‘Polypills’ recommended to reduce heart attacks, strokes but have been slow to gain favor
Combining multiple meds into a single pill reduces cardiovascular deaths (Links to an external site)
Author: Julia
Some sarcoma patients improve with T cell immunotherapy (Links to an external site)
Strategy effective against some rare, aggressive sarcomas with no other treatment options A clinical trial led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown that a T cell immunotherapy — in which the patients’ own T cells are genetically modified to attack and kill cancer cells — is effective in […]
COVID Linked to Lower IQ, Poor Memory and Other Negative Impacts on Brain Health (Links to an external site)
“COVID-19 poses a serious risk to brain health, even in mild cases, and the effects are now being revealed at the population level,” clinical epidemiologist Ziyad Al-Aly said
Mahjoub Lab Celebrates Recent Publications on Critical Role of Centrosomes in Kidney Development and Function (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to the research team of the Mahjoub Laboratory, who are celebrating their multiple recent publications, one of which landed the cover of the journal JCI Insight.
Award of up to $31 million supports development of osteoarthritis treatment (Links to an external site)
Researchers aim to create treatment that promotes tissue regeneration, restores joints Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, limits the mobility of 32 million people nationwide, many to the point of significant disability. Affected individuals face limited options, as there are no drugs to cure or substantially lessen the disease, and invasive joint replacement is often the […]
Lasala Receives 2024 Miami Valves Lifetime Achievement Award (Links to an external site)
Dr. John Lasala, Professor of Medicine and Director, Structural Heart Disease in the Cardiovascular Division, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Miami Valves annual international structural cardiology conference hosted by the International Medicine Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Husaini Featured During Men’s Health Segment on KSDK News (Links to an external site)
Dr. Mustafa Husaini, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Sports Cardiology in the Cardiovascular Division, was recently featured in a segment on KSDK news for Heart Month. Today in St. Louis’ Rene Knott, Paul Cook and Anthony Slaughter spoke with Dr. Husaini about the importance of exercise in heart health, and specifically in men.
Civitelli Lab Published in JCI Insight (Links to an external site)
In a recent publication in JCI Insight, researchers from the Civitelli Lab unveil the pivotal role of connexin43 within mesenchymal lineage cells, shedding light on its influence in regulating body adiposity and energy metabolism in mice.
Scheller Lab and Colleagues Published in JCI Insight (Links to an external site)
Members of the Scheller Lab in collaboration with the Milbrandt and DiAntonio groups at WashU published a paper in JCI Insight in which they found that loss of Sarm1 could completely protect female mice against the development of bone loss and severe osteoblast suppression secondary to type 1 diabetes.
Phase 3 Trial of Breast Cancer Published in JAMA Oncology (Links to an external site)
Cynthia Ma , MD, PhD, lead author and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology along with her colleagues Kiran Vij, Jeremy Hoog, Mark Watson and Erika Crouch in the Department of Pathology investigated the role of neoadjuvant anastrazole, fulvestrant or the combination in a multi-institutional trial.
Living Well: Pancreatic Cancer (Links to an external site)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – About one in 64 people will get pancreatic cancer during their lifetime. It’s one of the more uncommon cancers, but it is one of the deadliest. In this Living Well, First Alert 4′s Taylor Holt talks with a doctor about why the disease is so deadly and what’s […]
Powers Carson and Arora discuss negative correlations between BMI and glycated albumin (Links to an external site)
In October of 2023, Jennifer Powers Carson, PhD and colleague, Jyoti Arora, MS of the Washington University School of Medicine, Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, had their work published by Clinical Biochemistry. The article was titled, “Glycated serum proteins and albumin but not glycated albumin show negative correlation with BMI in an overweight/obese, diabetic population from the United States.”
Center collaborator: “Connections ensure trust and sustainability” (Links to an external site)
If you hear a presentation by Professor of Medicine, Juliet Iwelunmor, PhD, from the Division of Infectious Disease at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, you immediately sense that she is passionate, well spoken, driven and committed to work that drives impact. Since joining the Department of Medicine in September 2023, Iwelunmor—or “Dr. Juliet” […]
Zachary Crees, MD, on the Potential of Cell Therapy to Treat or Prevent Viral Infections After HSCT (Links to an external site)
The assistant clinical director of the Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy at Washington University in St. Louis discussed Atara Biotherapeutics’ tabelecleucel and AlloVir’s posoleucel.
Dr. Safaa Hammoud Awarded AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship for Chronic Kidney Injury Research (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to Safaa Hammoud, PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the laboratory of Leslie Gewin, MD, for receiving a 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship. The award provides two years of funding for her project “Blocking Tubular Cell Cycle Induces Protective Metabolic Changes in Chronic Kidney Disease.”
Division of Oncology Receives Green Office Program Platinum Certification (Links to an external site)
The Division of Oncology was awarded the highest level of Green Office Certification from the WashU Office of Sustainability. Coordinated by the Office of Sustainability and endorsed by Resource Management, WashU’s Green Office Program aims to encourage offices across all WashU campuses to be champions of the university’s sustainability ethic.
