Alison Albee, Ph.D., of the Department of Genetics; Steve Davidson, Ph.D., of the Department of Anesthesiology; Sarah Van Vickle-Chavez, Ph.D., of the Department of Surgery; and Gary Port, Ph.D., of the Department of Molecular Microbiology, have been named 2009-10 W.M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellows in Molecular Medicine by the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Each year, the division selects four or five outstanding scientists in biomedical research with fewer than two years of postdoctoral research experience and awards each a fellowship of $25,000 for partial stipend support. This program was established and endowed at the School of Medicine in 1988 with a $900,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. …
Dennis L. Barbour, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering, has received a two-year, $750,369 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders for research titled “Neural Encoding of Complex Sounds.” …
Philip V. Bayly, Ph.D., the Lilyan and E. Lisle Hughes Professor of Mechanical Engineering and chair of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Structural Engineering, has received a two-year, $410,022 grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for research titled “Mechanical Changes in the Developing Brain.” …
Laura A. Burkle, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate in biology in Arts & Sciences, and Tiffany M. Knight, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, have received a one-year, $74,998 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “RAPID: Comparing Historic andContemporary Plant-Pollinator Interaction Networks to Investigate the Effects of Climate Change and Invasive Species.” …
Robert Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, has received a one-year, $65,863 subcontract from the City of University City Department of Public Works for research titled “Geochemical Monitoring of the River Des Peres in University City.” …
Brian P. Cupps, Ph.D., research assistant professor of surgery, has received a two-year, $578,354 grant from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for research titled “3D Myocardial Strain Vectors in Ischemic Heart Disease.” …
Thomas Ferkol, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of cell biology and physiology and director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonary Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, was elected chair of the American Thoracic Society Scientific Assembly on Pediatrics at its annual conference in May. …
David Fike, Ph.D., assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, has received a one-year, $213,900 grant from The Agouron Institute for research titled “Constraining the Ediacaran-Paleozoic Rise of Oxygen.” …
Steven M. Kymes, Ph.D., research assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, received a 2009 Investigator Award from Prevent Blindness America for his project titled “Development of a Model for Estimation of Longitudinal Changes in Mean Deviation in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma.” Kymes was one of four researchers to receive the award, given to research studies dedicated to preventing avoidable vision loss. …
Kathryn G. Miller, Ph.D., professor and chair of biology in Arts & Sciences, has received a three-year, $280,350 grant from the National Science Foundation for a program titled “REU Site: Cellular and Developmental Biology Research Apprentice-ship Program at Washington University in St. Louis (CD-BioRAP).” …
Arye Nehorai, Ph.D., the Eugene and Martha Lohman Professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, has received a one-year, $99,995 grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for research titled “Biologically Inspired Coupled Antenna System.” …
Arie Perry, M.D., professor of pathology and immunology, was elected vice president elect of the American Association of Neuropathologists. …
Dong Qin, Ph.D., research associate professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering, has received a one-year, $485,250 subaward from Cornell University for research titled “National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network.” …
Peter H. Raven, Ph.D., the Engelmann Professor of Botany in Arts & Sciences and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Kyra Krakos, graduate student in biology in Arts & Sciences, have received a two-year, $10,873 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “The Role of Reproductive Trait Shifts in the Diversification of Oenothera (Onagraceae).” …
Mitchell G. Scott, Ph.D., professor of pathology and immunology and clinical research assistant professor of medicine, began his term as president of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists on June 6 at the academy’s annual meeting in Los Angeles. …
Shira Stolarsky, a senior majoring in mathematics in Arts & Sciences, participated in the NEW Leadership Illinois Summer Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago June 3-7. Stolarsky was one of 20 female students selected for the institute, which provides women an opportunity to discuss leadership education, politics and public policy with female leaders from across Illinois. …
Herbert W. Virgin IV, M.D., Ph.D., the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor, chair of the Department of Pathology and Immunology and professor of molecular microbiology and of medicine, has been appointed director and principal investigator, Midwest Region Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research. …
Lihong Wang, Ph.D., the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of radiology, has received a five-year, $5,850,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for research titled “Photoacoustic/Optical/Ultrasonic Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Nodes and Metastases.” …
Mrinalini Watsa, graduate student in anthropology in Arts & Sciences, has received a one-year, $2,500 grant from Lambda Alpha National Collegiate Honor Society for Anthropology and a one-year, $1,500 grant from The International Primatological Society for research titled “Genetic Chimerism and Population Structure in Free-Ranging Saddle-Back Tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis) Populations in Southeastern Peru.” …
WUSTL’s Keod chapter of the Mortar Board honor society received the Silver Torch Award — presented to chapters executing timeliness and dedication while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service — at the 2009 Mortar Board National Conference in July. The Keod chapter also received a Project Excellence Award for its University City Spring Fling Library Event, a literacy festival for more than 50 children. Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. …
Lan Yang, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical and systems engineering, has received a three-year, $299,126 grant from the National Science Foundation for research titled “Laser Treated Sol-Gel Glass for Ultra-High-Quality Photonic Devices.”