School of Medicine

Children can protect their bones against the inevitable bumps that come along with being active by getting enough calcium in their diets. Calcium is essential for the growth and repair of bones and teeth in children. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 60 percent of boys and 85 percent of girls between the ages 9 to 18 don’t get enough calcium, which helps develop strong bones.

As part of Washington University’s celebration of the Danforth Campus dedication, and to underscore the important role of higher education in society, a lecture series will debut on October 3. The first presentation, “Medicine & Society,” will feature Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, M.D. He will be joined by leading St. Louis medical and health policy experts at 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 3, in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public, and will conclude with a reception in the Women’s Building Lounge.

Many parents have no idea that their teenage children use drugs or alcohol. In fact, about half of the parents surveyed during a recent School of Medicine study didn’t realize that their children were using alcohol, marijuana or tobacco. Even fewer – 28 percent – are aware that their teens have used cocaine or other illicit drugs.

The flow of copper in the brain has a previously unrecognized role in cell death, learning and memory, according to research at the School of Medicine. The researchers’ findings suggest that copper and its transporter, a protein called Atp7a, are vital to human thinking.

Photo by Noah Devereau, Post-DispatchSleeping fruit flies pictured through a microscopeMuch like humans, fruit flies sleep at night and take midday naps. They also respond to stimulants like we do, and their young sleep a lot more than adults. A new study, using fruit flies as test subjects, shows that sleep is important for learning and memory and that the need for sleep is tied to memory genes.

Below is a link to the Washington University news release about the U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings for 2004-05: http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/3627.html To view a full listing of U.S. News magazine, book and Web-only rankings for 2004-05, please visit the U.S. News & World Report site: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

Below is a link to the Washington University news release about the U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings for 2004-05: http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/3627.html To view a full listing of U.S. News magazine, book and Web-only rankings for 2004-05, please visit the U.S. News & World Report site: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

Listed below are this month’s featured news stories. • Better memory performance (week of Sept. 6) • Predicting the spread of cancer (week of Sept. 13) • Curing diabetes in rats (week of Sept. 20) • Treating diabetes (week of Sept. 27)

Knowing that the cancer is likely to spread quickly from the eye to the liver may allow for earlier, preventive treatments in high-risk patients.

Photo by Ray MarklinMedical students gathered at the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center for the annual Student Activities Fair Aug. 21.