A detailed map of how the brain is organized

A detailed map of how the brain is organized

A detailed new map by researchers at the School of Medicine lays out the landscape of the cerebral cortex – the outermost layer of the brain and the dominant structure involved in sensory perception and attention, as well as distinctly human functions such as language, tool use and abstract thinking.
Potential new target identified for treating itch

Potential new target identified for treating itch

School of Medicine researchers have found how sensory nerve cells work together to transmit itch signals from the skin to the spinal cord, where neurons then carry those signals to the brain. Their discovery may help scientists find more effective ways to make itching stop.

WashU Expert: Proposed ‘revenge porn’ bill balances regulation with protecting free expression

U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier introduced on July 14 a long-delayed federal bill that would outlaw nonconsensual pornography in the United States. While he supports the law, Neil Richards, privacy law expert at Washington University in St. Louis, think it’s important that the bill be drafted in such a way as to not be a tool for censorship that can threaten our commitment to free expression.
High schoolers tackle systems of gun violence

High schoolers tackle systems of gun violence

A few dozen St. Louis area high school students gathered for a summit this summer to discuss how system dynamics can affect gun violence in the community. The second annual Changing Systems Student Summit was sponsored by the Brown School’s Ferguson Seed Fund and Social System Design Lab and the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis.
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