School of Medicine

Samuel A. Wickline, MD, has been named the inaugural James R. Hornsby Family Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine.​

Dabeeru C. Rao, PhD, director of the Division of Biostatistics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the nation’s preeminent professional statistical society.

A rare, inherited form of mental retardation has led scientists at the School of Medicine to three important “travel agents” at work in the developing brain. The agents make it possible for brain neurons to travel from where they are born to other brain regions where they will permanently reside.

Urinary tract infections are among the most common infections acquired in hospitals, with most linked to the use of catheters. New research suggests that some urinary tract infections could be prevented if patients receive an antibiotic at the time they have a urinary catheter removed.

The School of Medicine plans to construct an energy-efficient, multistory research building dedicated to interdisciplinary research. Positioned along McKinley Avenue just west of Taylor Avenue, the six-story building eventually will house 138,000 square feet of highly flexible, open laboratories. Shown is a rendering of the building.

Richard Wilson, PhD, director of The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine, was named the world’s most-cited researcher by Thomson Reuters’ ScienceWatch. The list of most influential researchers also included Elaine Mardis, PhD, Li Ding, PhD, and Robert Fulton, all of The Genome Institute.

Nitrous oxide — best known as laughing gas — is one of the world’s oldest and most widely used anesthetics. Despite its popularity, however, experts have questioned its impact on the risk of a heart attack during surgery or soon afterward. But those fears are unfounded, a new study indicates.

Researchers have identified a way to trigger reproduction in the laboratory of clusters of human cells that make insulin, potentially removing a significant obstacle to transplanting the cells as a treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. Pictured in blue are the cells and in green, the insulin.

States that want to reduce rates of adult smoking may consider implementing stringent tobacco restrictions on teens. Washington University researchers discovered that states with more restrictive limits on teens purchasing tobacco also have lower adult smoking rates, especially among women.

The School of Medicine’s Susan E. Mackinnon, MD, has received the 2013 Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons for her leadership in the innovative use of nerve-transfer procedures in the treatment of patients with devastating peripheral nerve injuries. Pictured is Mackinnon after receiving the award from A. Brent Eastman, MD, ACS president.