Two Washington University in St. Louis faculty are among nearly 250 newly elected members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. They are physicist Carl Bender, in Arts & Sciences, and immunologist Marco Colonna, at the School of Medicine. Founded in 1780, the academy honors exceptional […]
Marco Pignatelli, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a five-year $6.5 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to unravel little-known brain functions involved in depression. His project focuses on understanding the neurobiology underlying chronic anergia, the debilitating loss of energy and enthusiasm that affects […]
A team of WashU Medicine researchers has discovered a promising new use for Prozac, which is the brand name of the antidepressant fluoxetine, in the treatment of children with rare forms of epilepsy. In a Frontiers of Pharmacology case report published earlier this year, the researchers describe how fluoxetine treatment of two siblings with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy […]
The fatigue and lack of motivation that many cancer patients experience near the end of life have been seen as the unavoidable consequences of their declining physical health and extreme weight loss. But new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis challenges that long-held assumption, showing instead that these behavioral changes stem […]
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has named two new fellows from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The two faculty members join 30 of their WashU colleagues already in the organization, including seven who were inducted last year. Robi Mitra, PhD, the Alvin Goldfarb Distinguished Professor of Computational Biology in […]
A newly developed blood test for Alzheimer’s disease not only aids in the diagnosis of the neurodegenerative condition but also indicates how far it has progressed, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Lund University in Sweden. Several blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are already clinically […]
As aging bodies decline, the brain loses the ability to cleanse itself of waste, a scenario that scientists think could be contributing to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have found a way around that problem by […]
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a three-year $4.5 million grant from the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation, aimed at advancing research on neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Administered by WashU Medicine’s Brain Immunology & Glia (BIG) Center, the Carol and Gene […]
Studies have shown that Black children with serious illnesses are less likely than white children to obtain crucial genetic testing necessary to guide treatment decisions, but the reasons for this disparity have not been fully understood. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis focused on children with neurological conditions finds […]
Remarkably, Doug Whitney, 75, has escaped genetic destiny. Like many members of his family, Whitney inherited a rare genetic mutation that all but guarantees he would develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. But Whitney, whose relatives first showed symptoms of cognitive decline in their early 50s, remains mentally sharp with no signs of the devastating disease, and […]
Complex biological networks control a range of functions in the human body from metabolic processes to the sleep cycle. Though scientists have ever-increasing volumes of data about the effects these complex systems produce, fully describing them mathematically has proven difficult. Without a firm understanding, effective interventions continue to be elusive, leaving more than 50 million […]
When studying substance use disorders, scientists had thought some of the effects on the brain could stem from use of the substances themselves: People start drinking alcohol in early teens, that alcohol has a neurotoxic effect on the developing brain that begets more alcohol drinking, and a similar dynamic occurs with other substances. But research […]
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been awarded $7.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a form of dementia caused by cerebral small vessel disease, the second-leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The grant funds the Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) Center, […]
Study pegs certain cellular activities to driving Alzheimer’s disease
The Washington University in St. Louis community came together Nov. 9 at its annual Founders Day celebration to honor the outstanding achievements of some of the university’s most distinguished faculty, alumni and friends. The event was held at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Four faculty were among those recognized at the event, which was […]
Strategy involves placing targets on deadly cancer’s cells, potentially making them vulnerable to immunotherapies
Sheng Chih (Peter) Jin, PhD, an assistant professor of genetics at WashU Medicine, has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the genetic and molecular underpinnings of congenital hydrocephalus, a buildup of too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain […]
Guoyan Zhao, PhD, an assistant professor of genetics and of neurology, and Erik Musiek, MD, PhD, the Charlotte & Paul Hagemann Professor of Neurology, both of WashU Medicine, have received a $433,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study brain cells called astrocytes and their roles […]
Mouse study of therapeutic food for malnourished children reveals new gut bacterial enzyme’s wide-ranging functions
When trying to understand how genetic influences factor into youth behavior, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have taken the “big trawl” approach, casting their net wide to pull in all the measured traits, behaviors and environments that make up who we are and examine associations with the genetic building blocks comprising risk for […]
Three researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have received highly competitive and prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s awards for “High Risk, High Reward” medical research funding totaling $10 million over five years. Hong Chen, PhD, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering and of neurosurgery at the […]
Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the 21st annual Nierenberg Prize from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The prize is awarded for outstanding contributions to science in the public interest. Gordon, director […]
Washington University School of Medicine faculty members Mark Rutherford and Yang E. Li have won grants from St. Baldrick’s Foundation to study pediatric cancers.
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 […]
Howard Hughes Medical Institute honors duo’s research
Scientists are trying to understand how cannabis may affect long-term neurodevelopment when people were exposed to it in the womb. Previous work by Washington University in St. Louis researchers Sarah Paul and David Baranger in the Behavioral Research and Imaging Neurogenetics (BRAIN) lab led by Ryan Bogdan, PhD, found associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and potential mental health conditions in childhood […]
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 […]
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 […]
Study reveals mechanism for why treatment appears to work better in the morning
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 […]
Nine researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received funding from the Longer Life Foundation — a cooperative effort between the School of Medicine and the Reinsurance Group of America. The foundation supports research aimed at improving human health, wellness and longevity. The researchers are: Originally published on The Source.
Gift from Andy Newman supports world-changing research on the gut microbiome
Study lays groundwork for clinical trial aimed at preventing brain tumors in children with NF1
For the past several years, Washington University in St. Louis researchers have been using focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles to target an opening in the tough, protective blood-brain barrier to deliver drugs or retrieve biomarkers. To ensure that the fast-developing technology functions safely and consistently, Hong Chen, PhD, and her team, including first author and […]
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 […]
Hong Chen, Jon Silva, both in biomedical engineering, are honored as rising leaders in their fields
Could make early Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment accessible to more people
Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2024 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science from Northwestern University. Gordon was selected for the prize by a jury of distinguished U.S. scientists for transforming the understanding of human health and how it is shaped by the gut […]
Honor named after mentor, former head of neurosurgery department
Brain cells communicate with fat tissue to produce cellular fuel, counteract effects of aging
Findings could guide recommendations for treating, preventing childhood malnutrition
FDA grants WashU-based technology ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation
Sarah D. Ackerman, PhD, Gabor Egervari, MD, PhD and Tao Xie, PhD, all of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have been named 2023 Young Investigator grantees by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. This year’s funding will support 150 promising early-career scientists across the field of neuropsychiatry with innovative ideas in mental health research. The two-year grant […]
One of 3 researchers honored for their research on how microbiomes function
Sonobiopsies generate genetic, molecular data to inform treatment decisions for brain diseases
Jason Yi, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience, and Harrison Gabel, PhD, an associate professor of neuroscience, both at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, each have received two-year $300,000 pilot grants from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. The researchers will use the funds to investigate genetic diseases that result in autism. […]
Key steps leading to such accumulation identified; could inform new therapeutic approaches
Hong Chen, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering and radiation oncology at Washington University in St. Louis, is dedicated to what may seem like the impossible. “This constant puzzle of what’s happening in my brain.” Chen is referring to all human brains that share this complexity. And getting answers to serious problems can be very […]
Researchers have developed methods to study and manipulate areas of the brain, though many of those methods are restricted by the limited depth that light can reach within the brain. A multidisciplinary team at Washington University in St. Louis plans to overcome that limitation by integrating ultrasound with genetics to precisely modify neurons in the […]