Archives: News and Blog

News and blog articles with structured metadata and Gutenberg content.

New center to develop AI-based imaging tools to improve diagnosis, care

WashU Medicine Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology leads effort on image-based precision medicine

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is establishing a new center dedicated to developing AI-based imaging tools to improve the diagnosis and precision treatment of cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases and numerous other conditions. The new Center for Computational and AI-enabled Imaging Sciences brings together collaborators from across WashU Medicine — including Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine — and others from WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering.

AI already has shown promise for its ability to analyze vast collections of medical images to generate clinically relevant insights, identifying patterns and anomalies that physicians might otherwise not detect on their own.

“Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology has long been a national leader in developing innovative imaging technologies, from the invention of positron emission tomography to today’s AI applications in diagnostics and image analysis, and this new center represents an ambitious expansion of our capability,” said Pamela K. Woodard, MD, the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor and head of MIR at WashU Medicine. “Integrating AI into imaging will enhance how we diagnose disease, predict its progression and tailor treatments to the unique needs of each patient.”

The new center will help advance AI-driven imaging technologies, such as two recently developed at WashU Medicine — in collaboration with MIR — that are being commercialized. One tool can analyze mammograms to predict an individual patient’s risk of breast cancer over the next five years. Another rapidly maps the brain to help neurosurgeons plan delicate surgeries and avoid sensitive areas that control speech, movement and cognitive function. The center will be a hub for expertise in image analysis that uses sophisticated computing tools to find patterns in datasets of millions of medical images and de-identified patient records, providing insight on both the progression and the potential treatment of disease. The center will also support training on these tools for clinicians and researchers.

The new center will join a growing WashU ecosystem of collaborative AI initiatives that are helping to shape the future of medicine. These include the Center for Health AI (CHAI), which was established as part of the joint agreement to build deeper collaboration between BJC Health System and WashU Medicine and is focused on making health care more personalized and effective for patients and more efficient for providers; and the AI for Health Institute at WashU McKelvey Engineering, which is working on other AI-powered medical innovations.

The Center for Computational and AI-enabled Imaging Sciences will primarily focus on developing AI-based medical imaging applications that integrate information from different imaging types — ranging from digital microscope images of cells to MRI scans to X-rays — to identify clinically informative connections between them. This may include identifying previously unknown early indicators of disease onset that could allow for more effective clinical interventions.

The center will bring together AI imaging experts and researchers from across the Medical Campus, including Siteman Cancer Center, and from the school’s Departments of Medicine, of Neurology, of Psychiatry and of Radiation Oncology.

A Clear Image of the Future of Medicine

The new center will house information from the imaging databases of all the participating departments, collectively representing a range of imaging modalities across many different types of disease. The AI-powered tools developed from those large datasets will enable increasingly precise diagnosis for individual patients, Woodard said.

AI algorithms applied to medical imaging have already been used to detect and classify new subtypes of some disorders in ways that can guide clinical treatment decisions. The breadth of information that will be available at the new center will accelerate this work in a broader range of conditions.

The new center will be led by Mark Anastasio, PhD, a leading expert in computational imaging science and AI for imaging applications. He joins WashU as the Mallinckrodt Endowed Professor of Imaging Sciences for MIR, where he will also be the Vice Chair for Imaging Sciences and AI Research. He will also be Professor of Electrical & Systems Engineering in McKelvey Engineering. Anastasio comes to WashU from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he has served as head of the Department of Bioengineering for the past six years.

“Institutions with leading academic medical centers that unite medical data, clinical expertise and advanced AI research will lead the next revolution in healthcare,” said Anastasio. “WashU is exactly such an institution and an ideal home for this center that will enable us to build a community to drive innovation that advances patient care in ways few other institutions can achieve.”

As part of that community building, Anastasio will join the leadership team of the Oncologic Imaging Program at Siteman Cancer Center. He will also be the associate Chief Research Information Officer for Biomedical Imaging at the Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics (I2DB), where he will work with institute director Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, the Janet and Bernard Becker Professor of Medicine. Payne is also the chief health AI officer for CHAI and the Vice Chancellor for Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at WashU Medicine.

“AI-enabled imaging has the potential to be as transformative for medicine as earlier waves of innovation — from the adoption of electronic health records to the rise of precision medicine and the advent of real-world evidence generation,” said Payne. “That transformation is being realized here at WashU Medicine because of the dynamic and collaborative environment that exists at our institution, exemplified by leading-edge, transdisciplinary initiatives like this one.”

