturday can be the worst enemy for our waistlines, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week.

New for kidney cancer: robotic surgery

Surgery to remove a kidney tumor is no longer a hands-on operation. Sam Bhayani, a urologic surgeon at the school of Medicine, has pioneered robotic surgery for kidney cancer. Instead of standing for hours with his arms raised above the patient, Bhayani sits at a nearby computer console to maneuver joystick-like controls that guide robotic scalpels, scissors and high-resolution cameras.

Is less more?

Inflation may be rampant, but not all consumer products are getting more expensive. Instead, they’re getting smaller. Three marketing professors from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis comment on why smaller packaging is a good idea — for business.

Washington University Athletic Complex

A brief historical primer on the Athletic Complex, venue for the 2008 vice presidential debate, site of the first World Olympics in Western Hemisphere and site of the first nationally televised three-candidate presidential debate.

Broadcast Quality Video

Washington University Office of Public Affairs is pleased to provide broadcast quality video downloads for the news media. Vice Presidential Debate Video Downloads Browse the current selection of broadcast-quality video pertaining to the vice presidential debate on our download server. All videos are packaged in H.264 MPEG-4 format to provide the highest quality video at […]