School of Medicine

An important component of BioMed 21, the Genome Sequencing Center at Washington University in St. Louis is a gene-sequencing powerhouse and one of the four such centers in the world. It specializes in large-scale, high-throughput genome sequencing, supplying data that helps researchers at the School of Medicine identify the genetic factors that contribute to disease.

Images of brain cells taken before (above) and after seizures in live mice reveal loss of spines, small bumps on the surfaces of brain cell branches.For some epilepsy patients, the side effects of epilepsy can be as troubling as the seizures. One pressing concern is the cognitive impairment seizures often inflict, which potentially includes memory loss, slowed reactions and reduced attention spans. Now scientists at the School of Medicine have directly observed seizure-induced structural changes in brain cells in laboratory animals. They report in The Journal of Neuroscience that the insights they gained allowed them to use a drug to block those changes in the brain.

Andrey Shaw, M.D., the Emil R. Unanue Professor of Immunobiology in the Department of Pathology and Immunology, has been named an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Shaw was one of 15 researchers selected nationwide. More than 200 physician-scientists applied for this year’s competition, which was focused on researchers who probe basic biomedical […]

Photo by Robert BostonErika Crouch’s enthusiasm about education keeps her students excited to learn

Six faculty from the School of Medicine have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. The highest honor awarded by AAAS, the rank of fellow is bestowed upon members by their peers in recognition of scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

People with mental illnesses lose 25 to 30 years of life expectancy compared to the general population, mostly due to cardiovascular disease, a School of Medicine psychiatrist writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

School of Medicine research has opened the possibility that physicians may be able to use established drugs to treat brain tumors.

William F. Stenson, M.D., has been named the Dr. Nicholas V. Costrini Professor of Gastroenterology & Inflammatory Bowel Disease at the School of Medicine.

Andrey Shaw, M.D., the Emil R. Unanue Professor of Immunobiology, has been named an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Courtesy PhotoA participant in the Mini-Medical School I course gets some tips on suturing a simulated laceration from Corey Ming-Lum, M.D.