School of Medicine

A new study led by Michael J. Holtzman, MD, at the School of Medicine suggests that a fundamental antiviral defense mechanism is intact in asthma. This indicates that another aspect of the immune system must explain the difficulty people with asthma have when they encounter respiratory viruses.

​Mark Thoelke’s work ethic has contributed to his success in starting and leading the hospitalist division at Washington University School of Medicine. He has been called “the doctor’s doctor,” a term that refers to a physician whom another physician would recommend to family and friends.

Joseph Corbo, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology and immunology, of genetics and of ophthalmology and visual sciences, has received a one-year, $25,000 grant from the Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases for research titled “High-Throughput Functional Analysis of Non-Coding Regions Related to Arrhythmias.”

Michael Wong, MD, PhD, has been named the Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Professor of Pediatric Neurology at the School of Medicine. Wong sees patients with pediatric epilepsy at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and specializes in basic research into the origins of the illness.

Washington University’s Integrating Communication within the Cancer Environment Institute is accepting applications for pilot research projects. Proposals are due 4 p.m. Dec. 19.

David B. Carr, MD, has been named the inaugural Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the School of Medicine. He is pictured at his installation with Larry J. Shapiro, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, and Victoria J. Fraser, MD, head of the Department of Medicine.

School of Medicine faculty, staff and students came together for three town hall meetings last week in response to the tragic events in Ferguson. Attendees talked about how to help Ferguson and how to improve diversity and inclusion at the university. Two more meetings will be held on the Medical Campus this week.

Prajakta Khare-Ranade, a clinical researcher and dietitian in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, won an annual essay competition overseen by the Wimpfheimer-Guggenheim Fund for International Exchange in Nutrition, Dietetics and Management, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Washington University’s Global Health Center selected five ​WUSTL students for its inaugural summer research program, which paired students with faculty mentors to explore issues such as malnutrition, maternal health and access to health care. Pictured is program participant Laura Bliss, a second-year medical student.

The commute is about to get a little easier for employees and patients heading to Washington University Medical Center. After more than a year of construction activity, the improved Interstate 64/Highway 40 interchange at Tower Grove Avenue is scheduled to open the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 29.