Division of Basic Research

The Division of Basic Research (DBR) explores fundamental scientific questions relevant to medicine and Anesthesiology.

Our research encompasses neurobiology, cell biology, and pharmacology with ongoing projects centered around the following areas: understanding mechanisms of hypoxic and immune-mediated cell death, investigating general anesthetic mechanisms, exploring ion channel function, identifying biomarkers of organ injury, uncovering novel intracellular signaling pathways, and studying the neurobiology of stress and addiction.

Our Team

The Division is led by Jose Moron-Concepcion, PhD, the Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology, whose laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying opioid addiction and the intersection with pain. Learn more about our team and labs below.

For general research inquiries, please contact the Research Administrative team.

PI Labs

The DBR is located within both the Neuroscience Building and the Clinical Sciences Research Building on Washington University School of Medicine’s campus. Principal investigators are members of the Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University and a number of graduate students have completed their thesis work in DBR labs.

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Publications

Faculty in the Division of Basic Research continue to make meaningful contributions to research studies that span a range of topics.

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Upcoming Research Events

Throughout the year, the Division of Basic Research hosts research seminars that offer opportunities for department members to become acquainted with ongoing research projects and engage in dialogue.

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News

Dr. Vivian Gonzalez-Perez recruited as new tenure-track assistant professor

Dr. Vivian Gonzalez-Perez recruited as new tenure-track assistant professor
Vivian Gonzalez-Perez, PhD, a highly accomplished scholar whose research focus is ion channel biophysics and physiology, is being promoted from research instructor to tenure track assistant professor on July 1, 2023. Her appointment marks a significant milestone in her career, as she prepares to make further groundbreaking contributions to the scientific community.

Department ranks in top 3 in NIH research funding in 2022

Department ranks in top 3 in NIH research funding in 2022
According to the latest data compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ranked No. 3 among the nation’s top anesthesiology departments in terms of research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Study elucidates mechanism of lipid regulation of ion channels

Study elucidates mechanism of lipid regulation of ion channels
In a recent study published in Nature Communications on November 17, 2022, Wayland Cheng, MD, PhD, and colleagues solved the structure of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel in an open-channel conformation using single particle cryo-electron microscopy.