WashU@WashU

Where people matter, and serious work is done. Share your experiences with #WashU and look for @ WashU on Instagram and on TikTok.

 St. Louis, MO
bit.ly/m/WashU
Joined December 2008
4,088 Photos and videos
When was the last time you saw an overhead projector? Once a classroom staple, these trusty machines helped professors annotate maps, reveal key concepts and bring lessons to life. Eric Fournier of WashU reflects on their lasting influence. bit.ly/4AkSmFd

An Ode to Overhead Projectors (opinion)

Now obsolete, they transformed my teaching.

insidehighered.com
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Advancing care for rare conditions: WashU Medicine's Dr. Stephen Stone and University of Michigan's Dr. Elif Oral have received support to study partial lipodystrophy, a rare genetic condition affecting fat distribution in the body. bit.ly/4jRbe9P

Stone awarded $3.7 million to study rare metabolic disorder 

Stephen Stone, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at WashU Medicine, was awarded a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study a genetic condition that causes the...

source.washu.edu
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Wayfinding is invisible until it isn't. Bob Henkel of @washumedicine is the reason an anxious patient makes it to their appointment, a researcher connects with collaborators without getting lost, and a resident finds that important mentoring opportunity. bit.ly/3WgxPCM

Washington People: Bob Henkel

Learn how Bob Henkel, the program manager for signage in Enterprise Physical Operations, helps turn the sprawling WashU Medical Campus into a place anyone can navigate.

source.washu.edu
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Postcards from home. 🍃
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What if we could detect what we couldn't reach before? WashU researchers are making it happen, and uncovering new possibilities for detecting everything from viruses to circulating tumor cells in real-world samples. bit.ly/4dEG6X1

New sensor detects, classifies freely flowing particles without labels

WashU McKelvey Engineering’s Lan Yang and her team have developed a new sensing technique to detect nanoparticles.

source.washu.edu
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Progress in pregnancy care 🤰: Researchers @washumedicine are helping reshape how hepatitis C is treated during pregnancy. This work helps fill an important gap in care and offers hope for reducing maternal infection and transmission to infants. bit.ly/4yhesHb

New research shows promise for treating hepatitis C in pregnancy 

A study led by Laura Marks, MD, and Madeline McCrary, MD, of WashU Medicine, shows that an oral antiviral regimen can be used safely and effectively in pregnant patients with hepatitis C virus.

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Cholesterol has a job beyond heart health: helping brain cells communicate. 🧠 New research reveals how astrocytes, the brain’s support cells, help control the supply that neurons need. bit.ly/3Tzwh64

Brain cells regulate cholesterol to control neuron signaling

WashU Medicine researchers show in a new study that brain cells called astrocytes modulate the supply of cholesterol in the brain to help neurons communicate.

source.washu.edu
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James Friend, a highly acclaimed innovator with expertise in creating biomedical devices and diagnostic tools, has been named the Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering. bit.ly/4ikio3N

Friend installed as Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor

James Friend has been named the Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

source.washu.edu
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The question isn't just how to treat infection, it's how to prevent it from happening? A collaborative research team at WashU Medicine and Northwestern University is studying how gut bacteria transition from benign colonizers into disease-causing agents. bit.ly/4BtRYW9

$11 million grant to investigate why resident microbes go rogue

WashU Medicine researchers have been awarded a nearly $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to decode how gut bacteria turn hostile, leading to dangerous infections.

source.washu.edu
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Who owns America’s hospitals and how often does that change? New WashU Olin research finds private-equity firms owned just 3.5% of U.S. short-term acute care hospitals in 2024, offering a clearer picture of their reach. bit.ly/3Uj2ZZI

Private equity owns less than 4% of U.S. hospitals, WashU research finds

A new study led by researchers at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis finds private equity only accounts for a small share of the nation’s hospitals, with most investors...

source.washu.edu
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Congratulations to WashU Brown School doctoral student Portia Nartey, recipient of the 2026 Public Health Social Work Student Award! 🎉 Her research explores how poverty and social conditions shape adolescent girls’ health in Ghana. bit.ly/4iI8Fpi

Nartey wins 2026 APHA Public Health Social Work Student Award

Portia Nartey, a doctoral student in social work at the WashU Brown School, has been selected to receive the 2026 Public Health Social Work Student Award from the American Public Health Association.

