Page 41 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

02.02.26

Images from on and around the WashU campuses.

Nasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents

Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a nasal vaccine against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, or bird flu, which has jumped from wild birds to farm animals to humans. In rodents, the vaccine elicited a strong immune response and prevented infections in H5N1-exposed animals.

Advancement

Martin installed as inaugural Margaret Oung Distinguished Professor

Xiumin Martin, a leading accounting scholar whose research deepens our understanding of finance markets and directly informs accounting policy and corporate governance, was installed in November as the inaugural Margaret Oung Distinguished Professor at Olin Business School.

Medicine

Immunotherapy reduces plaque in arteries of mice

An antibody-based immunotherapy reduces plaque in the arteries of mice, offering a potential new strategy to treat cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by WashU Medicine researchers.

St. Louis Region

WashU faculty, students search for hidden hazard in tornado’s path

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are testing for elevated lead levels potentially kicked up in the destructive path of the 2025 tornado.

Literature

James Baldwin Review named best special issue

James Baldwin Review, the preeminent peer-reviewed journal dedicated to Baldwin’s life and legacy, which is co-edited by WashU’s Dwight A. McBride and Justin A. Joyce, has been named Best Special Issue of 2025 from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals.

Nutrition & Wellness

Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan

Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, an assistant professor at the WashU School of Public Health, is working to shape young people’s lives by developing ways to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Those behaviors can pay dividends from better learning to preventing chronic disease down the road.

Religion

Faith leaders on the front lines

Over the last few decades, Christianity in America has become synonymous with conservative causes. But it wasn’t always that way. As faith leaders join protesters in the Twin Cities, they’re showing the next generation of American young people that there are multiple ways to be a Christian, according to Ryan Burge, an expert in religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis.

Performing Arts

Ballaké Sissoko and Derek Gripper Feb. 1

Ballaké Sissoko, one of the world’s great virtuosos of the 21-stringed West African kora, will be joined Feb. 1 by classically trained Cape Town guitarist Derek Gripper for an intimate recital as part of WashU’s Great Artists Series.