Researchers aim to create treatment that promotes tissue regeneration, restores joints
Category: News
Neurons help flush waste out of brain during sleep
There lies a paradox in sleep. Its apparent tranquility juxtaposes with the brain’s bustling activity. The night is still, but the brain is far from dormant. During sleep, brain cells produce bursts of electrical pulses that cumulate into rhythmic waves — a sign of heightened brain cell function. But why is the brain active when we […]
Bypassing the blood-brain barrier to improve brain tumor diagnosis
First-in-human trial demonstrates safety of sonobiopsy in patients with glioma Getting a biopsy is often an important first step for cancer diagnosis and treatment. But brain tumors present unique challenges: to perform a biopsy, a neurosurgeon will likely need to drill into the skull, and removing brain tissue can cause complications, including bleeding, brain swelling, […]
Ju named Morriss Professor
Neurologist studies role of sleep in neurodegenerative diseases
Alzheimer’s blood test performs as well as FDA-approved spinal fluid tests
Could make early Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment accessible to more people
WashU awarded up to $20M to create portable device to scan for eye diseases
High-tech imaging tool could be used in other medical fields
Gordon receives Nemmers Prize
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 […]
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
Clues to preventing Alzheimer’s come from patient who, despite genetics, evaded disease
Breaking link between early, late stages of disease may prevent dementia
Gut bacteria of malnourished children benefit from key elements in therapeutic food
Findings could guide recommendations for treating, preventing childhood malnutrition
Team to develop breathalyzer test for COVID, RSV, influenza A
Chakrabarty, Cirrito to develop test with $3.6 million grant from Flu Lab
Timing matters: Condensates’ composition determined by when RNA is added
Rohit Pappu, collaborators from Duke University make discovery with model fungus
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
Scientists are beginning to understand how long COVID symptoms affect the brain
Many symptoms of long COVID are related to the brain. Now scientists are beginning to understand why brain fog, fatigue, and pain can linger for years after a person was infected. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Months or even years after getting COVID-19, some people still have neurological symptoms like pain, fatigue and brain fog. MICHELLE WILSON: […]
Three named 2023 Young Investigator grantees
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 […]
Dickson installed as the Centennial Professor of Pediatrics
Patricia Dickson, MD, a professor of pediatrics, has been installed as the Centennial Professor of Pediatrics . A celebration to mark the event took place Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 in the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Dickson earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1995 in Classics and her medical degree in 1999 […]
RNA’s solo act on the ever-changing stage of cellular dynamics
Rohit Pappu, collaborators find networking afforded by interactions among RNA molecules can enable different phase behavior when heating or cooling
Zhou elected Fellow of Optica, American Heart Association
Chao Zhou develops novel biophotonic technologies for ophthalmology, developmental biology, tissue engineering
Mapping the cell’s membrane-less compartments
WashU and St. Jude groups uncover the rules for organization of cellular condensates implicated in ALS
Cavalli, Klyachko receive grant to investigate hypersensitivity in Fragile X syndrome
Valeria Cavalli, PhD, the Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn Professor of Biomedical Research in the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University, has received a grant of more than $400,000 to understand the origins of hypersensitivity in Fragile X syndrome (FXS). This genetic disorder, which accounts for the most cases of autism by a known […]
Pappu installed as Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Rohit V. Pappu, PhD, an internationally renowned researcher in biomolecular condensates and intrinsically disordered proteins, was installed Oct. 9 as the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Pappu is a professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Center for Biomolecular Condensates at the McKelvey School of […]
Advanced imaging may shed light on mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease
Song Hu plans to develop deep-brain fiber-optic techniques to investigate the cause of memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease
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
Noninvasive, ultrasound-based brain biopsy is feasible, safe in people
Sonobiopsies generate genetic, molecular data to inform treatment decisions for brain diseases
Yi and Gabel receive grants to study autism-related disorders
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. […]
How do toxic proteins accumulate in Alzheimer’s and other diseases?
Key steps leading to such accumulation identified; could inform new therapeutic approaches
Mennerick named director of Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences
Psychiatry researcher aims to break down academic silos, enhance student experience
What to know about the new Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi
Washington University involved in clinical trials, will offer drug in collaboration with BJC HealthCare
Fast ‘yes’ better for brain than slow ‘no’
Mechanical engineers find brain’s vulnerability to head motion depends on direction and frequency, not just impact strength
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
New Technique for Diagnosing Brain Diseases is Successfully Put to the Test
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 […]
Brain movement measured for clues to prevent, reduce injury
When the human head experiences any kind of movement — from nodding yes or no to heading a soccer ball or being jolted in a car crash — the brain moves inside the skull, leading to deformation of the tissue. Such deformations are key to understanding traumatic brain injury but are challenging to study since […]
NIH funds study of ultrasound with genetics to treat brain disorders
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 […]
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 […]
Air monitor can detect COVID-19 virus variants in about 5 minutes
Now that the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, scientists are looking at ways to surveil indoor environments in real time for viruses. By combining recent advances in aerosol sampling technology and an ultrasensitive biosensing technique, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a real-time monitor that can detect any of […]
Ackerman named a 2023 Klingenstein-Simons fellow
Grant will support research on brain plasticity
Diagnosis of rare, genetic muscle disease improved by new approach
Accurate diagnosis is a crucial step toward appropriate treatment
The evolution of Ephraim Oyetunji
Ephraim Oyetunji likes a good challenge. “Everything is a mystery to be solved,” he said. A senior biology major on the neuroscience track, Oyetunji quickly established himself as a standout researcher. He’s been named a WUSTL ENDURE scholar, a Hope Center Scholar, and a recipient of the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Oyetunji discussed his path […]
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, […]
Induction of a torpor-like state with ultrasound
Some mammals and birds have a clever way to preserve energy and heat by going into torpor, during which their body temperature and metabolic rate drop to allow them to survive potentially fatal conditions in the environment, such as extreme cold or lack of food. While a similar condition was proposed for scientists making flights […]
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 […]