Aaron Bobick, PhD, dean of WashU McKelvey Engineering and the James M. McKelvey Professor, said dedicated centers such as this will be crucial to maximizing the medical and engineering expertise needed to build out the potential for AI in medical applications.

“Medical imaging offers some of the most exciting challenges in imaging science and artificial intelligence, both of which are core domains for McKelvey Engineering,” said Bobick. “I am certain that the innovations that this center will facilitate by combining the skills of WashU Engineering faculty with the broad range of medical expertise at WashU Medicine will lead to advances that both drive the science forward and benefit patients.”

Kim and Tim Eberlein receive Harris Award

Kim and Timothy J. “Tim” Eberlein were honored with the 2025 Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award during an Aug. 22 luncheon at the Whittemore House.

Mary McKay, vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives at Washington University in St. Louis, hosted the luncheon. Chancellor Andrew D. Martin presented the Eberleins with the award.

“Kim and Tim, we are here to celebrate your service, not just to WashU but to the communities that surround us,” Martin said. “That service ranges from fundraising to volunteer leadership to helping civic organizations do better by the people they serve.”

Tim Eberlein, MD, is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and founding director of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. He served as head of the Department of Surgery at WashU Medicine from 1998-2022.

The Harris Award committee selects a couple to receive the annual award, which was established in 2000 in honor of the late Jane and Whitney Harris to recognize couples who contribute to the betterment of the greater St. Louis community in an outstanding manner.

About Kim Eberlein

Kim Eberlein is a civic volunteer committed to connecting the community and supporting the arts. She helped found and co-chair the Women’s Group on Race Relations in 2009, a membership group in support of women from all walks of life in St. Louis, and the Saint Louis Visionary Awards in 2015, an organization that recognizes women’s achievements in the arts.

Eberlein’s commitment to service extends to the WashU community. She has served on several advisory councils at the university, including councils for Arts & Sciences and WashU Medicine. She also served as board chair for the Women’s Society of WashU.

Outside of WashU, she also has served as board chair for several organizations in the greater St. Louis area, including the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Safe Connections. She also served as vice chair of the board for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Eberlein has supported many organizations through board service, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri Historical Society and the Women of Achievement Awards.

Her professional career includes many years in health services administration and consulting in public health.

About Tim Eberlein

Tim Eberlein has extended the work of the cancer center into the community in many ways, such as through the cancer center’s advisory committees, community education and screening programs, and partnerships with rural and urban community agencies. He also has worked to secure health-prevention partnerships with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

He has served as chair of leadership giving for the annual campaign of the United Way of Greater St. Louis and on the board of the Saint Louis Science Center. He currently serves on the board of Pedal the Cause, which raises funds for breakthrough cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Together, the couple have led fundraisers for the Sheldon Concert Hall, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and The Black Rep.

The couple have a son, Justin (Ashley).

Harris Award recipients are honored with a cash gift made in their name to St. Louis-area charitable organizations of their choice. The Eberleins’ award will support the Saint Louis Dance Theatre, Forest Park Forever and Safe Connections, an organization dedicated to preventing and ending domestic violence through youth education, crisis care and therapy.

Finding comfort again: gentle vaginal dryness moisturizers after cancer 

If you’re facing vaginal dryness, painful sex or low libido after cancer treatment, please know this: you’re not alone and there is help. Many women treated with chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy (like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) experience changes that make intimacy uncomfortable and painful, and understandably lower interest in sex, too. There are many moisturizers and treatments available that can give relief. With the right support and tools, healing and pleasure are possible again.   

Why Does Cancer Treatment Cause Vaginal Dryness?  

Estrogen keeps vaginal tissues healthy, elastic, and naturally lubricated. Cancer treatments can lower estrogen levels, or block the effect of estrogen making the vaginal walls thinner, drier and more fragile. This can lead to itching, burning or discomfort with everyday activities. For many women this means they now experience pain during sex and intimacy.  

These side effects are common but can be managed.  

Gentle, Effective Vaginal Dryness Treatments

There are several safe, research-based ways to soothe vaginal dryness and restore your comfort. Most of these options are non-hormonal, some are all natural and many are available without a prescription.  

