School of Medicine

Premature babies are at an increased risk for developing autism spectrum disorder. But a small study indicates that preemies who avoid eye contact are less likely to demonstrate symptoms of autism at age 2 than preemies who maintain eye contact during early interactions, according to new research at the School of Medicine.

Jessica Wagenseil, DSc, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, and Robert Mecham, PhD, the Alumni Endowed Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the School of Medicine and professor of medicine, of pediatrics and of biomedical engineering, received a four-year, $381,250 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research titled “Vessel Stiffening, Hypertension and Vascular Extracellular Matrix.”

Benjamin D. Humphreys, MD, PhD, a highly regarded physician and  scientist at Harvard Medical School, has been named the director of the Renal Division in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

Project ARK , a Washington University School of Medicine program that provides health-care and support services for children and teens with HIV, will host an area designated for youth at St. Louis’ annual PrideFest, a three-day event downtown that begins Friday. Among activities at the site will be free HIV testing for anyone 25 or younger.

At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting May 1, several faculty members were appointed with tenure or promoted with tenure, effective July 1 unless otherwise indicated.

The acidity of urine — as well as the presence of small molecules related to diet — may influence how well bacteria can grow in the urinary tract, a new study shows. The research, led by Jeffrey Henderson, MD, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, may have implications for treating urinary tract infections, which are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide.

​President Barack Obama has named internationally recognized cancer expert Timothy Ley, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, to the National Cancer Advisory Board.

John DiPersio, MD, PhD, the Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named to the American Cancer Society’s National Medical Advisory Group for Patient Lodging.

Scientists working to find treatments for a severe form of diabetes called Wolfram syndrome have identified a gatekeeper in cells that prevents harmful molecules from spilling into places where they don’t belong and triggering cell death. The researchers, at Washington University School of Medicine, also found that the gatekeeper may be a good treatment target for other disorders caused by cellular stress.

Obesity and excess weight, and their negative impact on health, have become a significant focus for health-care experts in recent years. But new research at Washington University School of Medicine shows that an escalation in the number of those considered obese or overweight in the U.S. continues, signaling an ongoing upward swing in chronic health conditions as well.