Binyam Nardos, PhD, instructor in occupational therapy and neurology, died January 29, 2021, in St. Louis. He was 39.
Nardos earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Frankin & Marshall College in 2004 and his doctoral degree in neuroscience from Washington University School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his post-doctoral training at Washington University and then at Oregon Health Sciences University from 2016 to 2021. Nardos joined the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University’s faculty in August 2021. He was interested in investigating the brain-basis of cognitive learning ( or re-learning) to work toward the goal of identifying a “brain signature” of successful cognitive learning approaches to benefit the field of stroke rehabilitation.
Nardos’ hometown was Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and he had strong ties to the Ethiopian community in St. Louis. He was a co-founder of the Ethiopian Medical Book Drive at Washington University and served as a mentor to high school and college students from underrepresented minority communities through several programs with the goal of advancing their careers in STEMM fields.
Additional information regarding his memorial services will be shared as it becomes available.