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More Medical News
October 2008
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Source of abnormal electrical impulses in hypertrophied hearts revealed
Oct. 8,
2008 --
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| National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute image |
| This MRI shows ventricular hypertrophy. |
Cardiac disorders such as valve problems or high blood pressure make the heart work harder to pump blood. This increased work can lead to enlargement (thickening) of the heart, or cardiac hypertrophy — a potentially life-threatening problem. But when heart problems cause the heart to enlarge, it doesn't grow more muscle cells. Instead each individual cell grows bigger. Researchers at the School of Medicine have shown that this cellular enlargement leads to abnormal heart rhythms.
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SciFest brings world-class scientists to St. Louis
Oct. 7,
2008 -- SciFest 08, a new annual event at the St. Louis Science Center, brings together world-renowned scientists and experts - including those from Washington University - to help participants see science in a new way. There are hundreds of science experiences, including presentations and hands-on exhibits.
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September 2008
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M.D./Ph.D. grads have less student debt, more interest in research than M.D. grads
Sept. 23,
2008 -- When compared with recent MD program graduates from U.S. medical schools, M.D./Ph.D. program graduates are more likely to be male, have less educational debt, choose certain medical specialties and plan for research to play a major role in their careers. Researchers at the School of Medicine recently published these findings in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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August 2008
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With New "Found Space," Everyone Wins
Aug. 29,
2008 -- A renovation to enhance efficiency, flexibility, ease of movement, and functioning—as befits the top-ranked Program in Physical Therapy at the School of Medicine—is now in its last lap at 4444 Forest Park Parkway. To demonstrate just what the redesigned space will mean to patients, faculty, students, and staff, Susan S. Deusinger, PT, Ph.D., director of the physical therapy program, and her colleagues hosted an open house complete with ribbon-cutting on August 8.
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Kerri Morgan to compete in Paralympic Games
Aug. 27,
2008 -- Although relatively new to wheelchair sprinting, Washington University instructor Kerri Morgan will be in Beijing starting Sept. 6 for the 13th Paralympic Games.
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Area kids carry drug-resistant germ
Aug. 26,
2008 -- A drug-resistant germ was found in children tested in the St. Louis metropolitan area by researchers at the School of Medicine. Demographic analyses showed that children carrying the superbug were associated with a low socioeconomic status, defined as enrollment in Medicaid and living in crowded households.
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'Couch potato' peels away weight
Aug. 21,
2008 --
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| By Sarah Conard, St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
| Maria Littrell works out. |
A few days after gastric bypass surgery, Maria Littrell found herself in the grocery, choosing which type of baby food to buy — for herself. Before the operation, Littrell honored her Sicilian heritage by eating pasta — a lot of it, and often. After struggling with her weight for 20 years, Littrell had gastric bypass surgery in September. The surgery reduces the size of the stomach and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine.
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Anorexia study focuses on family therapies
Aug. 18,
2008 -- Anorexia can be a nightmare for an entire family. Immediate family members can also play crucial roles helping an anorexic patient attempt to recover. Considering all the familial factors of the disease, researchers at the School of Medicine are recruiting families to help evaluate two family-oriented therapies.
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Nerve reconstruction surgeon aims to help more veterans injured in combat
Aug. 8,
2008 -- WUSM surgeon Susan Mackinnon, a pioneer of the surgical procedure known as peripheral nerve transfer, hopes to share the technique with more Veterans Affairs hospitals this year. The advanced form of nerve reconstruction Mackinnon performs can help injured soldiers regain the use of severely damaged limbs.
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July 2008
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Flooded areas are now faced with a second wallop of mold, mosquitoes
July 21,
2008 -- The waters are receding, but the consequences of flooding in surrounding areas are only beginning to surface. These consequences are not just in physical and financial damage, but major indoor and outdoor health threats to children and their families, including disease-carrying mosquitoes and allergy-irritating mold.
