Why move from current standards of patient care to a more personalized approach to treatment? Experts at the School of Medicine describe today’s medical landscape as they plan for the care — and cures — of the future. From the WashU Newsroom… Of the top-grossing domestic movies of 2017 to date, three of the Top 5 […]
Pop star’s organization highlights support the center offers From the WashU Newsroom… Representatives from Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation stopped by The SPOT in the Central West End on Thursday, Nov. 16, to celebrate and promote youth empowerment and the importance of positive environments. The foundation is visiting and bringing gifts to selected youth-based nonprofits in cities on Gaga’s […]
From the WashU Newsroom… Seven faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis are among 396 new fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Michael G. Caparon Jr.; Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH; John A. Cooper, MD, PhD; Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD; Susan K. Dutcher; Timothy J. Eberlein, MD — all […]
Studies underpinnings of anxiety, addiction, depression From the WashU Newsroom… Neuroscientist Michael R. Bruchas, PhD, whose research is helping to clarify the neural foundation of behaviors such as anxiety, depression and addiction, has been installed as the Henry Elliot Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This is the second Mallinckrodt […]
Washington University researchers are developing a new way to look inside the brains of pediatric patients. From the WashU Newsroom… A team of scientists at Washington University in St. Louis is developing a new way to look inside the brains of the littlest patients — a technique that will provide precise measurements without requiring children to […]
Researchers studying use of nitrous oxide for patients hospitalized for suicide risk From the WashU Newsroom… Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying the use of nitrous oxide — laughing gas — as a treatment for patients who are hospitalized due to suicidal thoughts. They are investigating using the gas as […]
Former head of neurology specialized in movement disorders From the WashU Newsroom… William M. Landau, MD, a professor emeritus of neurology, died in his sleep Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, at his home in University City. He was 93. Landau wasa professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from 1954 to 2012 […]
Couch family gift names new building, supports genome engineering center From the WashU Newsroom… Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a $10 million commitment from longtime benefactors George and Debra Couch to support research that advances personalized medicine. In recognition of their generosity, the recently built research building at 4515 McKinley […]
Learning, social issues may reflect neuronal miscommunication From the WashU Newsroom… A defective gene linked to autism influences how neurons connect and communicate with each other in the brain, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Rodents that lack the gene form too many connections between brain neurons and have […]
Spending decisions influenced by adaptation in neural circuits From the WashU Newsroom… The British have a pithy way of describing people who dither over spending 20 cents more for premium ice cream but happily drop an extra $5,000 for a fancier house: penny wise and pound foolish. Now, a new study suggests that being penny wise […]
Study is first to point to brain changes that underlie poor health in some children From the WashU Newsroom… Adverse experiences in childhood — such as the death of a parent, growing up in poverty, physical or sexual abuse, or having a parent with a psychiatric illness — have been associated with physical and mental health […]
Surveys over a decade indicate positive behavioral shifts From the WashU Newsroom… More than a decade of data indicates teens have become far less likely to abuse alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs, and they also are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, such as fighting and stealing, according to results of a national survey analyzed […]
Focus in South Africa, where most manganese found From the WashU Newsroom… Manganese – found in smoke from steel production and coal fires – has been linked to a range of neurological problems often seen with Parkinson’s disease: slowness, stiffness, tremors, anxiety, depression, cognitive changes, and difficulty walking and speaking. Decades ago, federal environmental and public […]
Study suggests role of inflammation in brain disease is complicated From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists drilling down to the molecular roots of Alzheimer’s disease have encountered a good news/bad news scenario. A major player is a gene called TREM2, mutations of which can substantially raise a person’s risk of the disease. The bad news is that […]
‘Father of microbiome’ honored for revealing importance of gut microbes in human health, disease From the WashU Newsroom… Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2017 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize by Columbia University. The award is one of the top prizes honoring contributions to the biological […]
Treating pregnant women before infection may protect fetuses from Zika From the WashU Newsroom… Brazil and other areas hardest hit by the Zika virus – which can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads – are also home to dengue virus, which is spread by the same mosquito species. A new study led by […]
Universitywide initiative explores intersection of neuroscience and societal issues From the WashU Newsroom… In recent years, research has emerged detailing the detrimental effects of poverty and stress on early brain development. Such societal ills can reshape the human brain and cause lifelong problems in behavior, learning, physical health and mental wellbeing. To explore these connections, Washington […]
Blocking ApoE4 in brain may prevent nerve cell death, inflammation From the WashU Newsroom… Nearly a quarter century ago, a genetic variant known as ApoE4 was identified as a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — one that increases a person’s chances of developing the neurodegenerative disease by up to 12 times. However, it was never […]
Expert in itch discovered first itch-specific gene From the WashU Newsroom… Zhou-Feng Chen, PhD, director of the Washington University Center for the Study of Itch, has been named the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Professor in Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Chen’s research has provided valuable insight into how itch […]
Algorithm could alert doctors to evaluate for the disease From the WashU Newsroom… Before symptoms become pronounced, there is no reliable way to identify who is on track to develop Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating movement disorder characterized by tremors, slowness of movement, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. But researchers at Washington University School of […]
People at risk for Alzheimer’s sought for study From the WashU Newsroom… Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are recruiting volunteers for a national study that is exploring whether strategies to improve cardiovascular health also reduce the risk of dementia in those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The multicenter study is evaluating […]
FDA-approved arthritis drug may work in new ways to fight itch From the WashU Newsroom… The roots of chronic itching have long remained a mystery. Meanwhile, those with the condition suffer from an unrelenting and sometimes debilitating urge to scratch. Now, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified immune signaling […]
New technique could aid treatments for diseases that lead to paralysis From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal […]
Virus potentially could be used to treat deadly disease From the WashU Newsroom… While Zika virus causes devastating damage to the brains of developing fetuses, it one day may be an effective treatment for glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of […]
Jean Holowach Thurston, MD, a pioneering pediatric neurologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, died April 29, 2017. She was 99 and about a month away from her centennial birthday. A professor of pediatrics and of neurology, Thurston died of natural causes at a retirement home in University City, Mo. “Jean was […]
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have detailed the structure of a molecule that has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing the shape of the molecule — and how that shape may be disrupted by certain genetic mutations — can help in understanding how Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases develop and […]
Conditions associated with poverty appear to interfere with how key brain regions connect and increase depression risk in children From the WashU Newsroom… Many negative consequences are linked to growing up poor, and researchers at Washington University St. Louis have identified one more: altered brain connectivity. Analyzing brain scans of 105 children ages 7 to 12, […]