School of Medicine

St. Louis Post-DispatchOsteoporosis is the cause of more than 1 million bone fractures each year — injuries which can be devastating to the elderly. The condition, however, seems to be spreading among the young, even those in prime physical shape. Kathryn Diemer, director of the Bone Health Program, talks about the increase of cases in younger adults in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, which focuses on a 34-year-old marathon runner.

The season for sneezin’ is here.Ragweed pollen counts appear to have peaked in early September this year, nearly a month later than usual. H. James Wedner, chief of the division of allergy and immunology, comments on what this means for allergy sufferers in this article by Tina Hesman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Why do some people live longer?Researchers at the School of Medicine will head an ambitious study of people who live exceptionally long and healthy lives to identify the factors that account for their longevity. A team led by Michael Province, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics and genetics, received a $4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to establish a Data Management and Coordinating Center for the Exceptional Longevity Family Study.

The findings might open the door to new ways to treat numerous afflictions, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s diseases.

The group will address ways to redesign health insurance benefits, payment and performance improvement programs.

Scientists studying Helicobacter pylori have uncovered new intricacies in the way the bacterium sticks to humans’ stomach lining.

He will also serve as chief of the Adult Reconstructive Surgery Service for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

During his pediatric emergency medicine fellowship, David M. Jaffe was struck by a news story that would forever impact his career. One summer afternoon in 1976, 26 kids riding a school bus were hijacked at gunpoint on a rural road in Chowchilla, Calif. They were taken to a quarry and entombed in a sweltering moving […]

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are seeking women who have had two or more unexplained first trimester miscarriages to evaluate an experimental treatment to help women carry babies to term.

Backpacks are intended for convenience, but they can also be a source of pain for children who lug them around. Thousands of kids report injuries due to backpacks each year. Overloaded packs and improper usage are often the culprits in these injuries. Matthew Dobbs, a WUSM pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, outlines the risks of wearing a backpack and preventative measures that can be taken in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.