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Ribs lost, careers saved: WUSM surgeon gets athletes back on the field
July 16,
2008 --
Colorado Rockies All-Star pitcher Aaron Cook always has a spare rib for good luck. It's not part of his pregame meal. The rib came out of his own body and sits in his locker. Cook suffered from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), a condition in which the space between the collarbone and the uppermost rib gets cramped, pinching nerves, veins or arteries. Rather than cut his career short, he turned to WUSM surgeon Robert Thompson, one of the few doctors in the country using a surgical procedure that gets athletes back on the field.
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Shriners breaks ground on new hospital at the Medical Center
July 11,
2008 --
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| Rendering of Shriners Hospital for Children |
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The Shriners Hospital for Children broke ground July 3 on a new hospital at the Washington University Medical Center. This relocation will allow St. Louis Shriners Hospital to return to the medical school campus. The Shriners' first area hospital opened in 1924 on Euclid Avenue on the medical school campus.
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New device will be able to see into cells as never before
July 11,
2008 -- If a new local company succeeds, cancer and drug researchers soon may have a novel, inexpensive and extremely precise method for monitoring cell activity. This could speed development of treatments and methods for diagnosing cancer as well as open up new areas of basic medical research. PixelEXX Systems, founded by scientists at Washington University, is developing a prototype imaging device in hopes of reaching the market in 2011.
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June 2008
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Sophisticated database powers new, improved Volunteer for Health site
June 30,
2008 -- There's a new and improved way for people to get involved with clinical trials at the School of Medicine — Volunteer for Health, the university's organization for clinical study recruitment, is now using an improved web site backed by a more sophisticated database management system. Called the Research Participant Registry (RPR), the new system offers volunteers better access to clinical trials and gives researchers more powerful tools for recruiting participants.
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Heavy Metal Project aims to prevent lead poisoning in kids
June 17,
2008 -- Childhood lead poisoning has been a sizable problem in the city of St. Louis for many years due to deteriorating lead paint in older homes and rental units. In 2000, 31 percent of children tested in the city of St. Louis were poisoned, according to Daniel Berg, M.D., assistant professor of medicine.
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More women opting for mastectomy
June 16,
2008 -- A growing number of women are choosing a more aggressive approach to breast cancer treatment, driving an increase in the number of mastectomies, says Julie Margenthaler, M.D., assistant professor of surgery.
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Researchers find that neurons compensate for electrical changes
June 11,
2008 -- All mental processes, including thinking, learning and memory, depend on the electrical properties of individual nerve cells in the brain and on the connections between them. In turn, the electrical responses of each nerve cell, or neuron, reflect the unique set of pores — called ion channels — that perforate its surface and allow the passage of charged particles, or ions. So researchers at the School of Medicine were a little surprised when they saw no harmful effects in mice after eliminating an important type of potassium ion channel from neurons in the brain.
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May 2008
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Proper timing of pregnancies can help decrease the risk of premature delivery
May 29,
2008 -- The proper timing of pregnancies, Washington University researchers say, can decrease a woman's risk of having a baby born prematurely with a host of health problems.
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School of Medicine commencement recognizes 117 students
May 22,
2008 -- The School of Medicine's commencement recognized the achievements of 117 students who were awarded degrees: 88 students earned the doctor of medicine degree; 27 earned a dual doctor of medicine/doctor of philosophy degree (M.D./Ph.D.); and two earned the doctor of medicine/master of arts degree (M.D./M.A). Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the commencement speaker.
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WUSTL center for study of women's infectious diseases officially opens
May 5,
2008 --
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| Photo courtesy of Scott Hultgren, John Heuser and Robyn Roth |
| A micrograph reveals an E. coli bacterium (in green) that is part of a community of bacteria known as a biofilm. |
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Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis this week held opening ceremonies for a new center to study infectious diseases that preferentially affect women. The center for Women's Infectious Disease Research (cWIDR) will focus on issues such as microorganisms that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), infections that lead to premature delivery, and potential contributing roles for microorganisms in life-threatening conditions such as cancer.
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