Asia-Pacific

Mitra Naseh, assistant professor at the WashU Brown School, will receive the Beacon Award from the International Institute of St. Louis at its 2026 Ubuntu Gala on November 6. The recognition highlights her community-engaged research supporting the integration of Afghan and other refugee communities in St. Louis.

Farahnaz Tooryalai’s journey from Afghanistan to St. Louis is a story of resilience, opportunity and a determination to continue her career in health care. After relocating to the United States in 2022 and overcoming significant personal and professional challenges, Tooryalai found a new pathway through the WashU Medical Apprenticeship Program.

Melons produce many seeds, making the melon shape a traditional symbol of fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture. But the historical debate about how melons made their way to modern tables is as long and twisted as the vines they grow on.

The silkworm moth, whose caterpillars have been used in silk production since antiquity, may have been brought to southern Central Asia 4,000 years ago — nearly 2,000 years earlier than previously assumed — according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

Working with collaborators at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh, WashU Medicine researchers show how a disease of the small intestine related to malnutrition can be passed from mother to offspring.

Psychological and brain sciences PhD graduate Merve Ileri-Tayar, a native of Cankiri, Turkey, earned the 2025 Dean’s Award for Graduate Research Excellence and was named a McDonnell International Scholar. She will continue her research on attention, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior as she pursues a career in cognitive psychology.

Nine recent WashU alumni and one current student received Fulbright awards to teach English or to conduct research abroad during the 2026-27 academic year. Established in 1946, the prestigious Fulbright program recognizes talented leaders and scholars and strives to increase global collaboration and fellowship.

From Singapore to Azerbaijan and beyond, sovereign wealth funds reflect national promises to invest in strategic priorities. In Kazakhstan, an important promise has been kept for a third consecutive year.

For the second consecutive year, Xiang Hui, associate professor of marketing at WashU Olin Business School, has received the Olin Award. His winning research, co-authored with scholars at Nanyang Technological University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, examines an AI copilot used in China’s real estate market.

WashU’s Confluence Collaborative for Community Engagement honored Naseh and her community partners for her ongoing research with the Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award. Now in its fourth year, the prize recognizes researchers and community partners who work together to address regional challenges.