Medical students are running for their lives

This year, second-year medical student Roberto Miki realized he and many of his classmates were not making healthy lifestyle choices. Because of their demanding schedules, they often were eating fast food, not exercising regularly and skipping regular medical checkups.

So Miki, secretary and treasurer of the Washington University student chapter of the American Medical Association (AMA), started the Wellness Initiative. The goal of this AMA program is to promote healthier living among medical students.

"I like to keep in shape, and I thought if we're going to be telling patients to be healthy, we should be doing the same," said Miki, a marathon runner. "The habits we start today should stay with us for the rest of our lives."

Since its inception, the Wellness Initiative has invited an exercise physiologist to speak to students, organized physical therapy checkups for students and created and posted training diaries in the medical school's Olin Gym.

On Saturday, April 15, Miki and first-year medical student Danielle Weems organized another Wellness Initiative project, a 12-hour relay to promote health among the students. About 85 students participated in the race, held at the University's undergraduate track. Two teams -- one of first-year and one of second-year students -- had someone on the track for 12 consecutive hours.

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Neurosurgery team will volunteer in Kenyan hospitals

Several St. Louis doctors and nurses will spend their vacation time in Kenyan clinics and operating rooms so patients there can receive neurosurgical care ordinarily unavailable in their country. Volunteers from Washington University Medical Center, Saint Louis University and the Microsurgery and Brain Research Institute will treat brain and spinal cord problems at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi Hospital and Kenyatta National Teaching Hospital, all in Nairobi. They will leave St. Louis May 5 and return May 20.

Carl Lauryssen, M.B., Ch.B., assistant professor of neurological surgery at Washington University, is organizing the East Africa Neurosurgery Mission. He recently invited a visiting Kenyan surgeon to stay in his home. After hearing about the acute shortage of neurosurgeons in Kenya, he decided to make this trip.

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AIDS drugs could lead to bone loss

Researchers are tacking on bone deterioration to the list of hazards associated with potent AIDS medications. However, they consider it a small tradeoff for the dramatic cut in death rates among AIDS patients taking these drugs.

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Cagan receives $1.1 million grant to study cancer syndrome genes

Ross L. Cagan, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular biology and pharmacology, has received a five-year $1.1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study genes involved in two cancer syndromes.

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