$6.2 million to help develop gene therapy for HIV

School of Medicine researchers have received a $6.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a gene therapy that would modify the immune system’s B cells to spur them to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV.

Lemur’s lament

What can be done when one threatened animal kills another? Researchers in Arts & Sciences confronted this difficult reality when they witnessed attacks on critically endangered lemurs by another vulnerable species, a carnivore called a fosa.

How DeFake tool protects against cybercriminals

Ning Zhang, at the McKelvey School of Engineering, is one of three winners of the Federal Trade Commission’s Voice Cloning Challenge. Here, he talks about the technology he created.

WashU works to protect migrating birds

To protect migrating birds passing through the St. Louis region in late April and May, the university is partnering with the Lights Out Heartland initiative to curb light pollution. Employees are encouraged to close blinds in the evening and turn off lights when not in use.

Notables

Corinna Treitel, a professor and chair of history in Arts & Sciences, was installed recently as the university’s William Eliot Smith Professor in History. Treitel studies German-speaking Europe from 1800 to the present.

Research Wire

Geoscientist Claire Masteller in Arts & Sciences will look at the erosive power of ocean waves on rocky coastlines with a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. The highly sought-after award recognizes early-career faculty who successfully combine research with mentoring and education.