WashU’s has a new Center for the Environment. The center supports collaborative research in biodiversity, environmental justice, planetary health, environmental solutions and climate change. Daniel Giammar, PhD, Professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science and the center’s inaugural director, and Lora Iannotti, PhD, Professor at the Brown School, and the center’s director for planetary health and environmental justice are both Public Health Faculty Scholars.
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Water quality monitor, locust-inspired electronic nose under development (Links to an external site)
Fangqiong Ling, PhD, Asst. Professor, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences & Joe Steensma, EdD, Professor of practice, Brown School, & Public Health Faculty Scholars, are co-principal investigators in Daniel Giammar’s team developing a tool to monitor the quality of drinking water using a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Study: Machine learning can help optimize medical resource sharing in a crisis (Links to an external site)
A team of Olin researchers, including Salih Tutun, PhD, and Samira Fazel Anvaryazdi, PhD, lecturers in data analytics & Public Health Faculty Scholars, studied the most effective modern analytics models for sharing ventilators across the U.S. in emergency situations.
There’s a New Life-Saving Vaccine. Why Won’t People Take It? (Links to an external site)
Matthew Kreuter, PhD, professor of public health and Public Health Faculty Scholar, explains iHeard, a health survey which was developed “to try to get a handle on what people were hearing and when new misinformation might enter the community.”
How Risky Are Repeat COVID Infections? What We Know So Far (Links to an external site)
Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, Public Health Faculty Scholar and WashU epidemiologist, discusses recurring COVID infections and why long-term, sustainable solutions are needed.
University’s technology, innovation hub celebrates 100th faculty startup (Links to an external site)
Central Health Intelligence, helping patients and families make end-of-life decisions and co-founded by Randi Foraker, PhD, professor and Public Health Faculty Scholar, is the 100th WashU startup company that the Office of Technology Management helped launch.
There’s one surefire way to find the most quality dates from your Hinge and Bumble matches, and it’s not looks. Here’s how to optimize your profile for love (Links to an external site)
If you’re not finding true love through online dating, it could help if you include a description of your sense of purpose in your dating profile, according to a study co-authored by Patrick Hill, PhD, professor of psychological and brain sciences and Public Health Faculty Scholar.
Verbal gaffe or sign of trouble? Mixing up names like Biden and Trump have done is pretty common (Links to an external site)
Can verbal slips, like what President Biden occasionally experiences, reveal cognitive disorders? Eric Lenze, MD, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine, and Public Health Faculty Scholar explains.
New Report Raises Concerns About Long Covid in Children (Links to an external site)
“Long Covid in the U.S., in adults and in kids, is a serious problem,” says Ziyad Al-Aly, WashU epidemiologist and Public Health Faculty Scholar, in response to a recent published paper on the incidence of long Covid in children.
Wash U researchers find flu can have lingering effects similar to long COVID’s (Links to an external site)
A study co-authored by Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, Public Health Faculty Scholar and WashU epidemiologist, found that patients hospitalized with influenza can also experience lingering problems similar to those found in patients with long COVID.
Future of precision medicine must involve Black community (Links to an external site)
The Black Genome Project is studying the way Black St. Louisans are impacted by genetics research and is impacting kids interested in STEM. Brett Maricque, PhD, Co-Director, Center for Community Health Partnership and Research and Public Health Faculty Scholar, is Co-Principal Investigator.
WashU faculty named to psychologist society (Links to an external site)
Leonard Green, PhD, professor of psychological and brain sciences, and of economics, and Public Health Faculty Scholar, has been named fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).
STEM training, apprenticeships increase work satisfaction (Links to an external site)
Jason Jabbari, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School and Public Health Faculty Scholar, co-authored a study that found participation in LaunchCode, a St. Louis-based novel training and apprenticeship program in STEM, increased job happiness.
Maryland’s drug affordability board may expand to lower prices if it gets the votes (Links to an external site)
Rachel Sachs, JD, MPH, professor of health law and Public Health Faculty Scholar, weighs in on legislation that would allow Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board to set upper payment limits on drugs for all health plans in Maryland.
NIH grant to fund radiation oncology center on Medical Campus (Links to an external site)
WashU has received a grant for a radiation oncology center to study the biologic effects of radiation therapy during cancer treatment. Geoffrey D. Hugo, PhD, and Albert M. Lai, PhD, Public Health Faculty Scholars, are co-principal investigators of the university’s center.
Halfway through ‘unwinding,’ Medicaid enrollment is down about 10 million (Links to an external site)
Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research Co-Director, Timothy McBride, PhD proposes that our country’s low employment rate is “why the drop in Medicaid is not a lot worse.”
