Campus & Community

Four members of the WashU community have been selected for Focus St. Louis’ fall 2026 Emerging Leaders cohort.

Gregory Zipfel, MD, head of the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery at WashU Medicine, has been elected president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons. His election continues a tradition of WashU Medicine leadership of the society dating back to 1920.

Marilyn and Gary Ratkin are the recipients of the 2026 Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award. The award recognizes couples who contribute to the culture and welfare of the greater St. Louis community in an outstanding manner.

Timothy J. Ley, MD, a professor of medicine and of genetics at WashU Medicine, led the team that sequenced the first cancer genome. The American Philosophical Society is the nation’s oldest learned society, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743.

Aaron Y. Lee, Cecilia S. Lee and Scott A. Handley, all at WashU Medicine, were recognized for their work to improve the speed and reproducibility of clinical research.

Li Zou, international director at the WashU Brown School’s Center for Social Development, has been appointed to represent the International Consortium for Social Development at the United Nations.

Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor at WashU Medicine, has received the Gabbay Award from Brandeis University in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of gut microbiome research.

WashU Medicine researchers Randall J. Bateman, MD, and Kanta Horie, PhD, received the 2026 Jeffrey L. Morby Prize from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for developing a blood test that detects and stages Alzheimer’s by measuring toxic proteins in the brain.

WashU Medicine molecular microbiologist Meng Wu was honored for her research on how early-life gut microbes shape lifelong immunity.

Kelley Van Dyck Murphy, Constance Vale and Chandler Ahrens — all architecture faculty at the WashU Sam Fox School — have won a Most Enhanced Award from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.