AI may predict spread of lung cancer to brain (Links to an external site)
Method may inform personalized cancer treatments Physicians treating patients with early-stage lung cancer face a conundrum: choosing potentially helpful yet toxic therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy to knock out the cancer and lessen the risk of it spreading to the brain, or waiting to see if lung surgery alone proves sufficient. When up […]
WashU Medicine rises to No. 2 in nation in NIH research funding (Links to an external site)
Ranking reflects success as thriving hub of scientific excellence, medical innovation In the realm of biomedical research, securing funding is a testament to an institution’s record of scientific accomplishments and potential for further advances to improve human health. In 2023, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis received the second-highest amount of funding from […]
Obituary: Philip E. Cryer, former director of endocrinology division, 84 (Links to an external site)
Philip E. Cryer, MD, a professor emeritus and former longtime director of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, died Feb. 24, 2024, at a hospital in St. Louis following a heart attack. He was 84.
Dr. Mike Rich Receives BJH Neville Grant Award (Links to an external site)
Professor of Medicine, Associate Program Director for Cardiovascular Research andDirector of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Cardiac Rapid Evaluation Unit Dr. Mike Rich has been selected for The Neville Grant Award, the highest clinical honor bestowed by BJH.
Mahmoud Appointed to ACC Reproductive Health & Cardio-Obstetrics Section Leadership Council (Links to an external site)
Dr. Zainab Mahmoud was recently appointed to a 3-year term on the leadership council of the Reproductive Health & Cardio-Obstetrics Section of the American Academy of Cardiology. Her term begins in April, 2024.
Institute staff changes set the stage for robust public health programs and initiatives (Links to an external site)
In service of Public Health at WashU, the Institute for Public Health announces the addition of new roles and a few staff promotions in several of its seven centers. The changes will help advance the Institute’s mission to harness the strengths of Washington University in St. Louis to address complex public health issues and disparities […]
Dr. David DeNardo Explores How the Tumor Microenvironment Affects Immune Responses to Cancer (Links to an external site)
David DeNardo, Ph.D., is a Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Washington University St. Louis, School of Medicine. His research team is working to understand why responses to cancer immunotherapy vary among patients. In studying and uncovering mechanisms of cancer immunology, Dr. DeNardo aims to identify strategies that can […]
Faculty Achievement Award nominations sought (Links to an external site)
Nominations are being accepted for Washington University in St. Louis’ annual Faculty Achievement Awards, known as the Arthur Holly Compton Faculty Achievement Award and the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award.
Brain tumors: Fighting with targeted tools (Links to an external site)
Whether malignant or benign, a brain tumor is life-altering. Malignant tumors can spread and become deadly. And benign doesn’t mean harmless; benign tumors can cause serious problems such as paralysis, seizures and personality changes depending on which parts of the brain they affect.
DiPersio receives E. Donnall Thomas Prize (Links to an external site)
John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, the Virginia E. and Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the E. Donnall Thomas Prize from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Given annually, the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize recognize an eminent physician or scientist who has contributed […]
Dr. Atlee Baker, WashU Nephrology Fellow, Selected for ASN Internship (Links to an external site)
Atlee Baker, MD, MPH a first-year fellow at WashU Nephrology, has accepted an internship with the Transforming Dialysis Access Together (TDAT) initiative of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).
Winn Awards Help Physicians Solve Healthcare Disparities (Links to an external site)
Dr. Thomas Odeny grew up in rural Kenya during the height of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. After graduating from medical school at the University of Nairobi, he decided to begin his career in HIV care as a way to give back to his community.
Washington University joins NIH cancer screening clinical trials network (Links to an external site)
New network to evaluate emerging technologies in diverse populations Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is joining a new clinical trials network launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to investigate emerging technologies for cancer screening, with the goal of reducing cancer-related illnesses and deaths. […]
February is National Cancer Prevention Awareness Month (Links to an external site)
In the recent release of the American Cancer Society (ACS) new annual report, cancer death rates overall are falling but new cancer cases have picked up.
Black people have the highest rates of death from heart disease. Could more Black cardiologists help? (Links to an external site)
For Elston Harris, heart attacks seem to be a generational curse. Several men from his father’s side of the family — including Harris’ uncles — died from heart attacks. Harris, who is 59 and a former college basketball player, almost experienced a similar fate after his own heart attack in 2017. The only signs he was […]
New cell-based immunotherapy offered for melanoma (Links to an external site)
Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the School of Medicine, is one of the first centers nationwide to offer a newly approved cell-based immunotherapy that targets melanoma.
