School of Medicine

David W. Piston, PhD, has been named the new head of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Renowned for his groundbreaking work with fluorescent imaging techniques, Piston comes to WUSTL from Vanderbilt University.

Larry J. Shapiro, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, recently surprised three staff members with service awards. Pam Gassner was awarded the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award; Peggy Frisella, the Research Support Award; and Amy Stabenow, the Operations Staff Award.  Pictured are Lynn Cornelius, MD, Gassner and Shapiro.

Kevin Hardcastle has been appointed chief information security officer for Washington University in St. Louis, reporting to John Gohsman, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer.

To help commemorate the Central Institute for the Deaf’s centennial, the Bernard Becker Medical Library has a new exhibit featuring rare books, early hearing aids, photos and other items related to the institute.

Studying the most common type of lung cancer, researchers from The Cancer Genome Atlas have uncovered new mutations in a cell-signaling pathway that plays a role in forming tumors. The new knowledge may expand treatments for patients because drugs targeting some of these genetic changes already are available or are in clinical trials.

William Thomas Thach Jr., MD, professor emeritus of neurobiology, died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, in Town and Country. He was 77. A neuroscience researcher and clinical neurologist, Thach was a renowned expert and pioneering researcher on the cerebellum.

Emil Unanue, MD, the Paul and Ellen Lacy Professor of Pathology and Immunology, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Immunologists. The award is the organization’s highest honor.

Louis Gilula, MD, a faculty member at the School of Medicine for more than 30 years, died July 2, 2014, of pancreatic cancer. Gilula was a pioneer in wrist imaging. Landmarks in the wrist that radiologists use to check for normal alignment are still known as “Gilula’s arcs.”

Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD, head of the Division of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology at the School of Medicine, has been awarded the Frank Hatch “Sparkplug” Award for Enlightened Public Service by The John Merck Fund.

Researchers at the School of Medicine are leading a nationwide clinical trial to determine whether one of the most commonly used probiotics can safely and effectively treat infants and toddlers suffering from acute gastroenteritis, otherwise known as stomach virus or “stomach flu.” David Schnadower, MD, is the trial’s principal investigator.