School of Medicine

David J. Murray, MD, chose pediatric anesthesia as a way to gain the confidence that  he could manage the very worst that might happen, no matter how bad it got. Now, he uses clinical simulation to help students and residents learn to confront emergencies.

The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness. The discovery by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may lead doctors and researchers to change the way Alzheimer’s disease is classified.

People of all ages can develop winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of clinical depression which occurs typically during the fall and winter and resolves itself by spring. Eric Lenze, MD, professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says bright light therapy, sometimes called phototherapy, is the treatment of choice for seasonal affective disorder.

School-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus, a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. The new research, by child psychiatrists and neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the first to show that changes in this key region of children’s brain anatomy are linked to a mother’s nurturing.

Aubrey Morrison, MBBS, professor of medicine and of developmental biology, has been named a Master of the American College of Physicians. In addition, he received the American College of Physicians Award for Outstanding Work in Science as Related to Medicine. He is the first person from Washington University School of Medicine to receive this award. p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Cambria;} .MsoChpDefault {font-family:Cambria;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in;margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Interested in getting a glimpse into your health for 2012? Visit the Health Happening health and wellness fair from 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center for a variety of free health screenings and informational booths.

It’s time to nominate School of Medicine staff for this year’s Dean’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor awarded to a medical school staff member. The award recognizes a full-time medical school employee  who shows commitment to exceeding his or her job responsibilities, creates a positive working and learning environment and improves the community.

Between Sept. 28, 2011, and Jan. 5, 2012, Washington University School of Medicine employees walked to the moon and back, then around the equator 10 times. That adds up to nearly 1.3 billion steps walked in the 100-day Tread the Med “Be A Walk Star” walking campaign, sponsored by the School of Medicine Wellness Council and managed by the Department of Human Resources. 



Sarah Gehlert, PhD, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Diversity at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, was recently appointed senior fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). In her role, Gehlert will represent social work research to federal agencies and policy makers.

Second-year students at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discuss the painting “The Last Supper” by Andrew Loza, an MD/PhD student. The painting is one of many pieces of art done by faculty, staff and students at the School of Medicine on display through Feb. 17 in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center Atrium.