School of Medicine

Washington University in St. Louis researchers have developed a test that quickly detects the presence of Zika virus in blood.

A new study from the School of Medicineshows that mutations in the gene TREM2 cause an energy shortage in the brain’s immune cells, leading to their failure to protect neurons from damaging clumps of protein.

Results of a small clinical trial show promise for treating a rare neurodegenerative condition that typically kills those afflicted before they reach age 20. The disease, called Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), causes cholesterol to build up in neurons, leading to a gradual loss of brain function.

The combination of a bacterium that normally lives in the gut and a protein-rich diet promotes a more tolerant, less inflammatory gut immune system, according to new research at the School of Medicine. The findings may potentially spell relief for people living with inflammatory bowel disease.

A new study from the School of Medicine shows that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds — called flavonoids — commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries.

Julie K. Schwarz, MD, PhD, an associate professor of radiation oncology, has been named director of the Cancer Biology Division in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

With the aim of streamlining the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a Washington University student-led team has designed an online app to help doctors more quickly evaluate patients. The app is being tested at the School of Medicine.

Denise Thomas, a medical assistant for 28 years in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a student at University College, died July 4, 2017, in St. Louis. Thomas, 52, died several days after suffering a stroke at her home in St. Louis.

Patricia F. Kao, MD, and Sabrina Nunez have been named the 2017-19 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A research group started in 2013 by two neuroscientists at the School of Medicine collected a massive amount of data on individual brains. The study’s subjects were the scientists themselves and eight others, all junior faculty or graduate students.