This designation recognizes Miranda Orr, PhD, associate professor of Neurology, and her team as global leaders in spatial biology, providing access to pre-commercial technologies and close partnership with Bruker Spatial Biology to advance the next generation of discovery.
Pain and sleep disturbances often go hand in hand — more than 30% of the U.S. population lives with pain, and a majority of those with pain also report sleep disorders — but the relationship between the two has remained largely unexplored.
Blocking a chemical messenger in the brain that helps tumor cells multiply could offer new route to treatment
Tasha Renner-Chavez began working at Washington University in 2011 in the Department of Psychiatry as a medical records clerk. Over the years, she advanced to become the lead scheduler and credentialing assistant. When she discovered credentialing, she knew it was the right fit and eventually joined the Department of Neurology in January 2023. Moving to […]
You can see it coming in right there, that little spot,” says neuroscientist and engineer Laura Lewis. A remarkably bright pulsing dot has appeared on the monitor in front of us. We are watching, in real time, the brain activity of a graduate student named Nick, who is having an afternoon nap inside an imaging […]
As of Sept. 1, 2025, Christopher Smyser, MD, will be the next division director of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology at WashU Medicine Neurology. He succeeds Christina Gurnett, MD, PhD, who has served as division director of Pediatric and Developmental Neurology since 2018. Smyser began his training at the University of Iowa, earning his undergraduate degree […]
Cerebral palsy affects around one in 345 children in the U.S., and more than half of them experience a problem called dystonia — involuntary and often painful muscle contractions, most commonly in the legs, that lead to abnormal movement and postures and make regular activities such as walking difficult. Traditionally, doctors have relied on subjective […]
Alzheimer’s disease scientists at Washington University in St. Louis researching early clues that the disease may be developing recently pinpointed one: changes or disturbances in circadian rhythm, or “body clock.” Their recent study found that circadian rhythm changes which cause disrupted sleep can occur as many as 20 years before Alzheimer’s symptoms begin … and well […]
The Department of Neurology congratulates three staff members for being awarded the Neurology Staff Employees of the Quarter for Q4 FY25. The department accepts nominations for three award categories to highlight the dedication and accomplishments of our staff members — clinical, research and administration. Clinical Staff Employee of the Quarter Teanna Tanner, RMA, CCMA Medical […]
The itching, redness and swelling of an allergic reaction are caused by mast cells — the vigilant first responders of the immune system that spring into action with histamine-filled granules in response to a perceived threat.