School of Medicine

A woman who never developed Alzheimer’s despite a strong genetic predisposition may hold the key to stopping the disease in its tracks. Researchers at the School of Medicine found clues that could help cut the link between the early, asymptomatic stage and the late stage, when cognitive decline sets in.

Washington University in St. Louis researchers will adapt their COVID-19-detecting breathalyzer to one that can also screen for common seasonal viruses with a two-year $3.6 million grant from Flu Lab. With the funding, they plan to take the technology from bench into clinical trials with the goal of preparing the handheld rapid screening breath test for commercial application and FDA registration.

Recent graduates, and undergraduate students who are close to graduating, can apply to be part of a two-year post-baccalaureate neuroscience program at WashU, aimed at preparing people for graduate training in neuroscience. Applications are due by Feb. 16.

Benjamin Humphreys, MD, PhD, at the School of Medicine, has received a five-year $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research into chronic kidney disease.

Ghazaleh Ashrafi, an assistant professor of cell biology and physiology at the School of Medicine, has been awarded a four-year $1.2 million Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award as part of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Neurodegeneration Challenge Network.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Abuja in Nigeria have received grants to work with community organizations in St. Louis and Abuja to improve cardiovascular health during and after pregnancy.

Researchers and clinicians at Washington University in St. Louis developed a new imaging method to better diagnose lesions in the ovaries and fallopian tubes that may help to avoid unnecessary surgeries.

Robert Schreiber, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the 2024 Senior Scientist Winner of the Innovators in Science Award. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of cancer immunology.

Virologist Maritza Puray-Chavez, a staff scientist at the School of Medicine, has been named a 2023 Dr. Eddie Mendez Scholar by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

The Program in Occupational Therapy at the School of Medicine received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Special Education – Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program.