Author: Katie Cammarata

Grant will fund development of vaccines to prevent dementia (Links to an external site)

An illustration of what neuronal networks look like as they degrade. WashU researchers are working to design vaccines that could potentially prevent the buildup of inflammatory protein accumulations in the brain, which is one of the precursors to developing Alzheimer’s disease. (Image: Shutterstock)

Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are devastating disorders that emerge following the buildup of misfolded proteins in the brain. The newest generation of Alzheimer’s therapeutics targets accumulations of the protein amyloid beta with engineered antibodies, but the results have been underwhelming, with some adverse effects, not to mention using engineered antibodies can be prohibitively expensive.

Faculty Profile Miranda Orr

Miranda Orr

Miranda Orr, PhD, associate professor of Neurology, is co-director of the Tracy Family Stable Isotope Labeling Quantitation (SILQ) Center. Orr came to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she was an associate professor in the Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. […]

WashU Medicine reaches all-time high in NIH funding (Links to an external site)

Person in lab coat uses a pipette and vial.

In a testament to the quality and national competitiveness of biomedical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the school secured $683 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in federal fiscal year 2024 – a record high for WashU Medicine and an affirmation of its leadership in […]

The potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy (Links to an external site)

Ginger Nicol, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, says that psychedelic drugs hold enormous potential for healing currently untreatable mental disorders, but the only way to transform that potential into reality is through rigorous scientific research. As WashU’s only faculty member authorized to work with Schedule 1 drugs, Nicol is the hub through which all such research at WashU must pass. (Photo: Matt Miller/WashU Medicine)

More than half a century after the U.S. government deemed psychedelic drugs to be of “no medical use,” scientists have begun re-evaluating that dismissive assessment with the tools of modern science. Dozens of clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapies for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions are underway or planned. So far, the results […]

Faculty Spotlight Jeffrey Neil

Jeff Neil, MD, PhD, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended St. Ignatius Jesuit High School; the same high school attended by Mike Noetzel, MD, former Director of Pediatric Neurology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Neil and Mike didn’t cross paths at school, as Mike played football and Neil played trombone, though Neil […]

Staff Spotlight Lisa Aten

Lisa Aten started working in the medical field over 30 years ago. She was initially in the retail business and was an area sales manager for Dillards Dept. stores. Even then, she loved working with people and helping them. The retail business demanded a lot of time, and she felt she needed to be home […]

Ushe appointed as new ombud for WashU Medicine

Mwiza Ushe

Mwiza Ushe, MD, MA, professor of neurology, has been appointed as one of two new ombuds for Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Ushe was appointed alongside Alison Antes, PhD, associate professor of medicine. Their terms begin Jan. 1, 2025. The goal of the Office of the Ombuds is to meet and provide […]

Researchers define new subtypes of common brain disorder (Links to an external site)

An MRI scan shows a Chiari type-1 malformation, in which the cerebellum extends beyond the gap in the skull where it connects to the spinal cord. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have used AI tools to describe three sub-types of Chiari type-1, which will help guide clinicians to make the most effective treatment decisions for their patients.

Roughly 4% of the population is affected by a congenital brain malformation that has eluded researchers’ efforts to find causes and treatments. For the condition, Chiari type-1 malformation, the diagnosis is straightforward: the lower part of the brain, known as the cerebellum, protrudes at least five millimeters through the gap in the skull that connects […]

Gurnett receives highest WashU Medicine faculty honor

Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD

Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, received the 2024 Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed upon Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis faculty. The Cori award is given to one WashU Medicine faculty member each year. Recipients are announced in the spring and give an address on their scholarly work […]