1. Vaginal Moisturizers to Restore Everyday Comfort

Vaginal moisturizers work gradually to hydrate and protect delicate tissues. They’re used regularly (a few times a week) and help maintain your body’s natural moisture over time. Hyaluronic acid is a common ingredient in these products. While “acid” may sound harsh, it is a natural substance found in the body that holds in moisture and promotes cushioning.   

Trusted options include:  

  • Revaree – a hyaluronic acid suppository designed to rehydrate vaginal tissues  
  • Replens™ – long-lasting moisture support  
  • HYALO GYN® – hyaluronic acid-based care  
  • Carlson® Key-E® – vitamin E suppositories  
  • Natural choices  –  vitamin E oil or coconut oil*  

These products are especially helpful when used at bedtime. Because suppositories are inserted into your vagina, laying down keeps the applied treatment in place and lets your body absorb the moisture right where you need it while you sleep.   

If you’re in perimenopause, have entered menopause, or recently finished treatment, it’s normal to need 3–5 applications per week to feel relief.  

*Note: Coconut oil is more frequently used as needed during intercourse than as a maintenance treatment. Be aware that a downside to this lubricant is that it can weaken latex condoms and cause them to break.  

2. Vaginal Lubricants – For More Comfortable Sex and Intimacy

If you’re struggling with painful sex, vaginal lubricants can make a big difference. They’re designed to ease friction and make intimacy smoother and more pleasurable.  

Look for:  

  • Water-based lubricants  
  • Fragrance-free, color-free formulas  
  • Products without warming agents or spermicide  
  • Natural products such as olive or coconut oil 

Avoid petroleum-based products, which can irritate sensitive tissue and damage condoms.  

3. Revaree: Targeted Relief Without Hormones

Many patients prefer Revaree because it’s gentle, non-hormonal, and easy to use. This hyaluronic acid vaginal suppository works by delivering deep hydration directly where it’s needed inside the vagina.  

It’s available online without a prescription and can be a great choice if hormonal treatments aren’t right for you. There are other brands available over the counter as well. 

 4. Other Natural Moisturizing Options:

  • Vitamin E gel capsules (cut open and applied externally or internally)  
  • Coconut oil (soothing, natural, and widely available)  

These may offer mild, natural relief—especially for those looking to avoid commercial products.  

5. Hormonal Treatments (When Appropriate)

For some women, vaginal estrogen or other prescription treatments can be safe and effective, but it’s important to talk to your oncology team first, especially if your cancer was hormone-sensitive.

Prescription options may include:  

  • Vaginal DHEA 
  • Vaginal estrogen cream, tablets, or rings  
  • Ospemifene (a non-estrogen oral option)  
  • Prescription hyaluronic acid treatments  

Your care team can guide you on what’s safe for your unique situation.  

  6. Pelvic Floor Therapy & Emotional Support

If pain during sex continues, a referral to a pelvic floor physical therapist may help ease discomfort and rebuild muscle control. At Siteman we also encourage emotional and relationship support—because your healing is physical and emotional.  

 You Deserve Comfort, Intimacy and Pleasure

As a person who has been diagnosed with cancer, your body has been through a lot. It makes sense that you might feel discouraged or unsure about what comes next—especially when it comes to intimacy, but healing is possible.  

These vaginal dryness treatments—from Revaree and vaginal moisturizers to lubricants and gentle therapies—are here to support you as you move forward.  

Treatments to Explore for Vaginal Dryness

A table shows vaginal dryness moisturizers and treatments

Eberlein named President-Elect of American College of Surgeons

Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, FACS, director of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has been elected president-elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The three-year commitment includes one-year terms each as president-elect, president and immediate past-president.

Eberlein began his term as president-elect after ACS’s annual meeting this month in Chicago. With more than 90,000 members, the organization is dedicated to improving the care of surgical patients and safeguarding standards of care.

“It is an honor to be elected to the leadership of the ACS by my national peers,” said Eberlein, who also is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and senior associate dean for cancer programs at WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “In this position, I will continue to work tirelessly to help the College and its Fellows in our shared mission to care for patients and advance surgical care.”

Eberlein has been active within the ACS for many years, including as an ACS Fellow since 1988 and a member of the Board of Regents from 2015-2024. He served as chair of the board from 2022-2023. Since 1995, Eberlein has been a member of the Commission on Cancer, an ACS-founded consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer. He also served as editor-in-chief for the Journal of the American College of Surgeons from 2004-2024.

