Arts & Sciences

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.

Henric Krawczynski was installed as the Wilfred R. and Ann Lee Konneker Distinguished Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences during a ceremony Feb. 28 at the Whittemore House. His installation lecture was titled “The Bright Side of Black Holes.”

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.”

Joyce Yang plays with “agility, balance and velocity” (Washington Post), combining “exuberant flights” with a sly “improvisatory bounce” (Chicago Tribune). On March 24, the Grammy-nominated pianist will perform the music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Kernis and Stravinsky as part of WashU’s Great Artists Series.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that the pandemic changed personality traits, in that people became more conscientious and extraversion dropped.

Kenneth Olsen, a George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences, joined researchers from 24 countries in an effort to strengthen cooperation and solve a key problem of improving rice yields.

The St. Louis Area Brain Bee continues to draw students from across the region as interest in neuroscience grows. More than 60 high school students representing 32 schools joined this year’s event March 2 at Washington University in St. Louis. Participants conducted neuroscience experiments, explored careers in neuroscience and tested their knowledge of the human brain and the nervous system. 

Amarnath Ghosh, a master’s of fine arts candidate in dance in the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, was killed in the Academy/Sherman Park neighborhood of St. Louis Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. He was 34.

In a new study published in Evolution and Human Behavior, Washington University researchers explore what causes people to decline lending a helping hand. In many cases, they find a way to blame the victim, resolving inner conflict by finding shortcomings in the person needing help, according to the research.