Jacobi, Zickuhr named Loeb Teaching Fellows (Links to an external site)
Focus will be on mental health curriculum, improving skills for narrative feedback Celina Jacobi, MD, an instructor in child psychiatry, and Lisa Zickuhr, MD, an assistant professor of medicine, have been named the 2024-26 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
University’s technology, innovation hub celebrates 100th faculty startup (Links to an external site)
Office of Technology Management fuels entrepreneurial spirit The first-floor walls at 4240 Duncan Ave. — home to Washington University in St. Louis’ Office of Technology Management (OTM) — are running out of room. And that’s a good thing. The logos of Washington University startup companies launched to shepherd promising university-owned diagnostics, therapeutics or other technologies to the […]
American Society for Clinical Investigation honors physician-scientists (Links to an external site)
Early-career scientists awarded for achievements in research Three early-career scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been honored with the Young Physician-Scientist Award by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). They are Tarin M. Bigley, MD, PhD; Jeffrey W. Brown MD, PhD; and Drew J. Schwartz, MD, PhD.
Warm weather spurs on spring allergies (Links to an external site)
You may be cheering on the warm weather, but your sinuses are not. Rising temperatures mean trees are getting the cue to release pollen. Dr. Jennifer Monroy is a Washington University board-certified allergist and immunologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
NIH grant to fund radiation oncology center on Medical Campus (Links to an external site)
School named part of national network focused on biology of irradiated tumors Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a five-year, $7.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support a radiation oncology center that is part of a select national network of centers aimed at understanding the biologic […]
Happy Lunar New Year 2024 (Links to an external site)
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is indeed a significant and widely celebrated festival in Chinese culture. It is a time for family reunions, cultural festivities, and welcoming a new year with hope and optimism. In 2024, Chinese New Year begins on February 10th and lasts for 15 […]
Wellness Wednesday: Learning the truth about Ozempic (Links to an external site)
ST. LOUIS — It’s Wellness Wednesday and today we invited Dr. Susan Reeds, a M.D. from Washington University Medical Weight Management to talk about Ozempic and other drugs used to help with weight loss.
Post-Doc Research Scholar Shayna Bradford Awarded NIH Career Development Award (Links to an external site)
Shayna Bradford, PhD, a WashU Nephrology post-doctoral research scholar in the Humphreys Laboratory, has been awarded a two-year, $181,500 MOSAIC K99/R00 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
New long COVID study uncovers high inflammation in patients as Senate calls for more research on ‘crisis’ (Links to an external site)
The study followed 113 patients at four different hospitals in Switzerland. A new study in Science is shining a light on the continuing impact of long COVID, with research revealing further and continuing health concerns for some of the 16 million sufferers in the U.S.
Washington University’s $616 million facility will expand neurological research (Links to an external site)
Washington University School of Medicine’s new, $616 million facility will provide a boost to researchers developing treatments for a wide range of neurological conditions.
Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells (Links to an external site)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The whole virus is shown on the left and a magnified view of the viral structural proteins on the right. The findings laid the groundwork for a […]
Three receive grant for NK cell-based therapy trial for kids with AML (Links to an external site)
Todd A. Fehniger, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine, and co-principal investigators Jeffrey J. Bednarski, MD, PhD, an associate professor of pediatrics, and Thomas Pfeiffer, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics, all at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have received a total of $1.4 million from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the […]
Fehniger receives grant for trial of immunotherapy against melanoma (Links to an external site)
Todd A. Fehniger, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine, and colleagues Alice Y. Zhou, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine, Ryan C. Fields, MD, the Kim and Tim Eberlein Distinguished Professor, and George Ansstas, MD, an associate professor of medicine, all at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have received $1.5 million from […]
Siteman Investment Program awards $1.5 million in cancer research grants (Links to an external site)
Research focused on blood, brain, breast and colon cancers; improving awareness of the link between alcohol use and cancer risk; and clinical trials for high-risk prostate cancer and high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms are among the projects that will benefit from $1.5 million in new grants announced by Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of […]
Washington University and Deerfield Management launch VeritaScience to drive drug discovery (Links to an external site)
Washington University and health-care investment firm Deerfield Management announced the launch of VeritaScience, a collaboration designed to advance the discovery, development and commercialization of promising candidates that could benefit human health.
Inaugural WashU Nephrology Summer Intern Research “SOAR” Program Accepting Applications (Links to an external site)
The newly-established Washington University Kidney O’Brien Center for Chronic Kidney Disease Research is proud to announce it is accepting applications for its immersive summer research program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing nephrology research.
WashU Kidney O’Brien Center Takes CKD Research to the Next Level through Team Science (Links to an external site)
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a highly under-recognized disease that affects almost 15% of the US population and carries significant morbidity and mortality. Although important scientific advances promise to accelerate CKD research, many are not accessible to the kidney research community due to limited expertise and/or the need for expensive equipment.
Awardees announced for Needleman innovation, commercialization program (Links to an external site)
Three Washington University researchers developing promising therapeutics for cancer and heart disease have been named the inaugural awardees of an innovative, new program that provides critical funding to help move research toward early-stage clinical trials and commercialization. The awardees — Carl DeSelm, MD, PhD, John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, and Kory Lavine, MD, PhD — will receive financial support […]