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Can switching from a gas stove to an electric one help people with asthma breathe easier? A study found that participants with poorly controlled asthma reported fewer symptoms after switching. bit.ly/47HY7QY

Electric stoves could help people with asthma breathe easier

Switching to an electric stove from a lung-irritating gas one may improve asthma symptoms. But if you’re stuck with gas, reducing exposure may help.

sciencenews.org
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🥪 What’s it like to shop with WIC? 🍅 Why should all Missourians care when families cannot fully use their WIC benefits? WashU researchers are examining the hurdles that can stand between WIC benefits and the food families bring home. bit.ly/3SLEvr2

Assistance needed in Aisle 1: What Missouri WIC families face

WashU Bursky Public Health and Brown School teams surveyed nearly 2,900 participants and co-developed retailer training to boost nutrition access during pregnancy and early childhood.

source.washu.edu
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Have you made your voting plan? 🗳️ The 2026 Midterm election is Nov. 3 and WashU will host polling locations on both campuses. 📍 Danforth: Athletic Complex (St. Louis County) 📍@washumedicine: McDonnell Medical Sciences Building (St. Louis City) bit.ly/4iHnaK4

Gephardt Institute volunteers promote voting access

Early voting has started in Missouri, and the general election is Nov. 3. Until then, members of the Voter Champions Network and WashU Votes, both initiatives of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and...

source.washu.edu
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👻 No tricks, just thrift! 🎃 Zach Bowersox of Political Science and Cassie Hage of the Office of Sustainability explain how swapping, thrifting and reusing can give costumes a second life. bit.ly/3W2shMb

Halloween costumes have a spooky environmental impact. Swaps are a way to reduce waste and recycle

Halloween costumes are often worn once and then thrown away. But that can leave a spooky environmental impact.

apnews.com
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Following the devastating tornado that swept through St. Louis last May, Linda C. Samuels, director of sustainable design and environmental justice at the Sam Fox School, asks: What does equitable recovery really look like? bit.ly/3MWplwt

Urban resilience

As St. Louis continues to rebuild following a massive tornado in May 2025, ­ Linda C. ­Samuels considers what matters most for successful recovery.

source.washu.edu
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A Supreme Court case could clarify how a 1988 federal law protects consumers’ online video-viewing data. Neil Richards of WashU Law explains the Video Privacy Protection Act, its origins and its potential implications for digital privacy. bit.ly/3U8kXxX

WashU Expert: Supreme Court case tests limits of online privacy

A dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court over the Video Privacy Protection Act could have significant implications for surveillance-based advertising and the future of internet privacy, says Neil...

source.washu.edu
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Slams laptop shut until...the next study session. 📚 💻
A busy walkway on a sunny day at WashU, with students walking and biking. Trees flank the path, and WashU banners are visible along the walkway.

ALT A busy walkway on a sunny day at WashU, with students walking and biking. Trees flank the path, and WashU banners are visible along the walkway.

A group of WashU football players is on the field with some in red and others in white jerseys. The scoreboard shows "Home of Scholar‑Champions." The backdrop includes trees and residential buildings.

ALT A group of WashU football players is on the field with some in red and others in white jerseys. The scoreboard shows "Home of Scholar‑Champions." The backdrop includes trees and residential buildings.

The Brookings grand stone archway leads to an open Tisch Park at sunset. The golden light casts long shadows on the stone floor and shield, illuminating intricate architectural details.

ALT The Brookings grand stone archway leads to an open Tisch Park at sunset. The golden light casts long shadows on the stone floor and shield, illuminating intricate architectural details.

A scenic view of a historic stone building with gothic architecture at WashU. The foreground features a lawn framed by autumn trees with orange leaves. A clear blue sky is visible above.

ALT A scenic view of a historic stone building with gothic architecture at WashU. The foreground features a lawn framed by autumn trees with orange leaves. A clear blue sky is visible above.

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💕 So fetch! 🎭: You can't sit with us... unless you have tickets to "Mean Girls!" WashU's Performing Arts Department brings the Tony-nominated musical to Edison Theatre October 22-25. bit.ly/3W0gsGg

‘The desire to belong’

Cady Heron has danced with nomads and scaled Kilimanjaro. In “Mean Girls,” the Kenya-raised teenager faces her greatest challenge yet: American high school. WashU’s Performing Arts Department will...

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When alum and plant scientist Antonio Brazelton heard his grandmother mention "poke sallet," he recognized that he wasn’t just creating his own path; he was continuing a powerful legacy of Black agricultural wisdom handed down through generations. 🌱 bit.ly/4jBU3ZM

A St. Louis plant scientist discovers a trail first blazed by his grandma’s cooking

Antonio Brazelton used to think of himself as a trailblazer in the plant science field, following in the footsteps of George Washington Carver. But years ago, the St. Louisan realized he was overlo...

stlpr.org
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