School of Medicine

The single-celled parasite Leishmania can reproduce sexually, according to a study from the School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding could pave the way towards finding genes that help the parasite cause disease.

Washington University professors Fiona Marshall, Gary Stormo and Yoram Rudy will receive 2019 awards for faculty achievement, innovation and entrepreneurship, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin has announced.

Researchers at the School of Medicine and the Africa Health Research Institute have identified a master cell that coordinates the body’s immune defenses in the crucial early days after a tuberculosis infection. Boosting the activity of such cells could help reduce the millions of new infections that occur worldwide every year.

Research led by investigators at the School of Medicine has taken a step toward identifying the cysts in the pancreas that are likely to become cancerous.

Kelley Ann Mullen, senior director of scheduling services and service quality for Washington University School of Medicine’s faculty practice, died at her home Tuesday, May 21, 2019, after a brief illness. A deeply kind, calming and dedicated leader, Mullen was beloved by her colleagues. She was 57.

A study from researchers at the School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System has linked long-term use of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and upper gastrointestinal cancer. The researchers found that such risks increase with the duration of PPI use, even when taken at low doses.

Researchers at the School of Medicine studying brain tumors in mice discovered that tumors grow most rapidly if they can enlist the aid of immune cells. The findings suggest that therapies targeting immune cells could potentially treat some kinds of brain tumors.

Researchers at the School of Medicine are leading a multicenter team conducting research to evaluate whether brain imaging might help reveal risk for autism spectrum disorder in early infancy. Previous research suggests such imaging in high-risk children can predict problems in kids as young as 6 months old.

The Academy of Science-St. Louis recently honored Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton for his leadership in science and three researchers at the School of Medicine — Susan K. Dutcher, Anne M. Fagan and Samantha A. Morris — for their work as outstanding scientists.

A gift from Walter Metcalfe Jr. and his wife, Cynthia, will support the work of School of Medicine child psychiatrist Joan Luby, MD, and her collaborators. The gift was inspired by promising early findings suggesting interventions to address the impact of toxic stress on the long-term behavioral and mental health of children.