Medicine & Health

Erik Herzog, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, studies the molecules, cells and circuits of mammalian circadian timing. He also supports and encourages younger neuroscience researchers, from elementary school all the way through doctoral programs.

The movement to abolish clock-time changes each spring and fall is growing — and so is the scientific evidence. Experts say perennial standard time, or “wintertime,” is the best and safest option for public health.

School of Medicine surgeon Amy Moore, MD, has performed nerve transfer surgeries on children stricken with a rare paralyzing illness called acute flaccid myelitis. Researchers believe the condition may be caused by a common enterovirus.

A new study from the School of Medicine finds that women’s brains appear to be about three years younger than men’s of the same chronological age, metabolically speaking. The findings could be one clue to why women tend to stay mentally sharp longer than men.

In a new study from the School of Medicine, scientists have blocked the destruction of nerve axons in mice, a step toward helping patients with various neurodegenerative disorders.

Researchers at the School of Medicine — working with mice with sleep problems similar to those experienced by people with the genetic disease neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) — believe the animals will help shed light on insomnia linked to NF1 or other factors.

The cerebellum, once thought to be limited to controlling movement, is involved in every aspect of higher brain function — including attention, thinking, planning and decision-making — according to a new study by researchers at the School of Medicine.

An MRI scan often generates an ocean of data, most of which is never used. When overlooked data is analyzed using a new technique developed at the School of Medicine, they surprisingly reveal how many and which brain cells are present – and show where cells have been lost through injury or disease. The findings could lead to new treatments for a variety of brain diseases.

Why don’t you eat your friend’s lunch when you are hungry? Cognitive control. Researchers at the School of Engineering & Applied Science and Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis are working together to better understand this aspect of cognition.

Parkinson’s disease is caused by the injury or death of brain cells known as dopaminergic neurons. A new School of Medicine study shows that people who take drugs that suppress the immune system are less likely to develop the disease, which is characterized by difficulty with movement.