Page 27 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Accelerating real-world impact in public health

A gift from Ann and Tony Ryan launches a School of Public Health initiative tackling global health challenges — from maternal well-being and mental health to chronic disease and climate resilience.

Neuroscience & Memory

Psychedelics disrupt normal link between brain’s neuronal activity and blood flow

WashU Medicine researchers show that psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin appear to distort the link between blood flow and brain-cell functioning, which scientists use to track brain activity.

Athletics

National champions: No. 1 WashU women’s soccer wins second-straight national title

The No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team won its second-straight national championship Dec. 6 with a 2-1 win over rival Emory University at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.

Students

12.08.25

Images from on and around the WashU campuses.

Awards & Notables

Lew elected fellow of Optica

Matthew Lew, at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, has been elected to the 2026 class of Optica fellows.

Neuroscience & Memory

$5 million for brain development and Alzheimer’s degeneration study

Researchers at WashU Medicine Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology have received a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how patterns of brain aging and degeneration mirror early-life experiences.

St. Louis Region

Class Acts: Oviya Kalaivanan and Timileyin Olugbenro

Graduating WashU seniors Oviya Kalaivanan and Timileyin Olugbenro founded WashU Hospice and Palliative Care Club, which serves 11 St. Louis hospice providers. “We do not provide clinical care, but we are an essential part of the care team,” Olugbenro said. “I tell our volunteers all of the time that it is an honor to have this role.”

Academics

WashU earns HLC reaccreditation, updates credit policy

Washington University in St. Louis achieved reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, which resulted in updates to the university’s academic credit policy.

Medicine

T cells found in tonsils differ in key ways from those in blood

Naresha Saligrama, of WashU Medicine, led a multi-institution team that uncovered important differences between human T cells that live in specific tissues and T cells found in the blood, with major implications for future research and diagnostics.