Neurologists diagnose cognitive impairment with a clinical exam of memory and thinking skills. To determine whether Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of the cognitive impairment, evidence of the specific brain changes that characterize Alzheimer’s must be obtained, typically via a brain scan or spinal tap. Identifying people whose cognitive symptoms are due to Alzheimer’s disease […]
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown how brain tumors evolve in response to therapy, helping describe how such cancers develop treatment resistance that leads to the high mortality rate characteristic of this cancer. Only 5% of patients survive five years after diagnosis with the most aggressive brain cancers. Published […]
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 […]
David Pagliarini, PhD, the Hugo F. & Ina C. Urbauer Professor and a BJC Investigator in the Department of Cell Biology & Physiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. HHMI will be supporting Pagliarini’s research on mitochondria, organelles embedded within cells that […]
The Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. To earn this rating, buildings must meet stringent standards in energy use, material recycling, water consumption, and other measures indicating low environmental impact. “This achievement not only underscores […]
The risk of developing long COVID has decreased significantly over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis of data led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Researchers attributed about 70% of the risk reduction to vaccination against COVID-19 and 30% to changes over time, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s evolving […]
Racial disparities in dementia are due to social determinants of health, with genetic ancestry playing no role, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study, which was based on a long-running population-based survey in four Latin American countries, helps explain why people of predominantly […]
A migraine is not just a bad headache. It is a much-dreaded part of a neurologic disorder that has an array of possible symptoms, including pulsating cranial pain, waves of queasiness, bouts of vomiting, and hypersensitivity to light and sound. They frequently materialize unannounced and at the most inopportune of moments. Pubescent girls with a […]
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 […]
People who consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms — otherwise known as magic mushrooms — typically undergo a surreal experience in which their sense of space, time and self is distorted. Advocates have long argued that, under the right conditions, psychedelic experiences can alleviate mental distress, and a smattering of scientific studies suggests they may be right. Understanding […]
Infections and neurodegenerative diseases cause inflammation in the brain. But for unknown reasons, patients with brain inflammation often develop muscle problems that seem to be independent of the central nervous system. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have revealed how brain inflammation releases a specific protein that travels from the […]
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has named Washington University in St. Louis doctoral candidate Rubén A. García-Reyes and his adviser, Daniel C. Castro, PhD, to the 2024 cohort of the Gilliam Fellows Program. García-Reyes is working toward a PhD in neuroscience at the School of Medicine, and Castro is an assistant professor of radiology. The […]
Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, and Fred Ssewamala, PhD, have been chosen by their academic peers to receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2024 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced. Gurnett, the A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Professor of Developmental Neurology at the School of Medicine, will receive the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty […]
Eduardo Rosa-Molinar, PhD, who develops and applies novel microscopy approaches to the study of neuronal connections that allow brain cells to communicate, has been named the new scientific director of the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI) and has joined the faculty of the Department of Cell Biology & Physiology and the Department of Neuroscience at the School of Medicine. […]
The ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S. kills tens of thousands of people every year. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, has saved countless lives by reversing opioid overdoses. But new and more powerful opioids keep appearing, and first responders are finding it increasingly difficult to revive people who overdose. Now, researchers have found […]
Yao Chen, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is part of two teams that have been awarded grants to study the molecular processes that underlie memory and cognition. The grants are part of the “Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s Scialog: Molecular Basis of Cognition” initiative. The […]
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is launching a Center for Translational Bioinformatics, an innovative joint effort of the university’s McDonnell Genome Institute and the Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics. The center will bring together experts from diverse fields to accelerate precision medicine research and improve patient care by integrating comprehensive patient data and […]
