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Washington University’s Olin School of Business is trying to streamline communication between people who specialize in health business and medical professionals. The university last week announced a new “Business of Health” initiative, which the head of the program says will “improve individual and societal well-being” through communication.

WashU has evolved dramatically on Andrew Martin’s watch, and its School of Continuing & Professional Studies is a prime example. By reimagining the school to allow for an easier entry point, WashU hopes to provide direct paths to higher-paying careers, while also helping companies across the region develop and retain talent in some of the most high-demand sectors. All told, Martin believes it’s an exciting time to work in higher education. “There’s so much potential to build upon and expand on long-standing partnerships, establish new ones, and activate the talents of our students and faculty in service to and alongside our region,” he says.

The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Diagnostic Center of Excellence was established in 2019 to solve the trickiest medical mysteries in Missouri and nearby states. Now, the center is expanding. Buoyed by the renewal of the center’s five-year, $3.8 million grant, the UDN leadership team plans to increase outreach to medically underserved communities and increase capacity from 30 to 50 patients a year. The center has established a collaboration with the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, an organization dedicated to improving the quality, accessibility and affordability of health care.

Members of the WashU and St. Louis communities may now recycle their glass in the Ripple Glass depository in the West Campus parking lot. Ripple Glass is a Missouri business offering circular solutions to keep glass out of landfills. By separating out glass at the source, Ripple Glass’ collection method has a 98% recovery rate – the remaining 2% is just the caps, labels, lids and corks.

In addition to the prolonged pain and suffering endured by sickle cell patients, a Washington University School of Medicine study has concluded that there could be a significant impact on cognitive thinking. More than 200 young, Black adults with and without sickle cell disease, living in St. Louis and the surrounding region in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, participated in brain MRI scans and cognitive tests as part of the study.

This February, WashU officially became the host of a Ripple Glass collection site. This exciting new addition offers WashU and the surrounding community a new and high-impact option to recycle their glass bottles and jars.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has launched the Center for Rare, Undiagnosed and Genetic Diseases, supported by an $8.5 million grant from Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI), a partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation and WashU Medicine. The new center brings together WashU Medicine researchers and the rare disease patient community, creating a collaborative network to drive innovative research and accelerate drug discovery.

A new era for public health has begun at Washington University in St. Louis, marked by a two-day celebration welcoming Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, as the inaugural Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health and the Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor in Public Health. The events featured a public lecture as part of WashU’s Assembly Series and a formal installation ceremony honoring the leaders and donors who have laid the foundation for the new School of Public Health. The ceremony signified the launch of WashU’s first new school in a century, an ambitious undertaking aimed at transforming public health research, education and practice.

The Washington University Make-a-Thon is an event in its second year in which WashU students design and produce a prototype of a functional tech device for people with disabilities. People from different fields work together to create a product for a person with a disability, said Marit Watson, an occupational therapy professor at the university.

Two Washington University in St. Louis faculty members are being honored by the Academy of Science – St. Louis for their contributions to science: Peng Bai, an associate professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, and Ram Dixit, a professor and chair of biology in Arts & Sciences. The awards will be presented at the Outstanding St. Louis Scientists Awards Ceremony April 3 at the Missouri Botanical Garden.