For his numerous achievements, Eberlein received the Rodney E. and Thomas G. Sheen Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the ACS and the ACS Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award.

Eberlein also has held leadership positions at the American Board of Surgery, Advisory Committee to the Board for Surgical Oncology, Board of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Surgical Association and the National Cancer Institute.

It’s never too late for those with cancer to quit smoking

Smoking cessation program developed by WashU Medicine researchers at Siteman Cancer Center is more effective at prolonging life than some chemotherapies

Around 25% of people with cancer in the U.S. are active smokers when they are diagnosed, and studies have found that many of them continue to smoke during treatment. This may be due in part to a common misconception — even among some doctors — that quitting won’t help much if a person already has cancer, particularly if it’s at an advanced stage.

Now, a study led by Li-Shiun Chen, MD, MPH, ScD, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, shows that kicking the habit after starting cancer treatment is well worth it — and what’s more, smokers with the most advanced cancers glean the biggest benefit from quitting, more than doubling their survival time.

Patients in Chen’s study had help quitting through a smoking cessation program developed and administered at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. The program offers a unique approach to cancer care by integrating smoking cessation interventions into patients’ cancer treatment plans. Delivering all treatment on-site eliminates hurdles involving time and transportation.

Chen’s findings were published Oct. 9 in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

“WashU Medicine and Siteman are the leading frontier to ensure every cancer patient is offered tobacco treatment as part of their cancer care, using a novel, informatics-enabled, point-of-care model,” said Chen, who also directs the Tobacco Treatment Program at Siteman. “By showing that it’s never too late, even for the sickest patients, we hope to inspire all cancer centers and patients to include smoking cessation support as part of routine cancer care to improve survival.”

In the study, Chen and her collaborators followed 13,282 adults who received outpatient oncology care during a six-month period at Siteman. The team recorded each participant’s smoking status at their initial visit, then tracked cessation rates over the next six months along with survival over the next two years. Of 1,725 patients who reported at their first visit that they smoked, about one-fifth of them quit within the following six months.

Across all cancer types and stages, the researchers found that the probability of survival two years after patients’ initial oncology visit was 74% among those who continued smoke, versus 85% among those who quit. This benefit was driven mainly by patients with late-stage cancers (stage 3 or stage 4), among whom quitting was associated with a bigger increase in survival rate over this time period compared to people with early-stage cancer (stage 1 or stage 2).

Examining the results another way, the researchers found that for patients with stage 3 or 4 cancer who kept smoking, 85% were alive at 210 days. In comparison, of those who quit, 85% were still alive at 540 days. That’s nearly a year of additional days of life.

“Advanced-stage cancer patients often feel hopeless,” said first author Steven Tohmasi, MD, a resident in the Department of Surgery at WashU Medicine. “If they feel they have limited time, some doctors might not actively encourage patients to quit smoking or may prioritize patient comfort over cessation efforts.

But when we’ve shown patients our data, it gives them hope and motivates them to want to quit. An extra year of life is a long time for patients who may have been told they only had months to live.”

The Fourth Pillar of Treatment

Siteman’s team-based approach to tobacco care was developed as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, which is focused on helping NCI-designated cancer centers incorporate evidence-based tobacco treatments into clinical care. The goal, in essence, is making smoking cessation “the fourth pillar of cancer treatment, alongside surgery, radiation and chemotherapy,” Tohmasi explained.

Siteman’s smoking-cessation program uses electronic health records to identify patients who smoke and gauge their interest in quitting. A nurse or medical assistant then offers assistance with quitting during their visit, such as access to phone- or text-based counseling, an app designed to help them quit, referral to a smoking-cessation group, and medications to support quitting.

In earlier research, Chen showed that the program helped more cancer patients quit successfully than previous methods had. In a related study, Chen also found evidence that quitting smoking could improve treatment efficacy and boost survival rates. But Chen said she faced some professional pushback at the idea of following that research thread further.

“People told us that we were wasting time — that we should work on smoking cessation in patients who aren’t already so sick,” Chen said. “Smoking is also highly addictive, and it’s hard for people to quit. So we needed to be sure the effort would be worthwhile for patients and for their care teams.”

