In St. Louis, For St. Louis

When Shradha Challa, MBA 2024, was challenged to develop a business idea that solved a problem, she focused on a problem she had experienced in St. Louis: Getting a good cup of chai. Finding the solution set Challa on a path to founding her own business, Rasa Chai. It’s also brought recognition in the form of a national entrepreneurship prize.

One in eight of those who experience a stroke die within a year of hospital discharge. But a clinical trial led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that modifications to stroke survivors’ homes – such as grab bars, shower seats, ramps and other safety interventions – reduce the risk of death within a year or so of leaving the hospital and allow many to keep living independently in their homes.

Erin Foster, an associate professor of occupational therapy, and Scott Norris, MD, an associate professor of neurology, have established a site at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC PD) study, an international study aimed at understanding the gene changes that may lead to Parkinson’s disease in people with African ancestry.

In fall 2025, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, in collaboration with WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering and Arts & Sciences, will launch a new Master of Design for Human-Computer Interaction and Emerging Technology (MDes). Led by Jonathan Hanahan, an associate professor in the Sam Fox School, the program aims to forge a curricular and research model in which designers, engineers, humanists and scientists work together on the next generation of socially innovative digital products.

To boost access to healthy food for St. Louis-area residents in need of improved nutritional options, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is collaborating with BJC HealthCare and Schnuck Markets, the regional grocery chain, to fill prescriptions for fruits and vegetables.

St. Louis is known for its long hot summers. But before you retreat into the air conditioning, check out one of the region’s outdoor wonders. Here, leaders of four outdoor-oriented student groups at Washington University in St. Louis share their favorite natural spots in the St. Louis region.

Washington University in St. Louis has recently been recognized as a top workplace by several organizations. In May, WashU won third place in the giant category in the St. Louis Business Journal’s annual “Best Places to Work” Awards. The annual program measures a variety of factors including benefits and job satisfaction.

Washington University in St. Louis will receive funding for a collaborative community project focused on improving economic mobility for Black youth in the St. Louis area. This project is directly tied to the community pillar of the university’s 10-year strategic plan, “Here and Next,” and is the first grant to carry forward the work of the St. Louis Confluence Collaborative for Community-Engaged Research, Teaching and Practice.

Mid-morning on Tuesday, May 21, the Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC) was abuzz with activity for the inaugural Spring Inclusion Symposium, hosted by the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. WashU staff, faculty, trainees, students, St. Louis community members, and business leaders gathered for this half-day event dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

A new digital StoryMap project, Asia in St. Louis, traces the history and experiences of people of Chinese and Japanese descent in St. Louis, from the 1850s to the 1980s. Created by East Asian studies librarians and students at Washington University, Asia in St. Louis is an interactive, dynamic digital platform that combines maps, archival sources, photographs, and personal narratives.