School of Medicine

The neglected tropical disease known as river blindness is caused by the parasitic worm O. volvulus, pictured, and is spread by the bites of black flies that breed in fast-flowing rivers. Washington University scientists have received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an improved diagnostic test for the disease, which is most common in sub-Saharan Africa.

Global Health Week featured a visit with the former president and health minister of Ecuador, an international fair, and education about outreach efforts of Global Health Scholars and others. Pictured is Alfredo Palacio, MD, Ecuador’s former president and health minister, while visiting with Washington University students.

A laboratory testing kit that estimates the risk of breast cancer returning after anti-hormone treatment has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The technology is a step toward personalized medicine and could help standardize breast cancer diagnosis around the world. Researchers at the School of Medicine led the test’s development.

Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1, seasonal flu vaccines will be available to School of Medicine employees and students. Vaccines also will be available to students and some employees on the Danforth Campus. New this year is that the vaccine is required for all students and employees who engage in patient care or work in buildings where patient care is provided or clinical research occurs. Shown is registered nurse Melanie Dill administering a flu shot.

Employees can expect to see an increase in demolition-related activities in the coming weeks as the Campus Renewal Project progresses.

Just a few days after the Affordable Care Act’s mandatory insurance component becomes law, the principal architect of the Massachusetts health care system and chief advisor to President Obama’s plan will be on campus to explain how it works and how it will benefit society. MIT economist and renowned health care expert Jonathan Gruber will deliver an Assembly Series lecture on “Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works” at 6 p.m. Friday, October 4 in Brown Hall Room 100 on the Washington University Danforth Campus.

The Department of Psychiatry is hosting a celebration Tuesday, Oct. 1, to mark the official launch of the Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research. The institute, dedicated to advancing the science underlying the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illnesses, was created with a $20 million gift from Andy and Barbara Taylor and the Crawford Taylor Foundation. Pictured are institute investigators.

Doctors at the School of Medicine are investigating a new minimally invasive procedure to open blocked carotid arteries in patients whose poor health or advanced age makes the traditional open surgery too risky. Pictured are carotid arteries, which feed blood to the brain.

Each year in the St. Louis region, thousands of African American students drop out of high school. According to a newly released policy brief — “How does health influence school dropout?” — health and education are closely related, and there are patterns related to health that increase the risk of high school dropout. The brief is the second of five in a yearlong, multidisciplinary study called “For the Sake of All: A Report on the Health and Well-Being of African Americans in St. Louis.” Its author is William F. Tate, PhD, the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and chair of the Department of Education in Arts & Sciences.

​​A new study shows that girls ages 9 to 15 who regularly ate peanut butter or nuts were 39 percent less likely to develop benign breast disease by age 30. Benign breast disease, although noncancerous, increases risk of breast cancer later in life.