Plans underway for pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trials

School of Medicine physicians plan to launch clinical trials this spring at St. Louis Children’s Hospital to evaluate COVID-19 vaccines in children. The trials will help determine how well children’s immune systems respond to vaccines found safe and effective in adults.

Liquid biopsy for colorectal cancer could guide therapy

A School of Medicine study demonstrates that a liquid biopsy examining blood or urine can help gauge the effectiveness of therapy for colorectal cancer that has just begun to spread beyond the original tumor.

Sustainability Exchange tackles real-world problems

Students in the Sustainability Exchange team up with campus clients and community partners to tackle real-world environmental challenges. Art & Sciences’ Bill Lowry, who helped launch the program in 2015, reflects on the program’s success and future direction.

WashU Expert on what we can learn from GameStop

Although brick-and-mortar companies like GameStop and AMC Theaters have given investors reason to count them out of stock market success, a huge surge via a “short squeeze” was both predicted and expected in recent research by Ilias Filippou at Olin Business School.

Announcements

Apply for SPORE in Leukemia grants

Applications are now being accepted for the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Leukemia Career Enhancement Program and the Developmental Research Program, under principal investigator Daniel Link, MD, at the School of Medicine. Those interested should apply by April 30.

Notables

Mark Glenn, chief of the Washington University Police Department, is among 17 finalists for the Campus Safety Director of the Year award. The award, given by Campus Safety Magazine, recognizes campus protection professionals from around the nation who have benefited their communities.

Research Wire

Kun Wang, assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, received a $506,053 grant from the NASA Emerging Worlds program for his project “Experimental Studies of Volatile Fractionation in the Early Solar System.”