In the new study, Chen and Tohmasi analyzed the outcomes of all Siteman patients seen over the designated six-month period — a group that included patients with all kinds of cancers at all stages who came from across the St. Louis metro area and southern Illinois, representing an array of demographic backgrounds. This differentiated the study from some previous research on smoking cessation in cancer patients that focused only on certain cancer types and never examined the benefit of smoking cessation on survival in people with advanced cancers.

By linking cancer survival to tobacco use for all cancer patients across severity levels and including patients who were never, former or current smokers, Chen and Tohmasi were able to gain a broad perspective on smoking cessation and the important role of Siteman’s integrated treatment program.


The program has been scaled and adapted for several of Siteman’s partner health centers. Based on the program’s success, the model was implemented in 14 clinics affiliated with Siteman Cancer Center across eastern Missouri and southern Illinois starting in July 2025. Nationally the program has been disseminated through EpicShare, where it continues to prove both cost-effective and successful in supporting smoking cessation.

Starting in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million NCI grant, Chen and colleagues Alex Ramsey, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, and Ross Brownson, PhD, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor in WashU’s School of Public Health, launched a pragmatic clinical trial on tobacco treatment, including smoking cessation. The trial aims to compare how different care models can scale and sustain tobacco use treatment among cancer survivors in different care settings serving cancer survivors across eight states. The trial will be conducted with research partners at four regional hubs: WashU, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the St. Louis VA Medical Center.

Learn more about smoking cessation tools available to Siteman patients and members of our community.

For Your Health: How sleep and exercise can help kids’ health and grades

Scc 2025 For Your Health Digital Banner



Now that kids are back in school, families are settling into their new routines after a long summer break. It can certainly be a busy time for everyone. But this transition can also be a great opportunity to help our kids — and our households — build healthy behaviors that can carry through the year, and beyond.

While many behaviors are important for our children’s health and wellness, improving their sleep and activity habits can have especially wide-ranging benefits.

“It is vital for children to get enough sleep, exercise regularly and limit screen time because these habits are strongly linked to positive outcomes for their physical, mental, cognitive and social development,” said Dr. Mary Fournier, an associate professor of pediatrics at WashU Medicine in St. Louis.

Together, these behaviors can help boost heart health, immune function and bone health, among other physical health benefits, she said. But the specific benefits can also reach many other key parts of children’s health and development.

“Each of these behaviors is beneficial, but when all three recommendations are followed, the combined effect is even greater and helps lower a child’s risk of anxiety, depression and behavior problems,“ Fournier said. “And research has shown that children with these healthy habits tend to perform better academically, think more clearly and have stronger attention, memory and executive function skills.”

A good goal for school-aged children is at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, but this can include a combination of activities, like playing with friends, walking with the family and sports or other activities. For screen time on phones, computers and TV, it’s generally good to keep it under one to two hours a day outside of schoolwork. And while healthy sleep needs can vary, school-aged children should generally get around nine to 12 hours a night.

Fournier offered these tips to help families meet these goals:

Healthy Sleep

  • Keep screens out of the bedroom — and stop all screen time 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
  • Make bedtime the same each night and make it early enough to allow for sufficient sleep.
  • Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Dim the lights, put away screens and engage in soothing activities such as reading, drawing, writing, listening to quiet music or taking a warm bath or shower.

Limited Screen Time

  • Keep screens out of the bedroom, especially at night.
  • Plan non-screen activities. Play a game, read a book, draw a picture, put together a puzzle, or go outside to play.
  • Save screen time for a special treat or time, especially for younger kids.

Daily Physical Activity

  • Add physical activity to daily routines. Walk to school or the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, involve your kids in active chores like vacuuming or raking leaves.
  • Make it fun! Find activities that your child enjoys or that your family can do together.
  • Be a good role model. Kids need to see regular exercise as a normal behavior for everyone. Plan family activities where you and your kids can exercise together — daily walks, family bike rides or impromptu dance parties.

This can feel like a lot, especially when life with kids can be busy and often unpredictable. But healthy changes don’t have to happen all at once. So, while it’s good to keep longer-term goals in mind, Fournier highlighted the benefits of realistic day-to-day changes:

“While working on all three behaviors can have an amplifying effect on a child’s overall health, even small improvements in any of them can help.”

It’s your health. Take control.

Dehdashti honored by Radiological Society

Award recognizes her career contributions in research

Physician-scientist Farrokh Dehdashti, MD, the Drs. Barry A. and Marilyn J. Siegel Professor of Radiology and senior vice-chair and director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at WashU Medicine, is being recognized by the Radiological Society of North America for advancing the radiologic sciences throughout her career in research.

