The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research has announced that Alex Evers, MD, the Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will receive the foundation’s 2024 Mentoring Excellence in Research Award. Recipients of the international award must be nominated by former mentees who are now in research, teaching or […]
Author: WashU School of Medicine News
New drug targets for Alzheimer’s identified from cerebrospinal fluid
Study pegs certain cellular activities to driving Alzheimer’s disease
Beneficial gut microbe has surprising metabolic capabilities
Mouse study of therapeutic food for malnourished children reveals new gut bacterial enzyme’s wide-ranging functions
Implantable device may prevent death from opioid overdose
Device delivers naloxone upon sensing drop in respiration, animal study shows
WashU Medicine celebrates first R01 recipients
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis celebrated rising investigators at the First R01 Celebration, marking a significant milestone for scientists embarking on their independent research careers. The event honored recipients of their first R01 research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research grants represent the NIH’s recognition of investigators’ rigorous, […]
Novel immunotherapy improves recovery from spinal cord injury
Mouse study shows engineered immune cell therapy protects damaged neurons
Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord
Detailed blueprint of nerve cells’ dramatic changes could help identify ways to heal spinal cord damage
Psilocybin generates psychedelic experience by disrupting brain network
Study advances efforts to harness drug’s mind-altering power to treat mental illness
García-Reyes, Castro named to Gilliam Fellows Program
Howard Hughes Medical Institute honors duo’s research
Repurposed drug may help stabilize vision in rare disease
Clinical trial for RVCL-S patients tests drug already approved as sickle cell disease treatment
Holtzman, Chen recognized for exceptional Alzheimer’s research
Morby prize from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund honors discovery of T cells’ role in neurodegeneration
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 […]
Dickson, Khabele, Longmore elected to Association of American Physicians
Three physician-scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been newly elected to the Association of American Physicians. Membership in the organization is an honor bestowed on physicians who lead innovative scientific research to improve health care. They are Patricia I. Dickson, MD, Dineo Khabele, MD, and Gregory D. Longmore, MD. Dickson, the Centennial Professor […]
Alzheimer’s disease progresses faster in people with Down syndrome
Study highlights need to develop therapies for this vulnerable population
Nerve stimulation for sleep apnea is less effective for people with higher BMIs
Popular alternative to CPAP machines may not be appropriate for all
Immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease shows promise in mouse study
Alzheimer’s disease starts with a sticky protein called amyloid beta that builds up into plaques in the brain, setting off a chain of events that results in brain atrophy and cognitive decline. The new generation of Alzheimer’s drugs — the first proven to change the course of the disease — work by tagging amyloid for […]
Ju named Morriss Professor
Neurologist studies role of sleep in neurodegenerative diseases
How does waste leave the brain?
Discovered route serves as passageway to clear fluid waste from brain
Newly opened Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building dedicated
Dozens of noted scientists, philanthropists, and university, state and local leaders gathered Jan. 18 to celebrate the dedication of one of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings, a gleaming state-of-the-art facility on the Washington University Medical Campus. They toured its sophisticated, newly christened labs; listened intently as Washington University scientists described the lifesaving work they […]
Zipfel receives Dacey award for cerebrovascular research
Honor named after mentor, former head of neurosurgery department
Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated
Brain cells communicate with fat tissue to produce cellular fuel, counteract effects of aging
Lowering a form of brain cholesterol reduces Alzheimer’s-like damage in mice
Targeting cholesterol potentially could help treat Alzheimer’s, related dementias
Ashrafi receives Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award
Grant to support research on neurodegenerative disorders
Device for noninvasive brain biopsies via blood draw moves closer to market approval
FDA grants WashU-based technology ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation
Fagan receives lifetime achievement award from Alzheimer’s Association
Recognized for work on fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s
Avidan, England, Miller elected to National Academy of Medicine
Membership is one of highest U.S. honors in health and medicine
Gordon receives Albany Prize
One of 3 researchers honored for their research on how microbiomes function
Podcast: Newly approved drug may slow progression of Alzheimer’s
