Merck Foundation to fund early-career professorships

Merck Foundation has made a $2 million commitment to the School of Medicine to establish two endowed assistant professorships supporting physician-scientists from populations that are underrepresented in medicine and biomedical sciences.

Shape of virus may determine RSV infection outcomes

Using a novel technology, the lab of Michael Vahey at the McKelvey School of Engineering uncovered shape-shifting properties of a common respiratory virus.

The science of living with purpose

Patrick Hill in Arts & Sciences investigates the effects of living purposefully on health, wealth and wellness — and how to maintain one’s purpose through life’s transitions.

Psychotic experiences predict mental disorder risk

New research from Washington University suggests that psychotic-like experiences in children may predict risk for mental illness. The study was published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

Research Wire

Samantha A. Morris, associate professor of developmental biology and of genetics at the School of Medicine, received a four-year $1.5 million grant from the New York Stem Cell Foundation.

Notables

Jonathan Barnes (right) and Richard Loomis, both in the Department of Chemistry in Arts & Sciences, won a four-year grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented graduate students in chemistry’s doctoral program.