Scientists ID pathway that triggers mice to scratch

School of Medicine researchers have identified a pathway in the brains of mice that is activated when the animals see other mice scratching. They found that “contagious itching” is controlled through a pathway that operates independently of the visual cortex.

Senior Otto Brown wants WashU students to vote

Otto Brown, a senior in Arts & Sciences, wants to do everything he can to help students exercise their right to vote Nov. 8. Today is the deadline to register to vote in Missouri.

WashU Expert on Supreme Court’s legitimacy post-Dobbs

Public support for the Supreme Court has been waning in recent years. New research by political scientist James Gibson, in Arts & Sciences, suggests the controversial Dobbs decision overturning the right to an abortion may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Notables

Nicole Briceño, a first-year student at Washington University, took part in the National LOFT Leadership Institute Open Space Summit and the 35th Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in September in Washington.

Research Wire

The McKelvey School of Engineering’s Yixin Chen will work with two engineering alumni on a collaborative project with the U.S. Department of Energy and Lincoln University to improve biomanufacturing.

Notables

Robert D. Schreiber, the Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor at the School of Medicine, has received the 2023 Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.