Month: April 2018

Warmer summer and fall seasons and fewer winter freeze-thaw events have led to changes in the relative numbers of different types of bugs in the Arctic, says Amanda Koltz, a postdoctoral fellow in Arts & Sciences. The study relies on the longest-standing, most comprehensive data set on arctic arthropods in the world today: a catalogue of almost 600,000 flies, wasps, spiders and other creepy-crawlies collected at the Zackenberg field station on the northeast coast of Greenland from 1996-2014.

One day, a law professor and a visiting scholar took a walk in St. Louis’ historic Forest Park. A friendship, partnership and a unique class called “Religion, Politics, and the University” followed, which takes a deep dive into how a diverse democracy can develop and be successful in a pluralistic society.

Sarah C.R. Elgin and Samuel I. Achilefu will receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2018 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced. Also, William A. Frazier III, professor emeritus, will be honored for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Studying mice, School of Medicine researchers found that a drug can deliver itch relief by targeting particular opioid receptors on neurons in the spinal cord. The drug is being tested for its anti-itch effects in the U.S., but until now scientists haven’t understood how it works.

A new automated text messaging service may curb opioid abuse and reduce the likelihood of relapse while also decreasing treatment costs, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Epharmix, a St. Louis-based digital health company.

Washington University faculty and students will moderate panels at the Saint Louis Climate Summit, hosted by Saint Louis University. Students, faculty and staff can attend an evening with Bill Nye of “Science Guy” fame and environmentalist Carl Pope on April 23 for free by showing their IDs at the ticket booth.

Neighbors can be feet away and worlds apart. For the class “Segregation by Design,” Sam Fox School students Cierra Higgins and Tianna Williams explore strategies for mitigating social segregation in two historic St. Louis neighborhoods.

The theme of this year’s Pow Wow at Washington University in St. Louis is “Balancing Two Worlds: Indigenous Teachings, Traditions and Truths.” The 28th annual event, a celebration of American Indian cultures, will be held Saturday, April 21, in the Washington University Field House on the Danforth Campus.

Even companies that claim to have a long-term orientation worry about whether R&D is worth the investment. My research shows why companies, investors, and the nation will be better off if companies make long-term investments in R&D.

As scientists try to find therapy options to fight back and neck pain, considerable interest exists in harnessing stem cells to restore nucleus pulposus, the chief material in discs. Previous research shows human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can express markers for a wide variety of cells, including those that secrete NP. A collaborative team of scientists at Washington University has developed a new process to generate NP-like cells from hiPSCs.