Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018

Top Stories

University celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day

James Clark, of Better Family Life, will receive the Rosa L. Parks Award at the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in Graham Chapel. Brian D. Smedley, of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, will speak at the School of Medicine that afternoon.

Lack of sleep boosts levels of Alzheimer’s proteins

Chronic poor sleep has been linked to cognitive decline. A School of Medicine study shows that a sleepless night causes levels of the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta to rise faster than the brain’s waste-disposal system can remove it.

Healthy racial identity important for African-American girls

African-American girls with strong racial identity are more likely to be academically curious and persistent in school, according to a study led by the Brown School’s Sheretta Butler-Barnes.

WashU Expert on marijuana enforcement change

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions last week made it easier for federal marijuana laws to be enforced in states that had legalized its use. That move may backfire, legal expert Peter Joy said.

Events

4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10

Chancellor search listening session

4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11

#SciComm Thursday: communicating research

5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12

Swimming and diving: WashU Invitational

Monday, Jan. 15

Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

View all events →

Campus Announcements

Nominations sought for sustainability leadership

Nominations of people and projects that demonstrate the university’s sustainability goals in areas such as reducing waste and conserving energy are being accepted through Monday, Jan. 15. Winners of the new Sustainability Leadership Awards will be recognized at the Green Carpet Awards ceremony Feb. 5.

WashU in the News

Can an algorithm tell when kids are in danger?

The New York Times

Scientists just solved a major piece of the opioid puzzle

Wired

Trump probably can’t gag Bannon and ‘Fire and Fury’ author, say legal experts

ABC News

How can I live longer? Researchers say the key to longevity may be simpler than we think

NBC News

Washington University celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

St. Louis Public Radio

See more WashU in the News →

Obituaries

Judith Jasper Leicht, formerly of public affairs, 77

Judith Jasper Leicht, former associate vice chancellor for university communications and a member of the university’s public affairs staff for 20 years, died Dec. 24 at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital after a lengthy battle with multiple cancers. She was 77.

Campus Voices

Making data-driven decisions in higher education

John Gohsman, the university’s vice chancellor for information technology, writes an article in Education Technology Insights about how to use data effectively in higher education administration.

Notables

Peggie Smith, the Charles F. Nagel Professor of Employment and Labor Law at the School of Law, has been elected to the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and improve the law.

Research Wire

Joel S. Perlmutter, MD, and Zhude Tu, both of the School of Medicine, received a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a research project titled “Neuroimaging of PDE10A.”

The Record