School of Medicine

Douglas Mann has been named the Tobias and Hortense Lewin Professor and director of the Cardiovascular Division in the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine. The appointment will be effective in March 2009. He will also become cardiologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and director of the new Heart and Vascular Institute at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University.

For breast cancer survivors, the idea of taking estrogen pills is almost a taboo. In fact, their doctors give them drugs to get rid of the hormone because it can fuel the growth of breast cancer. So these women would probably be surprised by the approach taken by breast cancer physician Matthew Ellis, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine — he has demonstrated that estrogen therapy can help control metastatic breast cancer.

Researchers may have identified one of the body’s earliest responses to a group of parasites that causes illness in developing nations. In a paper published online in Public Library of Science Pathogens, scientists report that they tracked immune cells as they patrolled the second-shallowest layer of the skin in an animal model. Injections of a genetically modified form of the parasite Leishmania major caused the immune cells to turn from their patrols and move to intercept the parasites.

ManaryMark Manary has been named the Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine. “Mark Manary is an outstanding choice for the Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics,” said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. “Dr. Manary has developed innovative approaches to improving the lives of children in Africa. He is a credit to his field and most deserving of this generous honor supported by an endowment gift from Helene B. Roberson.”

Photo by Robert BostonSome families in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood will have a brighter holiday thanks to the generosity of School of Medicine employees.

In its 10 years, the Longer Life Foundation has funded more than 48 research grants, awarding some $2 million to support studies on various topics.

Washington University is in the spotlight for its pivotal role in the Genomics Education Partnership, a collaborative effort to provide research experience in genomics to undergraduate classrooms across the country.

New research suggests cooling the brain may prevent the death of nerve cells that has been observed in infant mice exposed to anesthesia.

Inaccurate statistics undermine physicians’ ability to give patients a true prognosis, which prevents patients from deciding how best to spend their future time.

The Danforth Foundation has granted the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at the School of Medicine a $10 million endowed gift for research.