By training a type of grasshopper to recognize odors, a team of WashU biomedical engineers is learning more about the brain and how it processes information from its senses. The research was published in Nature Communications.

Regis J. O’Keefe, MD, PhD, is the new head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the School of Medicine. The former captain of the Yale University basketball team takes a collaborative approach to managing the department. O’Keefe, who specializes in musculoskeletal oncology, says his goal is to make those around him better.

This spring, the schools of Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Applied Science and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts launched “The Sustainability Exchange.” The course brings students together in interdisciplinary teams to tackle real-world challenges in energy, environment and sustainability.

A demographic study of two endangered plants at Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco shows they favor recently disturbed open areas over those with established plant cover. The study by researchers in Arts & Sciences strengthens the case for removing the beachgrass planted to stabilize the dunes and instead allowing the sand to move in response to storm surges and tides.