Science & Technology

Aaron Lee, MD, a nationally acclaimed vitreoretinal surgeon and leader in applying artificial intelligence to vision research and patient care, has been named the inaugural Arthur W. Stickle Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at WashU Medicine.

A $1.5 million pledge from Distinguished Trustee Andy Newman for the Living Earth Collaborative will support critically endangered primates. The new project aims to transform how biodiversity is documented, modeled and protected worldwide.

Bo Li, a renowned expert in data sciences, has been named a Stanley A. Sawyer Professor in WashU Arts & Sciences.

Peter H. Raven, the George Engelmann Professor of Botany Emeritus in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, died April 25, 2026. He was 89.

A grant of nearly $800,000 will fund the development of an “AI Scientist” system aimed at improving biomedical research efficiency, with an initial focus on neurodegenerative disease.

In total, WashU startups received nearly $125,000 in funding during an event at the Skandalaris Center’s annual spring awards ceremony.

Andrew Witt has been installed as the inaugural Kavita and Krishna Bharat Professor in the WashU Sam Fox School. The professorship includes a joint appointment at WashU McKelvey Engineering.

The school is offering $10,000 scholarships to support affected professionals enrolled in the new AI for Business master’s program, while new corporate development offerings help organizations redesign work and reskill teams.

Ruiqi Wang is set to graduate from WashU McKelvey Engineering and next will work for Google the improve machine learning.

WashU cybersecurity expert Ning Zhang explains the growing capabilities of machine learning models such as Mythos and their threat to internet infrastructure and security.