School of Medicine

Antibiotics in the environment contribute to drug resistance. But researchers at the School of Medicine have figured out how some soil bacteria turn the drugs into food. The information could lead to new ways to clean up antibiotic-contaminated soil and waterways.

From helping residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, to returning to her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Michelle Mendiola Plá has demonstrated a passion for service and commitment to health equity.

New statistics show rates of autism have continued to increase. However, they have increased only modestly, suggesting there may be a leveling off. Still, researchers found that many children aren’t getting diagnosed until age 4 or older. The new findings stem from research involving the 11-center Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which includes Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Taking a biopsy of a brain tumor is a complicated and invasive surgical process, but a team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is developing a way that allows them to detect tumor biomarkers through a simple blood test.

Rupa Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, was selected from more than 500 nominations as one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” honorees for 2018.  

An investigational drug in clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis prevents a common, life-threatening side effect of stem cell transplants, finds new School of Medicine research. Studying mice, the researchers found the drug prevented what’s known as graft-versus-host disease.

James Lee, coordinator of international scholars and patients in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine, died April 7 in St. Louis following a brief illness. He was 59. A memorial celebration will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in Connor Auditorium on the Medical Campus.

Washington University in St. Louis sociocultural anthropologist John R. Bowen and David H. Perlmutter, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, join the likes of President Barack Obama, actor Tom Hanks and Supreme Court Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor as newly elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Scientists from the School of Medicine have developed a new drug compound that shows promise as a future treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited, often painful neurodegenerative condition that affects nerves in the hands, arms, feet and legs.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering & Applied Science is redefining the notion of a wisdom tooth. The team is developing technology that could someday be used to detect early signs of certain diseases in high-risk patients.