The Record

$29M for new phase of broad Alzheimer’s study

School of Medicine researchers have received $29 million from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health to continue a long-running, international Alzheimer’s study aimed at understanding how the disease develops and progresses.

Chimps more likely to share tools with complex tasks

New Arts & Sciences research finds that chimpanzees that use a multi-step process and complex tools to gather termites are more likely to share tools with novices. The study helps illuminate chimpanzees’ capacity for prosocial behavior.

Leahy named associate vice chancellor for finance

Angie L. Leahy, assistant director of tax at Washington University, has been named associate vice chancellor for finance and controller, announced Amy B. Kweskin, vice chancellor for finance. Leahy’s appointment took effect Jan. 1.

Plants model more efficient thermal cooling method

Mechanical engineer Patricia Weisensee combined properties similar to those seen in a lotus leaf with those found on rose petals to find a more efficient way for droplets to evaporate from a surface.

And then there was light

New research from Arts & Sciences provides insight into how proteins called phytochromes sense light and contribute to how plants grow. Biologists structurally defined the sequence of events that supports the transition between light- and dark-adapted states.