Newsroom Stories

Antibodies elicited by COVID-19 vaccination become steadily more powerful for at least six months after vaccination, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine that involved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Garrick Ohlsson is a “marvel of virtuosity” (New York Review of Books). Kirill Gerstein is “one of today’s smartest musical thinkers” (Limelight.) On Feb. 27, these renowned pianists will join forces for a special one-night-only performance at Washington University in St. Louis.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have shown, in mice, that a new class of compounds they developed can improve several aspects of metabolic syndrome. Such conditions often lead to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

In an effort to better connect Washington University graduate and undergraduate students to meaningful career opportunities, all Danforth Campus career services and programs will be administered by a unified Career Center. The transition, effective fall 2022, will provide students a seamless experience and offer employers a clear point of entry into the university. 

Washington University School of Medicine is participating in a nationwide phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate whether an investigational omicron-specific booster of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe and capable of eliciting a strong immune response.

Many North American migratory birds are shrinking in size as temperatures have warmed over the past 40 years. But those with very big brains, relative to their body size, did not shrink as much as smaller-brained birds, according to biologists in Arts & Sciences. The study in Ecology Letters is the first to identify a direct link between cognition and animal response to human-made climate change.

In two recent studies, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found evidence that the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 causes less severe disease than previous variants — at least in rodents — but that many antibody-based therapies may not be effective against it.

Tae Seok Moon at the McKelvey School of Engineering has taken a big step forward in his quest to design a modular, genetically engineered kill switch that integrates into any genetically engineered microbe, causing it to self-destruct under certain defined conditions. 

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Thurtene carnival returns to campus April 8-10. Organizers are inviting student groups, big and small, to participate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised stress levels among health-care workers, leading to burnout, depression and more. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have received a grant that aims to reduce workers’ burnout and promote their mental health and wellness.