School of Medicine

One of the most promising markers of Alzheimer’s disease, previously thought  only to be inside nerve cells, now appears to be normally released from nerve cells throughout life, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will mark its 100th anniversary with a month-long series of events in October, including lectures and a symposium featuring some of today’s most visionary scientific thinkers.

Jeffrey Gordon has been awarded the 8th Danone International Prize for Nutrition in recognition of his outstanding contributions to research on the human gut microbiome, diet and nutritional status.

The Department of Neurological Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine celebrates its 100th anniversary this month. Over the past century, it has become internationally known for its groundbreaking basic and clinical research, dedication to patient care and outstanding training of residents. The department’s origins can be traced to the 1911 arrival at the School of Medicine of Ernest Sachs, MD, who became the world’s first professor of neurological surgery in 1919.

Lace up your walking shoes – Tread the Med, Washington University School of Medicine’s walking program, launches Sept. 28 in Hudlin Park. “We are launching this program because we want to help our employees get healthier and to encourage a healthy habit like walking,” says Gregg Evans, human resources consultant.

Sports medicine specialists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, including Rick Wright, MD, and Corey Gill, MD, are leading a national study analyzing why a second surgery to reconstruct a tear in the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) carries a high risk of bad outcomes. Between 1 percent to 8 percent of ACL repairs fail. Most patients then opt to have a second operation, but the failure rate for those subsequent surgeries is almost 14 percent.

Nominate School of Medicine faculty for the 2011 Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership Awards in Medical Student Education. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m., Oct. 7.

Julie Margenthaler’s practice centers on treating young women with breast cancer, who are more likely to be African-American and to have aggressive disease. “These women are empowered, and they bring a great energy to my practice,” Margenthaler, MD, says. “Yes, there are times when they are frightened — you have to face your mortality when you get a breast cancer diagnosis — but they also have an incredible optimism.”

Luis A. Sanchez, MD, has been named the inaugural Gregorio A. Sicard Distinguished Professor of Vascular Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Sanchez, the recently named chief of the section of vascular surgery at the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, is highly regarded for his expertise in vascular and endovascular surgery.

Artery-opening brain stents designed to reduce high risk of repeat strokes instead significantly increased strokes and deaths, results of a multi-center clinical trial show.