Vote for WashU Research in STAT Madness Contest

A breast cancer vaccine launched at Siteman Cancer Center is one of two Washington University research projects featured in this year’s STAT Madness, a bracket-style competition of academic research institutions.

Vote for Washington University School of Medicine here. A free account is required. Round 1 voting continues until 3 a.m. Central time on March 10.

The breast cancer vaccine, spearheaded by William Gillanders, MD, the Mary Culver Distinguished Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine, has shown promising results in a small clinical trial. Following treatment, 14 of 18 patients showed immune responses to the vaccine and, after three years, 16 patients remained cancer-free. Learn more.

The other Washington University research project featured in the contest involves psilocybin, the psychedelic compound produced by “magic” mushrooms, that can affect brain function. Researchers report that the compound destabilizes a critical network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking. The findings provide a neurobiological explanation for the drug’s mind-bending effects. Learn more.