The Record

Sleep aid blocks neurodegeneration in mice

A new study by WashU Medicine researchers suggests that lemborexant and sleep aids that work the same way could help treat or prevent damage caused by harmful buildup of the protein tau in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

New hydrogel treatments turn water waste into fertilizer

Environmental engineers at WashU have developed hydrogels to transform wastewater nutrients into useful feedstocks and fertilizers.

Board grants faculty appointments, tenure

At the WashU Board of Trustees meeting in May, numerous faculty members were appointed, promoted or granted tenure, with most taking effect July 1.

Uncovering how cells allocate space to make way for new growth

A study led by physicist Shankar Mukherji in Arts & Sciences uses a new technique to simultaneously visualize how six major organelles within a cell change as the cell grows. The work has implications for how cells regulate metabolism and growth, which is important in both health and disease.

Announcements

Redevelopment plans announced

WashU will soon move forward with plans to redevelop 6200 Forsyth Blvd. Project completion is expected by late 2026.

Research Wire

WashU Medicine researcher Benjamin Garcia will receive an $18.5 million five-year grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how long-lived mammals stay healthy into old age.

Notables

Rodrigo S. Reis, a professor at the School of Public Health and an expert on the intersection of physical activity, the built environment and health, has been appointed co-editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.