Page 964 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

How did cardinals get those bright red feathers?

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and colleagues have discovered the gene that produces the brilliant red color in male birds that is so attractive to females. The study is published online May 19 in Current Biology.

Campus & Community

Obituary: Robert Morrell, professor emeritus, 86

Robert E. Morrell, a professor emeritus who taught Japanese literature and Buddhism at Washington University in St. Louis for 34 years, died May 11, 2016, in St. Louis after a brief illness. He was 86.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Washington University Commencement is 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 20

Washington University’s 155th Commencement is at 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 20, in Brookings Quadrangle. The university will award 3,117 degrees to 2,970 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The university also will bestow honorary degrees on five individuals.

School of Medicine nurses honored

Two School of Medicine nurses have received the 2016 Excellence in Nursing Award from St. Louis Magazine, while six others were finalists. The annual awards, announced in April, honor local nurses who have made a difference in the lives of their patients and colleagues.

Campus & Community

Barch, Ley, Boime to be honored

Deanna Barch, a leading researcher on the role of cognition, emotion and brain function in illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression; Irving Boime, a developmental biologist; and Timothy Ley, MD, an expert in cancer genomics and leukemia, will be honored by Washington University in St. Louis, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton has announced.

Medicine & Health

Research suggests new contributor to heart disease

Medical professionals have long known that the buildup of plaque in arteries can cause them to narrow and harden, potentially leading to a whole host of health problems — including heart attack, heart disease and stroke. While high blood pressure and artery stiffness are often associated with plaque buildup, new research from engineers at Washington University in St. Louis shows they are not the direct causes. Their findings suggest a new culprit: elastic fibers in the arterial wall.

Anthropology student Walsh Lang honored for HIV work in Uganda

Colleen Walsh Lang, a graduate student in sociocultural anthropology in Arts & Sciences, has been selected to receive the HIVMA student award in recognition of her research on HIV-infected children in Uganda.

Historical video interviews with Lewis available

University Libraries’ Film & Media Archive has made video interviews with U.S. Congressman John Lewis from the acclaimed “Eyes on the Prize” documentary series available on its YouTube channel. Lewis will give the university’s Commencement address Friday, May 20.

Law

Washington People: John Inazu

John Inazu, associate professor of law, discusses his research on the concept of “confident pluralism,” the idea we can and must live together peaceably in spite of deep differences over politics, religion, sexuality and other important matters.

Science & Technology

Squeezing out mountains, mathematically, on Jupiter’s moon Io

The odd-looking mountains on Jupiter’s innermost moon, Io, are made by a tectonic process unique to Io (and maybe the early Earth), suggests a numerical experiment by two scientists, including Washington University’s Bill McKinnon.