Campus blood drive next week

The next universitywide blood drive will be held Wednesday, April 5, at seven locations throughout the campuses. All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate.

Ruoff honored by emergency physician organization

Brent Ruoff, MD, associate professor and director of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians’ R.R. Hannas Physician of the Year Award.

Increasing savings at tax time

Motivational prompts to save tax refunds and suggested savings amounts for the tax refund can increase saving among low- and moderate-income households, finds a new experimental study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Proliferation of marijuana ads alarms addiction researchers

As more states have legalized marijuana, advertising for the drug has become more common. In a new study, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that more than half of young pot users they surveyed have seen marijuana ads — either online or in more traditional forms of advertising such as billboards and print media.

Hayward selected for ethics fellowship at Harvard

Hayward
Clarissa Rile Hayward, associate professor of political science in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected for the 2017-18 Fellows-in-Residence program at the Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.

Laylah Ali receives Sam Fox School Dean’s Medal

Celebrated painter Laylah Ali (MFA ’94) will receive the Dean’s Medal for outstanding contributions to the field of art from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. In all, seven outstanding alumni will be recognized during the school’s annual Awards for Distinction dinner April 6 for demonstrating creativity, innovation, leadership and vision in their respective fields.

Genetic errors associated with heart health may guide drug development

Natural genetic changes can put some people at high risk of certain conditions, such as breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease or high blood pressure. But in rare cases, genetic errors also can have the opposite effect, protecting individuals with these helpful genetic mistakes from developing common diseases. A new study of such “beneficial” genetic mutations, led by the School of Medicine, may provide guidance on the design of new therapies intended to reduce the risk of heart attacks.