Newsroom Stories

Fewer than half of Americans, around 49%, believe that all people in this country have the ability to achieve the American Dream, according to a recent survey from the Public Religion Research Institute. Among those under age 30, it falls to 36%. This should serve as a wake-up call for all of us, says WashU’s Mark Rank.

The right to free speech and judicial independence — two foundational values our nation is built upon — were born of the founders’ distrust of unchecked power, according to Andrew D. Martin, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis and an expert in judicial politics.

Trustee and WashU alumna Vicki Match Suna has made a pledge to establish and endow the Carmon Colangelo Award for Creative Research and Innovation at the WashU Sam Fox School.

Conrad C. Weihl, MD, PhD, a leading expert in the genetic mechanisms of neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy, has been installed as the inaugural Gabe Weil Professor in the Department of Neurology at WashU Medicine.

WashU Libraries host “Unalienable Rights: America at 250,” a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, at 2 p.m. July 2 at Olin Library. The free event features a talk about the Declaration and children’s activities.

WashU Medicine researchers have found that the shot from Moderna, currently under review by the FDA, could provide stronger and longer-lasting protection than the standard flu shot.

Fatherhood today is shaped by two powerful expectations: to be actively involved in caregiving and to provide financially, according to research by Patrick Ishizuka, assistant professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

WashU’s John Inazu argues that the ability to gather with others is essential to a healthy democracy — particularly at a time of deep social and political division. He was among the faculty presenting as part of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics course “1776: Then and Now.”

As millions travel for the World Cup, Jennifer Layden of WashU Bursky Public Health explains how officials track outbreaks, assess risk and prepare for emerging infectious disease threats.

A study led by WashU Medicine researchers shows that a family’s financial situation and the resources and opportunities in a child’s neighborhood had the strongest connection to brain development, accounting for 16% of the variability in measures of children’s brain function — far more than IQ, parenting style, health history or any other factor.