Erik Herzog, PhD, a professor of biology, was installed Oct. 18 as the Viktor Hamburger Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. The program included welcoming remarks by Feng Sheng Hu, dean of Arts & Sciences and the Lucille P. Markey Distinguished Professor; an introduction by Jonathan Losos, the William H. […]
Bruce Carlson, PhD, professor of biology, was recently awarded $980,000 by the National Science Foundation to study neuronal plasticity and the evolvability of behavior. Carlson and his team are examining how changes in an animal’s behavior alters the sensory feedback the animal receives, in turn leading to modifications to the animal’s brain. Mormyrid weakly electric fish, the […]
While conducting fieldwork at a lab at Princeton University, Talia Dan-Cohen, associate professor of sociocultural anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, observed a common but perplexing problem. For her book A Simpler Life: Synthetic Biological Experiments, Dan-Cohen was tracking the work of practitioners in the developing field of synthetic biology, and she noticed two researchers discussing […]
Chemist Jennifer Heemstra will join the Arts & Sciences faculty this July as the Charles Allen Thomas Professor of Chemistry. Currently a faculty member and director of faculty recruiting and development at Emory University, Heemstra is a highly regarded researcher whose work focuses on harnessing the molecular recognition and self-assembly properties of nucleic acids for applications in biosensing and […]
Patrick Hill investigates the effects of living purposefully on health, wealth, and wellness – and how to maintain one’s purpose through life’s transitions. Whether you spend your weekdays as an employee, retiree, caretaker, student, or something else entirely, a typical morning likely includes some familiar components. Wake up, perhaps have a cup of coffee, and […]
The WUSTL ENDURE program, which hosts the annual symposium, partners with groups across WashU and local institutions to attract top talent, provide training and mentorship opportunities, and improve the diversity of the neuroscience field. “What would happen if you lost your heart?” Ephraim Oyetunji, a rising junior studying neuroscience in the Department of Biology and […]
In this Q&A, Deanna Barch, PhD discusses her path to a research career, the importance of interdisciplinary inquiry in health and medicine, and the big questions that drive her work. Barch was recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine. A few weeks ago, on a late Friday afternoon just as the work week was […]
The TV show “Survivor,” now in its 39th season, has spawned hosts of spin-offs and adaptations. Most cater to reality-TV lovers worldwide, but one surprising variation has become part of the toolbox researchers use to understand the effects of bullying on adolescents. Bullying is known to be a risk factor for depression, especially among young […]
Chemists in Arts & Sciences are working to engineer proteins that may help counter devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS. The proteins in our bodies have evolved over many millions of years to reach their current diversity of functions, spurring on the necessary chemical reactions occurring within our cells, and protecting us […]