For her scientific accomplishments, she will receive the 2025 Outstanding Researcher award at the society’s annual meeting, Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Chicago.

The Radiological Society of North America represents professionals spanning the full breadth of radiologic subspecialties in more than 160 countries around the world and publishes six peer-reviewed journals.

Dehdashti is credited with expanding the role of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in the field of oncology. She conducted some of the first studies in people of several novel PET diagnostic compounds related to several types of cancers, including cervical, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Her other research interests include imaging estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in breast cancer; Chemokine receptor imaging, such as CCR2 imaging in pancreatic and head and neck cancers; PARP imaging of solid tumors; and imaging tumor proliferation. See her research profile here.

Dehdashti also is co-leader of the Oncologic Imaging Program at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, medical director of PET imaging at the Center for Clinical Imaging Research and a member of the leadership team at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.

She earned her medical degree from Pahlavi University School of Medicine in Iran in 1977 and completed her radiology residency in 1980 at the same institution. She served as chief resident and then research fellow in PET imaging in the Division of Nuclear Medicine at WashU Medicine before joining the faculty in 1990.

Working together, cells extend their senses

New research from Amit Pathak’s lab has implications for tracking cancer

The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive royal young woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to human biology, it also takes an abnormal individual to sense far beyond its surroundings, in this case, a cancer cell. Now, researchers also know that normal cells can pull a similar trick by working together.

Research published in the journal PNAS from engineers at Washington University in St. Louis offers a clearer picture of how cells can sense beyond their direct environment. The research can help further the understanding of how cancer moves and points to potential targets to stop that migration.

Amit Pathak, PhD, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the McKelvey School of Engineering and a research member of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, explained that “depth mechano-sensing” is how cells sense beyond what they are attached to. In previous research, he and colleagues discovered that abnormal cells with a “high front-rear polarity” (indicative of migrating cells) can sense the farthest depth, up to 10 microns beyond their adhered environment.

Part of that sensory ability has to do with how the cell deforms the surrounding fibrous collagen to reach out into extracellular matrix (ECM) and “feel” the next layer, whether that’s a hard tumor, soft tissue or bone just around the bend. The single abnormal cell can “feel” the stiffness of the ECM and set its course based on that input.

The new research shows that a collective of epithelial cells, found on the surface of tissue, can do the same and then some, working together to muster enough force to “feel” through the fibrous collagen the layer as far as 100 microns away.

“Because it’s a collective of cells, they are generating higher forces,” said Pathak, who authored the research along with PhD student Hongsheng Yu.

According to their models, this occurs in two distinct phases of cell clustering and migration. What those clustering cells “feel” will impact migration and dispersal.

The extra sensing power of cancer cells means that they can get out of the tumor environment and evade detection, migrating freely thanks to their enhanced sense of what’s ahead, even in a soft environment. Researchers’ next step will be understanding how that works, and if certain regulators allow for the range. Those regulators could be potential targets for cancer therapy. If a cancer cell can’t “feel” its way forward, its toxic spread may be put in check.

# # #

Hongsheng Y, Pathak A. Emergent depth-mechanosensing of epithelial collectives regulates cell clustering and dispersal on layered matrices. PNAS, Sept. 11, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423875122

Funding for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R35GM128764) and National Science Foundation, Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (2209684).

For Your Health: 15 small steps with big rewards

Scc 2025 For Your Health Digital Banner



Surveys show that most of us place a high priority on our health and wellness. That’s probably not surprising to hear. But as common a goal as improving health is, it can sometimes feel like a mystery how we can actually work toward it, with busy days filled with work, family and other important activities.

Luckily, small changes can have meaningful health benefits, and those benefits grow over time.

Try these 15 simple tips that focus on behaviors most of us could start today.

