School of Medicine

The way our brains are wired may reveal a lot about us, according to new research co-authored by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis. For example, people with “positive” behavioral traits, such as sharp memories, many years of education and robust physical endurance, have stronger neural connections between certain brain regions than people with “negative” traits, such as smoking, aggressive behavior and a family history of alcohol abuse.

Following patients from childhood into young adulthood, a study led by Robert Strunk, MD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows the progression toward worse lung function in those who become obese as they grow into young adulthood.

Jonathan M. Green, MD, associate dean for human studies and executive chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Washington University, has been appointed to the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. He will serve a three-year term.

John A. Wright, PhD, author and historian, will speak at the 20th annual Homer G. Phillips Public Health Lecture Series at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on Oct. 23. The title of his talk is “Homer G. Phillips and the Ville: Celebrating the Legacy.”

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has named Evan D. Kharasch, MD, PhD, of the School of Medicine, the new editor-in-chief of the journal Anesthesiology. Kharasch will assume the role of editor-in-chief-elect on Jan. 1, 2016, and then officially take on full editorial responsibility July 1.

Using advanced brain imaging, researchers have matched certain behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia to features of the brain’s anatomy. The findings, from a research team led by the School of Medicine’s C. Robert Cloninger, MD, PhD, (shown) and Igor Zwir, PhD, could be a step toward improving diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.

Beth Kozel, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine at the School of Medicine, has been named a 2015 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Lasker Clinical Research Scholar.

​​Three scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Siteman Cancer Center each will receive $900,000 in funding – $2.7 million total – over two years for their innovative approaches to fighting leukemia and other types of cancer.

Andrew J. White, MD, director of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named the James P. Keating, MD, Professor of Pediatrics. White also directs the pediatric residency program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

A pioneering surgical technique has restored some hand and arm movement to patients immobilized by spinal cord injuries in the neck, reports a new study at the School of Medicine. The researchers assessed outcomes of nerve-transfer surgery in nine quadriplegic patients. Each of the nine reported improved hand and arm function.