The Record
Friday, March 6, 2026
Top stories
GLP-1 medications get at the heart of addiction
WashU Medicine researchers have shown in a new study that GLP-1 medications, typically used for diabetes and weight loss, may be effective at treating and preventing substance use disorders, from alcohol to cigarettes to opioids.
Mapping food pantry deserts across St. Louis
WashU’s St. Louis Policy Initiative research group is tracking where food pantries are located across the region to identify gaps in access and prepare for future shortages.
Sun sets on the Sunlight glacier
Researchers in Arts & Sciences are documenting the loss of the Sunlight glacier system near Sunlight Peak, Wyo. Their estimates find that some areas of the glacier could be ice-free within a decade.
Steensma installed as E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Professor
Public health scholar and entrepreneur Joseph T. Steensma bridges research and real-world impact, translating science into scalable solutions that address environmental and population health challenges.
Social Post of the WeekBefore algorithms and apps, there were dance cards
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WashU in the News
Claims of ‘rediscovered’ Michelangelos unsettle Renaissance experts
The Associated Press
The one good deed that could help you live longer, according to new research
Real Simple
New study reveals that fears of violence change children’s brains structure and function
KMOX news radio | Audacy
Martin, Mazzeo included in St. Louis Business 500: Education listing
St. Louis Magazine
Campus and community news
Alvitta Ottley, a computer science researcher at the McKelvey School of Engineering, was appointed to a United Nations panel on artificial intelligence. The panel is dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap in AI and assessing its real-world impacts.
During WashU Medicine’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week, 22 faculty, staff and students were recognized with Drum Major Awards for embodying King’s work and words.
Center for Teaching and Learning seeks new leader
A search committee has been appointed to identify a new executive director of WashU’s Center for Teaching and Learning. The role, currently held by Michael Wysession, a professor in Arts & Sciences, will now be a full-time staff position.
Perspectives
Vittert Capito hosts First Amendment podcast
A new educational podcast, “Amended!,” is hosted by Liberty Vittert Capito, at WashU Olin Business School. Produced in collaboration with WashU’s Frick Initiative, the series explores how freedoms of speech, religion and the press work and why they’re so often misunderstood.
The Source
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Who Knew WashU? Question: Recent PhD graduate Alex Quillin, working with mentor Jennifer Heemstra, developed a tool to help unravel the origins of diseases including cancer. What does it detect? Answer: B) RNA editing errors. Read more about how WashU supported Quillin’s work, which she is now working to commercialize in the private sector. Congrats to this week’s winner, Reggie Sorter, who works at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Peters and will receive an “I Knew WashU” prize! |
In memoriam
Adrian Luchini, celebrated architect, 71
Adrian Luchini, the Raymond E. Maritz Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the Sam Fox School, died Feb. 12 while visiting his native Argentina. A funeral Mass and memorial service will take place March 28.