School of Medicine

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that some neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex assign value to options in everyday decision-making. The area’s neurons then can re-map to make different decisions when circumstances change.

Mokhtar H. Gado, MD, professor emeritus and for decades a leading researcher at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the School of Medicine, died of colon cancer April 28, 2016, in St. Louis. He was 84. He was noted for his work with neurological diseases and research involving brain and spine imaging.

Extended use of drugs to treat heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux may lead to serious kidney damage, including kidney failure, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System.

A study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describes a newborn screening test that identifies infants with Niemann-Pick type C, an often fatal condition in which cholesterol builds up and eventually destroys brain cells. Early detection may save lives and improve prospects for managing the disease.

IDEA Labs, a student-run bioengineering and design incubator started at Washington University in St. Louis, will expand its national reach through a partnership with the American Medical Association. The collaboration is aimed at supporting cutting-edge medical technology development from the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

Those on the Medical Campus, take note: At about 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, the Campus Renewal Project safety team will demonstrate the importance of construction workers wearing fall-protection gear and having a rescue plan.

Robert Charles Strunk, MD, a beloved and acclaimed pediatric allergist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, died of cardiac arrest Thursday, April 28, 2016, in his native Chicago. He was 73.

Feeding premature babies mostly breast milk during the first month of life appears to spur more robust brain growth, compared with babies given little or no breast milk, finds researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

David Mutch, MD, the Ira C. and Judith Gall Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named co-chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee.

Victoria J. Fraser, MD, head of the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the Citation of Merit from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.