Daily rhythms depend on receptor density in biological clock

In humans and other animals, signals from a central circadian clock in the brain generate the seasonal and daily rhythms of life. They help the body to prepare for expected changes in the environment and also optimize when to sleep, eat and do other daily activities. Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are working […]

WashU researchers shine light on amyloid architecture

Amyloid-beta (A-beta) aggregates are tangles of proteins most notably associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Despite its constant stint in the limelight, however, researchers have been unable to get a good understanding of how A-beta comes together and breaks apart. “The way A-beta behaves in a variety of environments, including the human brain, is […]

‘Why public health at WashU?’

Next January, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPh, will become the Margaret C. Ryan Dean for the planned School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis. During a June 7 welcome reception, he talked about building a world-class school and shaping a healthier world. Galea also will serve as the Eugene S. and Constance D. Kahn Distinguished […]

Obituary: Stan H. Braude, professor of practice in Arts & Sciences, 62

Stan Braude, a professor of practice in biology and in environmental studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died at home Saturday, June 1, 2024, after a short illness. He was 62. Braude earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in biology at the University of Michigan, spending summers at the […]

Diwan named inaugural Shaeffer professor

Abhinav Diwan, MD, a highly regarded cardiologist with expertise in the molecular underpinnings of cardiovascular disease, has been named the inaugural Charlie W. Shaeffer, MD, Professor of Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Diwan was installed by David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol […]

International trials underway for childhood malnutrition therapy developed at WashU

A staggering 3 million children die from malnutrition across the globe each year, with many more left with long-lasting deficits in their growth and development. Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD – widely regarded as the father of the microbiome – has dedicated his life’s work to changing this paradigm. Gordon, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. […]

Leath to receive early career award

Seanna Leath, PhD, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected to receive the Society for Research on Adolescence’s Early Career Award. The award is given for outstanding contributions to the study of adolescent development. Leath studies identity development and well-being processes among […]

Nine WashU faculty elected to AAAS

Nine faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis are among the 502 new fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community. The 2023 class includes: Deanna Barch, Laura Bierut, Kendall Blumer, Andreas Burkhalter, Jennifer Heemstra, Kathleen McDermott, Jeffrey Miner, Camillo Padoa-Schioppa and David Perlmutter. It is also the 150th year […]

Ethic of Service Award honors investment in St. Louis

Founded in 2004 to celebrate Washington University’s 150th year, the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award recognizes a select group of individuals from the WashU community who show exemplary commitment to service and engagement within the St. Louis area. This year’s honorees possess compassion, selflessness and a talent to inspire action in others — qualities […]

Epilepsy drug prevents brain tumors in mice with NF1

A drug used to treat children with epilepsy prevents brain tumor formation and growth in two mouse models of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. NF1 is a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, including the […]

Board grants faculty promotions, tenure

At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting March 1, numerous faculty members were appointed with tenure, promoted with tenure or granted tenure. Their new roles and titles take effect July 1, unless otherwise indicated. Appointment with tenure Steven Miles as a professor of history in Arts & Sciences. Granting of tenure Paul […]

Obituary: Philip Needleman, emeritus trustee, longtime benefactor, 85

Philip Needleman, a Washington University in St. Louis emeritus trustee, longtime benefactor and former department head at the School of Medicine, died in an accident Monday, March 25, 2024, in Creve Coeur, Mo. He was 85. “Phil was a pioneering pharmacologist, an esteemed faculty member and a generous benefactor whose impact on our university and the […]

WashU Expert: Happiness may protect against dementia

Higher levels of well-being have been robustly associated with a lower risk for future dementia, researchers have found. Happiness is potentially protective against cognitive decline. Emily Willroth, PhD, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis further elaborates in chapter four of this year’s World Happiness […]

Occupational therapy clinic breaks ground in Delmar Maker District

Can better design improve patient outcomes? Can energy-efficient architecture contribute to public health? Over the past year, a team of architects, medical professionals and engineers, including students, from Washington University in St. Louis and Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have explored these questions and more through a series of interdisciplinary design studios […]

NIH awards $3.1 million grant for WashU, St. Jude ALS research

Scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have been awarded a five-year $3.1 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, an affiliate of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Rohit Pappu, PhD, the Edwin H. Murty Professor of Engineering in the Department of Biomedical Engineering […]

‘Thank you, #WashU20’ features Claire Weichselbaum, Kow Essuman

To the Class of 2020: Thank you. For your commitment to academic excellence. For your service to the St. Louis community. For your support of your fellow students. For your devotion to your labs, your teams, your campus organizations. You made Washington University in St. Louis better. We wish we could express our gratitude to […]

Jackrel lab makes protein finding that could help fight disease

Researchers in the laboratory of Meredith Jackrel, assistant professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, discovered that proteins implicated in Ewing’s sarcoma and liposarcoma can be dissolved by protein disaggregases, a finding that could be used to combat disease. The new research is published in the Journal of Biological […]

Perlmutter named scientific director of dystonia foundation

Joel S. Perlmutter, MD, the Elliot H. Stein Family Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named scientific director of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. Dystonia is a neurological disorder that causes excessive, involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal postures. An expert on Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders […]

AAAS names 11 Washington University faculty as fellows

From the WashU Newsroom… Eleven faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis — the most in a decade-and-a-half — are among 416 new fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Samuel Achilefu; Victoria J. Fraser, MD; Robert W. Gereau; Kathleen B. Hall; Joseph […]

Berezin, Rogers and others promoted by Board of Trustees

From the WashU Newsroom… At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting Oct. 5, the following faculty were appointed with tenure or promoted with tenure, effective that day. Appointment with tenure John Gorcsan III, MD, as professor of medicine at the School of Medicine; Jianjun Guan as professor of mechanical engineering and […]

Svrakic publishes book on personality disorders

From the WashU’s Campus Voices… In the new book “The Fragmented Personality,” Dragan Svrakic, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine, and Mirjana Divac-Jovanovic, of Sigidunum University in Serbia, introduce a new model for diagnosing and caring for patients with personality disorder. The approach yields a diagnosis sensitive to fluctuations in mental […]