Zacks named president of brain sciences organization (Links to an external site)
Jeff Zacks, PhD, Associate Chair, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Public Health Faculty Scholar, has started his two-year term as board president of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS).
Consistent health insurance is critical, finds new study (Links to an external site)
Kim Johnson, PhD, associate professor at the Brown School and Public Health Faculty Scholar, studied inconsistent Medicaid enrollment and risk of death in pediatric cancer patients. “This paper underscores the importance of continuous access to health care for all children and adolescents.”
Could just one breath into a small box identify and diagnose if you have COVID, Flu or RSV? (Links to an external site)
Rajan Chakrabarty, PhD, the Harold D. Jolley Career Development associate professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering and Public Health Faculty Scholar is part of a team that developed an inexpensive and user-friendly breathalyzer test to test for COVID-19, influenza, or RSV infection.
Locusts’ sense of smell boosted with custom-made nanoparticles (Links to an external site)
Srikanth Singamaneni, PhD, Professor in Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science & Public Health Faculty Scholar co-led a team that used nanostructures to heighten the neural response in a locust’s brain, boosting their sense of smell.
Looking for love? Try finding purpose as well (Links to an external site)
Research from the lab of Patrick Hill, PhD, professor and Public Health Faculty Scholar, shows that people looking for love through on-line dating may be more successful if their profiles show that they have a sense of purpose.
This social service hotline you’ve never heard of could help pinpoint California’s next big crisis (Links to an external site)
People use United Way’s 211 to access help from social service agencies. Matthew Kreuter, PhD, Professor of Public Health and Public Health Faculty Scholar, explains how he started 211 Counts, an online dashboard to track and display data. “It is the closest thing that we have in the U.S. to a daily surveillance system of the needs of America’s poor.”
Having a sense of purpose makes you more likely to find love (Links to an external site)
Students in the lab of Patrick Hill, PhD, Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences and Public Health Faculty Scholar, participated in a study that demonstrated why having a sense of purpose, or direction in life, is associated with attraction and better relationships.
Washington University launches its own version of ChatGPT (Links to an external site)
Albert Lai, PhD, Associate Professor and Chief Research Information Officer, & Public Health Faculty Scholar, explains how WashU obtained its own version of ChatGPT, and Ruopeng An, PhD, Assoc. Professor & Public Health Faculty Scholar, describes the importance of using AI effectively.
Why the Rise in Breast Cancers in Younger Women? (Links to an external site)
A study examining a rise in breast cancer rates in younger women was recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open. “This research offers a way to begin identifying the factors driving these increasing rates, with the goal of finding ways to slow or reverse them,” said senior study author Adetunji Toriola, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery and Public Health Faculty Scholar.
Breast cancer rates increasing among younger women (Links to an external site)
Public Health Faculty Scholar Adetunji T. Toriola, MD, PhD, professor of surgery, co-authored a study offering effective prevention strategies effective in younger women, especially younger Black women, who are high risk of developing breast cancer.
Greet the day with these nutrient-packed foods (Links to an external site)
Adetunji T. Toriola, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery and Public Health Faculty Scholar explains how a healthy breakfast can improve your concentration and focus and manage your appetite throughout the day while also boosting your immune system.
New long COVID study uncovers high inflammation in patients as Senate calls for more research on ‘crisis’ (Links to an external site)
Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, Public Health Faculty Scholar and WashU epidemiologist, proposed a solution to Covid-related chronic conditions as he testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Long COVID is on par with burden of cancer and heart disease, says Wash U epidemiologist (Links to an external site)
Public Health Faculty Scholar and epidemiologist, Ziyad Al-Aly says that long COVID is now “on par with the burden of cancer and heart disease.”
‘Perfect storm’: Missouri advocates decry Medicaid application delays, coverage losses (Links to an external site)
Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research Co-Director, Timothy McBride, PhD discusses how Missouri can be doing more to reduce the number of eligible recipients denied Medicaid renewals.
Steensma: Measuring the Carbon Footprint of Medicine Can Stimulate Change (Links to an external site)
Public Health Faculty Scholar, Joe Steensma, EdD, MPH, MA, professor of practice at the Brown School, co-authored two studies on why it’s important for pain-management physicians to believe in climate change.
Study Finds Less Loneliness Among Those With A Sense Of Purpose (Links to an external site)
People older than 50 are less lonely if they have a sense of purpose, according to a new study co-authored by Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Patrick Hill PhD. Hill is also a WashU Public Health Faculty Scholar.
