School of Medicine

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.

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.

​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.

The St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) staff garage entrance and exit along Duncan Avenue is scheduled to reopen June 22, and the garage entrance and exit along Newstead Avenue is scheduled to close. The Newstead entrance will be reconfigured as part of a new road to provide additional access to the parking garages on Duncan and is expected to remain closed for six weeks. Newstead Avenue, however, will remain open.

Catherine Lang’s love of movement drives her life and her work. As director of Washington University School of Medicine’s Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory, she helps stroke survivors regain what their strokes took from them.

Studying mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a neural circuit in the retina that carries signals enabling the eye to detect movement. The finding could help in efforts to build artificial retinas for people who have suffered vision loss.

Whether made by the body or ingested through diet, cholesterol plays a vital role in cells. Cholesterol also is a building block of steroids and hormones, including those that trigger puberty and support pregnancy. A new study, led by Daniel Ory, MD, implicates a surprising regulator of cholesterol in cells’ ability to make these hormones, especially in tissues associated with fertility, such as the ovaries.