As the deadly disease that came to be known as COVID-19 started spreading in late 2019, scientists rushed to answer a critical question: Who is most at risk? They quickly recognized that a handful of characteristics — including age, smoking history, high body mass index (BMI) and the presence of other diseases such as diabetes […]
Brendan P. Lucey, MD, a professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2024 Sleep Science Award from the American Academy of Neurology in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the neurology and neuroscience of sleep. Lucey, who is the chief of the sleep medicine section, focuses […]
Leah Rae Vandiver Czerniewski, a doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, died of a long illness Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was 34. Czerniewski worked in the lab of Jin-Moo Lee, MD, the Andrew B. […]
Erin Foster, PhD, an associate professor of occupational therapy, and Scott Norris, MD, an associate professor of neurology, have established a site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC PD) study, an international study aimed at understanding the gene changes that may lead […]
Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a stroke, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked. For the survivors, the ensuing brain damage can lead to lifelong disabilities, making mundane tasks, such as using the toilet and taking a shower, risky ventures. One in eight of those who experience a stroke […]
Opioid overdoses for pregnant people are at an all-time high in the United States, even as overall numbers are improving. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly correlated with substance use disorders, yet treatment protocols to help expecting parents manage opioid use disorders and ADHD together are essentially nonexistent. New research from Washington University School […]
Roughly 50 families scattered across the world share ultra-rare variants in a particular gene. Silent for years, the inherited mutations make themselves known when patients reach the fourth decade of life. Changes in vision start a cascade of symptoms. Five to 20 years later, the illness is fatal. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine […]
The brain needs to flush out waste products to stay healthy and fend off conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists are beginning to understand how the the brain’s waste removal system works. [Transcript] A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Turns out the brain needs regular cleaning. Otherwise, it gets clogged up with waste products, including some associated with diseases […]
Human brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, involve damage in more than one region of the brain, requiring technology that could precisely and flexibly address all affected regions simultaneously. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive technology combining a holographic acoustic device with genetic engineering that allows them to precisely target […]
There is increasing evidence that the immune system is involved in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Most research has focused on the innate immune system and its role in mediating neuroinflammation and degeneration. Naresha Saligrama, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a […]
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the function of a mitochondrial protein that plays a role in human disease. The research, led by BJC Investigator Dave Pagliarini, PhD, the Hugo F. and Ina C. Urbauer Professor, could provide new ways to diagnose and develop treatments for some rare mitochondrial diseases. The […]
General anesthesia makes it possible for millions of patients each year to undergo lifesaving surgeries while unconscious and free of pain. But the 176-year-old medical staple uses powerful drugs that have stoked fears of adverse effects on the brain — particularly if used in high doses. New findings published June 10 in the Journal of […]
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 […]
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis faculty members David M. Holtzman, MD, the Barbara Burton and Reuben M. Morriss III Distinguished Professor of Neurology, and Xiaoying Chen, PhD, an instructor in neurology, were awarded the inaugural Jeffrey L. Morby Prize from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the most promising research to prevent, slow […]
Researchers who had been using Fitbit data to help predict surgical outcomes have a new method to more accurately gauge how patients may recover from spine surgery. Using machine-learning techniques developed at the AI for Health Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, Chenyang Lu, PhD, the Fullgraf Professor at the university’s McKelvey School of Engineering, collaborated with Jacob […]
In the world of word puzzles, Sid Sivakumar is a celebrity. A graduate student working toward a medical degree and a PhD in biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, Sivakumar also authors crossword puzzle books and creates acclaimed crosswords for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the […]
Bettina Drake, PhD, professor of surgery in public health sciences at the School of Medicine, will be the inaugural faculty director of the St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-Engaged Research, Teaching and Practice, Washington University in St. Louis Provost Beverly Wendland announced May 31. The new role takes effect July 1. The collaborative, identified as […]