Health Matters – January 20, 2024: Dr. Fred Buckhold, Dr. Graham Colditz, Dr. David Perlmutter, & Gretel Schuller (Links to an external site)
Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH, Deputy Director, Institute for Public Health and Public Health Faculty Scholar, was recently featured on KMOX’s Your Health Matters! talking about the rising cases of breast, colon, and rectal cancer in adults younger than age 55
‘Low confidence’: Fixing the education gap for assessing lupus lesions in Black patients (Links to an external site)
Lisa Zickuhr, MD, MHPE, public health faculty scholar and WashU Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, was interviewed by Helio on the existing importance of increasing provider knowledge of identifying cutaneous lupus in patients with medium and dark skin tones.
Senators push for more investment in long COVID research (Links to an external site)
Ziyad Al-Aly, public health faculty scholar and WashU epidemiologist testified at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on issues affecting patients suffering from long COVID.
How Much Less to Worry About Long COVID Now (Links to an external site)
Can recent and repeated COVID-19 vaccines help reduce the chances of long COVID? Ziyad Al-Aly, public health faculty scholar and WashU epidemiologist, talks about it.
Missouri sees spike in marketplace plan enrollment as state purges Medicaid rolls (Links to an external site)
As the window for open enrollment on the health insurance marketplace closes, Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research co-Director, Timothy McBride, PhD, weighs in on the recent rise in enrollment.
Seelinger featured in “Washington People” (Links to an external site)
Director of the Center for Human Rights, Gender & Migration, Kim Thuy Seelinger, combines social work and law to help prosecute gender-based violence.
Fertility and Cancer: What to Expect When You’re (Not) Expecting (Links to an external site)
Listen as Lindsay Kuroki, MD, assistant professor, gynecologic oncology, and Public Health Faculty Scholar, talks with a patient about fertility preservation and what she faced emotionally and physically.
Why there’s a storm brewing about global food aid from the U.S. (Links to an external site)
Public Health Faculty Scholar and nutritionist, Lora Iannotti weighs in about the problems with U.S. food aid. Is it really doing good or just a facade?
Policy interventions helped save lives during pandemic, study finds (Links to an external site)
Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy and Economics Research co-Director, Timothy McBride, The Bernard Becker Professor at the Brown School co-authored a paper concerning a Brown School study showing that policy changes saved lives during the pandemic.
There’s a new COVID-19 variant and cases are ticking up. What do you need to know? (Links to an external site)
New variant, flu, RSV…lots going on out there. Public Health Faculty Scholar and WashU Epidemiologist, Ziyad Al-Aly says we’ll likely see a rise of illness in January now that the holidays are over.
Policy interventions helped save lives during pandemic, study finds (Links to an external site)
Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research co-Director, Timothy McBride co-authored a paper discussing how policy interventions “helped save lives during the pandemic”. Read about the Brown School study.
Educational reform should embrace learners’ diversity, study finds (Links to an external site)
Public Health Faculty Scholar, Jean-Francois Trani co-authored a study published in the journal PLOS One that finds child engagement in education, child attendance and child inclusion in equitable quality education all influence each other.
Study: Smoking permanently shrinks the brain, driving up dementia risk (Links to an external site)
A study published by Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health Faculty Scholar, Laura J. Bierut, MD, found that smoking causes the brain to shrink, and stopping smoking doesn’t reverse the effects. “A reduction in brain volume is consistent with increased aging. This is important as our population gets older because aging and smoking are both risk factors for dementia.”
The best advice we got in 2023 (Links to an external site)
WashU Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Public Health Faculty Scholar, Patrick Hill says to live more purposefully, we should all “think about developing purpose from the ground up”. His comments were featured in VOX online.
Kick off the new year with bright citrus fruit (Links to an external site)
Associate Professor of Surgery & Public Health Faculty Scholar, Yin Cao discusses healthier eating habits in 2024 like including easy, affordable citrus to your plate! Check out her tips in Feast Magazine.
10 early signs that suggest you’re about to be struck down by flu this winter (Links to an external site)
“One of the distinguishing features of the flu compared to colds is that often it has a very sudden onset,” explains Hilary Babcock, infectious disease physician and public health faculty scholar. Flu symptoms can even occur on the same day that a person is infected. Find out the best way to protect yourself.
What Sandra Day O’Connor Got Wrong (Links to an external site)
James Gibson, the Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government, Arts & Sciences and public health faculty scholar talks about how the Supreme Court is insulated by a “layer of good will” even when it issues unpopular decisions.
There’s ‘long flu,’ too: Influenza can lead to long-lasting symptoms, study finds (Links to an external site)
First long COVID, now long flu? According to a new study, lingering lung problems are just one of the problems some are experiencing 18 months after illness. Ziyad Al-Aly, MD talks about his research.