Humanities & Society

President Donald Trump declaring the opioid epidemic a national emergency is an important statement and first step toward admitting a problem, said an expert on opioid addiction at Washington University in St. Louis, while warning that without science-informed solutions and plans of action, the epidemic will worsen.

As Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia continue to become more prevalent, it may not be long before there is a push for legalizing physician-assisted death in dementia cases in the United States. American officials must thoroughly consider the moral and social consequences of such an action, says an expert on medical ethics at Washington University in St. Louis.

The 21st Century Cures Act and key changes made during its drafting remain controversial and show the need for a more informed comment period for future health care legislation, says an expert on health law at Washington University in St. Louis.

A ban on transgender people serving in the United States military is an attempt to make policy with no logical foundation in evidence or expertise on the matter, said an expert on transgender aging at Washington University in St. Louis.

Behind the chubby cheeks and bright eyes of babies as young as 8 months lies the smoothly whirring mind of a social statistician, logging our every move and making odds on what a person is most likely to do next, suggests new research co-led by Washington University in St. Louis.

Children as young as 3 already are beginning to recognize and follow important rules and patterns governing how letters in the English language fit together to make words, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

A team of researchers from the Brown School is set to investigate the potential health impact of an expansion of the MetroLink light rail system in St. Louis. Led by Rodrigo Reis, professor, the effort will be the first Health Impact Assessment for transit in the region.

Despite 15 years of investment in the Afghan health-care sector by the international community, vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, do not benefit from access to quality health care, finds a new Washington University in St. Louis study published in the journal Lancet Global Health.

The justices of the nation’s highest court have a bird’s-eye view of the nation’s discord. But Lee Epstein trains her binoculars on them as they do their work.

Using modern, high-tech analysis tools, anthropologist Michael Frachetti is leading groundbreaking research on an ancient city high in the Uzbekistan mountains. The site may hold clues to how medieval civilizations changed when diverse communities integrated — and even suggest how we might consider our own current initiatives of global community-building.