WashU Medicine researchers have uncovered new insights into the pharmacology of ketamine that help explain both its rapid benefits and its risks.
Study reveals how ketamine interacts with opioid receptors (Links to an external site)
Category: Research
Mental health care before, after surgery improves recovery in older adults (Links to an external site)
Clinical trial supports adding mental health coaching, medication cleanup to routine pre-surgical care.
McCall, Al-Hasani, and Moron-Concepcion to study how fentanyl disrupts the brain’s locus coeruleus system
Jordan McCall, Ream Al-Hasani, and Jose Moron-Concepcion, faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, have received a five-year, $3,414,110 grant from NIDA to investigate how fentanyl use disrupts the brain’s noradrenergic locus coeruleus system and drives relapse.
Highlights from the 2026 Anesthesiology Summer Research Fellowship (Links to an external site)
The 2026 ASSURE Fellowship welcomed six undergraduate students for a 10-week summer research experience, connecting St. Louis-area students with biomedical research and nationally recognized researchers, clinicians, and trainees.
Scientists identify brain’s brake that shuts off chronic pain (Links to an external site)
Finding from mouse study could lead to targeted treatments for chronic nerve pain.
How early-life stress leaves a ‘scar’ inside brain cells (Links to an external site)
Mouse study finds changes to DNA packaging form molecular memory of trauma, make brain vulnerable to future stress.
Pradhan named Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Professor of Anesthesiology
Dr. Amynah Pradhan was installed as the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Professor of Anesthesiology on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Kannampallil named editor-in-chief of premier informatics journal (Links to an external site)
Kannampallil recognized for expertise in AI-based technology designed to improve healthcare.
New WashU Medicine study aims to extend the life of cancer immunotherapy
Dr. Richard Hotchkiss and Dr. John DiPersio co-authored a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighting a promising strategy that could help improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies.
NIH grant supports research on brain development after opioid exposure in the womb (Links to an external site)
Dr. Ream Al-Hasani has received a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how exposure to opioids before birth affects long-term brain development and behavior.