Department of
Brandon Tan, MD, PGY5 and an ASAP trainee, has been selected as one of the 2023 Dean’s Scholars. His project explores how the serotonin 3 receptor—implicated in nausea, depression, anxiety, and psychosis—changes its activity when the lipid environment is altered.
The Department of Anesthesiology is delighted to announce that Burel R. Goodin, PhD, is joining Washington University School of Medicine as professor of anesthesiology March 1, 2023.
A research team, led by scientists at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis, have altered the chemical properties of fentanyl and the way that it binds to opioid receptors on nerve cells. The goal is to improve the drug’s safety profile without eliminating its ability to alleviate pain.
The paper highlights the work of Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and his colleagues who examined the molecular differences between LFT and MP, and how they bind to MU opioid receptors.
In a recent study published in Nature Communications on November 17, 2022, Wayland Cheng, MD, PhD, and colleagues solved the structure of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel in an open-channel conformation using single particle cryo-electron microscopy.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a five-year, $11.7 million grant to study human genes and nerve cells to better understand how cells transmit pain and to identify new ways to treat it.
Researchers at WashU have identified a pathway in the brains of mice that is activated when the animals see other mice scratching. This so-called “contagious itching” is controlled through a visual pathway that operates independently of the visual cortex—the area of the brain that processes visual information.
Dr. Kannampallil will plan, direct, and coordinate research activities related to technology, telemedicine, and innovation within the department. He will also provide population, organizational, and patient-level data, analysis and decision support to advance innovative and technology-related initiatives for the department.
Dr. Sunny Lou has been awarded the 2022 International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Mentored Research Award for her project “Intelligent Clinical Decision Support for Perioperative Blood Management.”
ASSURE fellows concluded their summers with an end-of-program poster session at the School of Medicine, where they presented their work and answered questions about the research they conducted throughout the summer. Looking ahead, the ASSURE fellowship program aims to continue growing in size and scope by seeking additional support through grants and philanthropic funding. Recently, the fellowship program was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital which will be instrumental in maintaining momentum and continuing to improve the program.