  1. Stock up on frozen vegetables. They’re easy, ready when you need them and as healthy as fresh options when they have no added salt or sugar.
  2. Place fruit where you can see it — on the counter, top shelf of the refrigerator or your desk. Make it as easy as possible to choose these snacks over less-healthy ones.
  3. Keep a reusable water bottle filled and close by. Plain water is the healthiest and easiest way to stay hydrated.
  4. Add a mini walk — a micro break — to your day. Park at the far end of the lot, get off the bus a stop or two early, or walk to the end of the block and back. Any extra steps we take count toward better health and provide a little “me” time.
  5. Take a short phone break. Staying connected is important — so is time away from the phone, even for just a little while. Put your phone in another room or in a drawer and give yourself the chance to explore other ways to enjoy the day.
  6. Stand up for 10 minutes. Cutting back on sitting and other sedentary activities has a lot of benefits. If you spend much of the day sitting, try to take regular standing breaks.
  7. Make that doctor’s appointment you may have been putting off. Whether it’s for a health screening, to keep track of a condition, or to get you or your kids caught up on vaccines, these types of visits can have really important benefits.
  8. Read some ingredients lists. It’s best to cut back on ultra-processed food. And one way to do that is to avoid foods with long ingredients lists that are filled with words we don’t recognize.
  9. Go to a park. Spending time in green spaces has proven benefits for physical and mental health.
  10. Say “no, thank you” to whipped cream. Many coffee drinks can come with whipped cream and other extras. It’s best to enjoy coffee without these — at least most of the time. They can add a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats and calories.
  11. Give plain yogurt a try. It can take a little getting used to, but plain yogurt is usually better for us than the higher-sugar, highly flavored yogurts. A great way to start is by mixing half plain yogurt with half flavored yogurt or adding fresh or frozen berries for natural sweetness and flavor.
  12. Pick something new from the produce aisle. Break the regular routine and try a fruit or vegetable you’ve never had before. You may just find a new favorite.
  13. Set out your workout clothes the night before. Make it as easy as possible to get dressed and out the door for your morning walk or gym class.
  14. Say “yes” to sleep. Good sleep helps with many parts of health and wellness. So, when it’s time for bed, make it a priority so you can get the seven to nine hours most adults need.
  15. Visit smokefree.gov. If you smoke and want to quit — or are just curious about quitting — this is a great place to start. There are also resources for supporting family and friends who may want to quit.

A great thing about these small changes is that they can often be relatively easy to make as well as to keep up over time. While it’s good to have bigger, longer-term health goals — like walking 30 minutes every day or cutting out sugary drinks — these types of smaller changes help build toward those and can be a powerful start.

It’s your health. Take control.

1,000th patient treated at Siteman with AI-enabled radiation therapy system

Combining artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced imaging, the technology supports more precise, personalized daily treatments by WashU Medicine physicians

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine has treated its 1,000th patient using state-of-the art radiation therapy technology that allows physicians to update a patient’s treatment plan on each day of treatment.

Called adaptive technology, the system incorporates slight changes in tumor shape, size and location, as well as the movement of surrounding healthy organs and tissue, to adjust a patient’s daily radiation therapy treatment plan for the best possible outcome.

The system is used to treat a range of tumors, including head and neck, central nervous system, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cancers.

“We are pleased to offer this advanced technology to our patients — from the first person we treated with this system in 2020, to the 1,000th person in August 2025,” said WashU Medicine radiation oncologist Hyun Kim, MD, associate professor of radiation oncology and chief of Adaptive Radiation Therapy at WashU Medicine and Siteman.

“The milestone of 1,000 patients treated on this platform is literally the result of thousands of hours dedicated by our faculty and staff to personalize treatment every day for every patient,” he said.

Also known as online adaptive radiation therapy, it requires a team of expert physicians, physicists and radiation therapists to develop and review a treatment plan after the patient’s arrival — all within minutes after the patient is positioned to receive treatment.

In addition to the AI component and machine learning, the platform is equipped with cone-beam computed tomography (CT). Cone-beam CT quickly provides high-quality images and leads to better visualization of the tumors and surrounding healthy organs and tissue, allowing the physician to develop even more accurate, personalized treatment plans than with some older radiotherapy platforms.

In clinical trials incorporating the new technology, patients experienced decreased times to treatment and, in some cases, improved cancer control with less damage to surrounding healthy organs and tissue.

For some gynecologic cancers, treatment can involve imaging the ovaries of pre-menopausal patients. As a result, some patients have experienced premature ovarian failure and early menopause when treated with older radiotherapy technologies. WashU Medicine physician-scientists are conducting an ongoing clinical trial using the new technology with the hope that they can spare these organs.

Known as Ethos, the platform is manufactured by Varian Medical Systems, which also makes the cone-beam CT imaging component, called HyperSight.