Newsroom Stories

A sense of well-being can have a profound impact on health, especially for the aging brain. Higher levels of well-being have been robustly associated with a lower risk for future dementia, according to WashU psychology researchers who contributed to this year’s World Happiness Report.

New works by choreographers Carol Bertho, Emily Ehling and the late Amarnath Ghosh, who died Feb. 27, will debut in Edison Theatre March 22 and 23 as part of this year’s MFA Student Dance Concert, presented by the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences.

Marcus Foston, an associate professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, is exploring how to add value to lignin, a type of polymer found in wood.

The undergraduate students in Washington University’s zymurgy class can learn about the practical application of synthetic biology through the traditional science of beer brewing.

In a first for the field, biomedical engineers at the McKelvey School of Engineering determined the pH profiles of certain key types of cellular condensates.

In new research published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at Washington University make the case that “thrive factors” are a key element of healthy human brain, behavioral and cognitive development. The five thrive factors include: environmental stimulation, nutrition, neighborhood safety, positive caregiving and regular sleep.

Washington University in St. Louis is launching Empower: Career Success for Refugees, a 26-week program to help refugees develop next-level language and professional skills to succeed in health care and other high-demand industries. The program will be offered at no cost through WashU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies and will take place at the Delmar Divine, home to a growing number of health, education and human service organizations. 

The studies that are frequently touted as proof of concept for a shortened work week are riddled with statistical flaws, according to Olin Business School’s Liberty Vittert, who testified March 13 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Heath, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Physicist Jeff Gillis-Davis in Arts & Sciences is leading a team that will develop and test an instrument to measure the chemistry of rocks, minerals, soil and ices on the surface of the Moon. The device is small enough to be carried by a rover or other robotic explorer.

The 18th annual African Film Festival returns to Washington University in St. Louis March 22-24. Highlights include screenings of “Omen,” an award-winning drama from the Democratic Republic of Congo; “Banel and Adama,” a love story from Senegal; and the youth matinee featuring five short films including the Annie Award-winning animated short “Enkai.”