Learn about the latest news and events going on in the department. You can also follow us on Twitter (@WUSTLneurosci).
Some dinos may have been as brainy as modern primates, controversial study argues (Links to an external site)
Read Dr. Ashley Morhardt’s take on the paper in an article in Science.
Sustainability key focus in Neuroscience Research Building construction (Links to an external site)
Facility on track to achieve LEED Gold certification
Zebrafish advance as a model organism for Fragile X Syndrome
A new study from the Goodhill Lab finds the genetic variant underlying an autism disorder causes changes in fish’s social behavior, preference in visual environment, and neural activity.
Glia: Unsung heroes of the nervous system (Links to an external site)
Read graduate student Katie Lefton’s article in Science Today about astrocytes, microglia, and satellite glial cells.
David Van Essen listed as Highly Cited Researcher for eighth consecutive year
Matthew Glasser, a former graduate student of Van Essen and currently an Instructor in Radiology, also made the 2022 list.
Harrison Gabel promoted to Associate Professor
Dr. Gabel receives tenure for his pathbreaking research on epigenomic regulation of brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders, along with his devotion to mentoring and teaching.
Taghert Lab identifies off switch for a set of circadian clock–controlled behaviors in flies
Phosphorylation of a receptor controls how messages from the neuropeptide PDF—which influence dawn and dusk activities in Drosophila—are curtailed on a daily basis to adapt the circadian clock to changing daylight.
Understanding, treating pain, reducing opioid use, aim of $11.7 million grant (Links to an external site)
Valeria Cavalli, PhD, and Guoyan Zhao, PhD, are among the collaborators at WashU participating in the Integrated Research Center for Human Pain Tissues (INTERCEPT) Pain Center at the School of Medicine.
People missing all or part of the connection between their brain hemispheres are more persuadable
A study of individuals with congenital corpus callosum dysgenesis suggests they face social difficulties due to being more easily influenced and less aware of being tricked.
Amy Christensen receives grant to study how psychedelics influence mouse behavior
The McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience Small Grants Program will provide $100,000 over two years.
How do tired animals stay awake? (Links to an external site)
A new study on fruit flies from Dr. Paul Shaw’s lab finds clues to a good night’s sleep, insomnia.
Paul Bridgman, Larry Snyder receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from Academy of Educators
Their dedication to teaching and innovations in the classroom are recognized by one of the highest honors at Washington University School of Medicine.
Ilya Monosov receives R01 to study neural mechanisms of novelty seeking
The $2-million grant will go to identifying the circuits and computations responsible for integrating novelty- and reward-seeking in behaviors.
School of Medicine joins major NIH brain mapping effort (Links to an external site)
David C. Van Essen, PhD, the Alumni Endowed Professor of Neuroscience and Matthew F. Glasser, MD, PhD, an instructor in radiology at the university’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, will create and analyze brain maps of individual people and nonhuman primates to determine the kinds of cells that comprise each brain area using data collected from people and animals scanned at collaborating sites.
Ilya Monosov to lead part of new Conte Center team focused on obsessive compulsive disorder research (Links to an external site)
The collaborative effort to study OCD is funded by a $15.6 million award from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Assistant Professor Tom Franken joins the Department of Neuroscience
Franken studies sensory processing, including how visual scenes are perceived as collections of objects and background.
Professor Larry Snyder receives Excellence in Teaching award
The WashU neuroscience community honors Dr. Snyder for his outstanding education efforts over the years as an instructor, course director and PhD program director.
Diversity, equity, inclusion a pillar of Neuroscience Research Building (Links to an external site)
“We are all doing important work.”