This episode of ‘Show Me the Science’ focuses on approval of a drug that attacks a key protein that contributes to dementia from Alzheimer’s disease
Cognitive function in Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s focus of grant
Nearly every person with Down syndrome eventually develops Alzheimer’s disease, yet people with the syndrome routinely are excluded from Alzheimer’s clinical trials, as the cognitive assessment tools designed for the general population often are inappropriate for people with developmental disabilities. Consequently, nobody knows whether the new Alzheimer’s therapeutics hitting the market will work for people […]
Scientists develop breath test that rapidly detects COVID-19 virus
Test results available in less than a minute
Tau-based biomarker tracks Alzheimer’s progression
Two pathologies drive the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Early on, amyloid beta plaques lead the way, but around the time cognitive symptoms arise, tau tangles take over as the driving force and cognition steadily declines. Tracking the course of the disease in individual patients has been challenging because there’s been no easy way to measure […]
Ackerman named a 2023 Klingenstein-Simons fellow
Grant will support research on brain plasticity
Altered gut bacteria may be early sign of Alzheimer’s disease
People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease — after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent — harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, […]
Gordon wins Spain’s Asturias Award
Microbiome pioneer Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has won the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. The Asturias awards, among the most prestigious honors in the Spanish-speaking world, are presented annually in eight categories. The awards are designed to recognize exceptional scientific, technical, cultural, […]
Findings may lead to improved insulin-secreting cells derived from stem cells
Diabetes researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered at least one reason insulin-secreting cells made from stem cells in the lab don’t work as well as natural cells. The discovery could help speed progress toward making insulin-secreting cells — called islet beta cells — more effective in the treatment of […]
Bateman to receive lifetime achievement award
Recognized for contributions to Alzheimer’s disease research
Drug for rare form of ALS, based in part on WashU research, approved by FDA
A new drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a rare, inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a paralyzing neurological disease. Known as tofersen, the drug has been shown to slow progression of the deadly disease. International clinical trials of tofersen, developed by the global biotechnology company Biogen Inc., […]
Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins
More research needed to determine if sleep medications prevent, delay Alzheimer’s
Multiple substance use disorders may share inherited genetic signature
Findings could lead to universal therapies for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioid addictions
Miller receives Rainwater Prize for Brain Research
Honored for work developing new kind of therapy for neurodegenerative diseases
Gordon receives Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
‘Father of the field’ honored for gut microbiome research
Understanding, treating pain, reducing opioid use, aim of $11.7 million grant
Funding from NIH HEAL Initiative
Research offers clues for treating fatal neurological disorder in kids
Enzyme replacement therapy, in mice and sheep, slowed brain degeneration
$9 million to fund study of ‘jumping genes’ in Alzheimer’s
Researchers from several labs to study role of transposable elements
Cruchaga awarded Zenith Fellowship Award
Recognizes scientist’s contributions to Alzheimer’s disease research
Study points to new approach to clearing toxic waste from brain
Could aid efforts to find treatments for Alzheimer’s, other diseases
Diversity, equity, inclusion a pillar of Neuroscience Research Building
‘We are all doing important work’
Cruchaga named Morriss Professor
Carlos Cruchaga, PhD, a pioneer in the use of human genomic data to understand and elucidate the biology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, has been named an inaugural Barbara Burton and Reuben M. Morriss III Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Cruchaga was installed by Chancellor Andrew D. Martin […]
Atkinson honored by American Society of Hematology
The American Society of Hematology has honored John Atkinson, MD, the Samuel Grant Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, for his significant contributions to the field of hematology. He is one of two recipients of the Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize and is recognized for breakthroughs that have advanced understanding […]
Neuroscience leaders tour research building construction site
Neuroscience leaders and other faculty and staff at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis got an up-close look at the Neuroscience Research Building during a recent tour of the construction site. The framework of all 11 stories has been built, and the process of wrapping the building in glass is underway. On the […]