WashU Experts

The Missouri Legislature has passed a plan to redraw the state’s congressional maps, potentially handing a Democrat-leaning seat to Republicans and giving Republicans a 7-1 district advantage. Partisan mid-decade redistricting, once very rare, could become the new normal, says an expert on voting rights at Washington University in St. Louis.

Changes in vaccine approval have created confusion among consumers and industry leaders. Patrick Aguilar, MD, managing director of Olin Business School’s Business of Health initiative at Washington University in St. Louis, says these changes may also further strain the health sector, which makes up nearly 20% of the U.S. economy.

Beyond registering for classes and decorating their dorms, Andrea Stewart-Douglas, WashU’s director of student financial wellness programs, has another item for new college students’ to-do lists: Make a budget.

Hong Chen, a biomedical engineer at WashU, shares the potential for using synthetic torpor technology to develop new treatments for a range of illnesses and injuries.

A new federal government interpretation allowing churches to endorse political candidates will cause division in churches and sets the stage for the U.S. government to favor politically aligned religions, says Mark Valeri, an American religious historian at Washington University in St. Louis.

Before venturing out into the woods, a nearby park or even your backyard, keep an eye out for mosquitoes and ticks, which can be vectors, or carriers, for pathogens that can cause disease. Scientists at WashU’s Tyson Research Center explain the risks and how to stay safe.

As U.S. public health funding falters, WashU experts warn that vital global data systems protecting women and children from violence are in danger of disappearing.

As the Oklahoma Legislature clears the way for autonomous practice by nurse practitioners, it’s time for a broader conversation regarding the scope and duration of training and certification needed to independently provide care to patients of all types, says Patrick Aguilar, MD, a business of health expert at WashU Olin Business School.

Social connections and psychological first aid can help to alleviate post-disaster stressors, says an expert on mental health at the WashU School of Public Health.

Archaeologist Natalie Mueller in Arts & Sciences explains how ancient agricultural systems could become a source of alternative crops and methods in an era of rapid climate change.