New findings on long COVID — long-term effects on health experienced by many who have had COVID-19 — present a good-news, bad-news situation, according to a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system. The bad news: COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized within the […]
esearchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a method to gauge Alzheimer’s disease severity by analyzing the patterns of tau pathology in brain scans. The findings could lead to a way to determine how far the disease has progressed in individuals, which could help guide treatment decisions. The accumulation and […]
Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer that has no cure. A recent chart study of patients with glioblastoma found that taking chemotherapy in the morning was associated with a three- to six-month increase in median survival. Now a study from Washington University in St. Louis reports that glioblastoma cells have built-in circadian rhythms that create better […]
Mark Lawrence, PhD and Ismael Seáñez, PhD, both assistant professors in the McKelvey School of Engineering, have been awarded $25,000 Collaboration Initiation Grants from the school. The program awards one-year grants to projects that facilitate collaborative research within McKelvey Engineering departments and other university departments for tenure-track faculty. The grants are a pathway for faculty to apply for larger […]
One of the thorniest decisions facing older adults is when to give up their keys and stop driving. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis could provide guidance in helping seniors plan ahead. The researchers found that impaired cognitive function foreshadows the decision for many seniors to stop […]
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2024 W. M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellowship: The W. M. Keck Postdoctoral Fellowship provides one year of funding to Washington University postdocs within their first two years of postdoctoral training in biomedical sciences and molecular medicine. The Fellowship recognizes outstanding scientists in the early […]
Congratulations to Charles Pfeifer on winning the 2024 Dr. Philip Needleman Pharmacology Award! Charles comes from the lab of Dr. Rajendra Apte, where he studied how eye diseases disrupt signaling pathways and alter microglia function and health. He was also able to introduce signaling proteins that restored communication lines to preserve visual function and reduce […]
Each year, the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders recognizes trainees (students and postdocs) who present their work at the Hope Center Retreat. Hope Center award winners are selected based on scientific merit, presentation, and projects that address the Hope Center mission. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Hope Center Awards! Winner from the talks: Vishnu Muraleedharan Saraswathy, […]
On behalf of the Jakschik Decision Committee and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, we are excited to announce that the 2024 Jakschik Award has been given to two students within DBBS this year! Congratulations to Lily Spatz & Ciyang Wang! The Barbara Jakschik Award was established in honor of Dr. […]
Roughly one in five cancer patients benefits from immunotherapy – a treatment that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Such an approach to beating cancer has seen significant success in lung cancer and melanoma, among others. Optimistic about its potential, researchers are exploring strategies to improve immunotherapy for cancers that don’t respond well to […]
The Washington University R25-supported Neuroprep Program, a two-year Post-Bacc program readying recent college grads for graduate training in Neuroscience, will enter its second year this summer. The inaugural five students are now pursuing their individual research projects in different laboratories across the university. Incoming trainees will arrive in August, 2024. Current trainees (2023-2025) Incoming trainees (2024-2026)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a method to gauge Alzheimer’s disease severity by analyzing the patterns of tau pathology in brain scans. The findings could lead to a way to determine how far the disease has progressed in individuals, which could help guide treatment decisions. The accumulation and […]
It might seem odd, but a steaming cup of coconut chicken noodle soup can go a long way toward advancing patient care, research and education. Similarly, a medical school’s success can be enhanced with a simple reassurance when young scientists worry about research funding, lab experiments or their futures. Or an empathetic “I understand” to […]
A study in mice by researchers at the School of Medicine indicates that brain injury can lead to brain tumors in susceptible individuals. For this study, they used mice that model people with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that causes brain tumors. The study showed that molecules released by injured neurons set off […]
Sana D. Karam, MD, PhD, a renowned radiation oncologist widely known for cutting-edge cancer research that combines radiation therapy and immunotherapy to treat head and neck, and pancreatic tumors, has been named the James S. McDonnell Professor of Radiation Oncology and head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. […]
Each year, the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis awards a prize to a graduating senior in memory of Marion Smith Spector, a 1938 graduate who studied zoology under the late Viktor Hamburger. The Spector Prize, first awarded in 1974, recognizes academic excellence and outstanding undergraduate achievement in […]