Newsroom Stories

New research led by anthropologists at Washington University in St. Louis shows that encounters between gorilla groups were much more frequent, and that they had more varied social exchanges than expected. The effort is part of a long-term collaboration with the Congolese government and Wildlife Conservation Society that is changing perspectives on gorilla behavior, ecology and health.

Disabling a gene in specific mouse cells, School of Medicine researchers have prevented mice from becoming obese, even after the animals had been fed a high-fat diet. The researchers blocked the activity of a gene in immune cells called macrophages, key inflammatory cells.

People with the genetic condition neurofibromatosis type 1 are prone to developing tumors on nervous system tissue. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine has found that the development and growth of such tumors are driven by nearby noncancerous neurons and immune cells.

Technological advancement has been a saving grace during this time of social distancing; affording communities the ability to maintain schedules and share special moments. For Washington University, one online tool in particular has kept things moving as efficiently as possible.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network appointed Jake Laktas university program director for Washington University in St. Louis. He will work closely with faculty and students, connecting them with regional industry partners and forging collaborations.

In the COVID-19 wards of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where Washington University physicians are fighting an exhausting battle against a new, baffling and sometimes lethal disease with the help of the hospital’s nurses, other medical professionals and support staff.

A new paper by an East Asia and international business expert in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis finds that Hong Kong’s status as a leading global financial center is secure for multiple reasons, despite prolonged protesting. China’s government will continue to support it; Hong Kong’s financial networks possess extraordinary scale and sophistication; and no viable alternative center has emerged to challenge Hong Kong as the Asia-Pacific leader. Meyer, a senior lecturer in management, puts forth his arguments in “The Hong Kong protests will not undermine it as a leading global financial centre,” published online in April in Area Development and Policy.

Washington University faculty, staff and students are contributing to a project to create fabric masks for campus members and others in St. Louis to wear when they need to leave their homes during the pandemic.

As the region, nation and world continue to navigate the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington University has begun mobilizing its efforts in preparation for the fall semester, according to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. 

The spring semester at Washington University was not supposed to end like this — with empty labs and remote classrooms; canceled traditions and idle walkways; scattered friends and electronic colleagues. But the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) changed everything. Here’s a look at the many ways Washington University responded in the first uncertain weeks of a new reality.