School or Unit

The St. Louis Policy Initiative brings diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives to study policy in our region. Substantively, its research agendas engage with the most pressing policy challenges in society today. The initiative explores the relationship between racial segregation, political representation, housing policy, public health outcomes, and environmental outcomes in urban cores and their suburbs. For example, how does political representation translate into improved public health outcomes? To what extent do environmental factors drive disparities in home prices in Black and white neighborhoods?

Beginning Spring semester 2023, the Civil Rights & Restorative Justice (CRRJ) Action Research Lab at WashU will work with the award-winning CRRJ Clinic at Northeastern University Law School and other local and regional initiatives to research and redress histories and legacies of racial violence and repression in Missouri. The WU-CRRJ Action Research Lab at WashU is co-led by WashU faculty members and long time CRRJ research collaborators David Cunningham (Sociology) and Geoff Ward (AFAS).

Engineers in the Community is a community-engaged, project-based course where WashU undergraduate engineering students complete projects for community partners in St. Louis. The partners range in areas from healthcare to environmental justice to educational equity, and beyond.

Each semester, the Washington University Student Occupational Therapy Association has been able to improve the lives of many individuals in the St. Louis community. These projects include exploring areas of occupational therapy practice and volunteering within the community. Projects range from Accessibility of Schools in St. Louis, assessment of two school environments in St. Louis, to the Parkinson Disease Caregiver Education Series, a project where faculty and students develop curriculum of two classes to support the knowledge, skills, and emotional health of Parkinson patients’ caregivers.

The Young Scientist Program brings historically-excluded groups in science to scientific resources and scientists directly from the St. Louis area. The program does this through “hands-on scientific demonstrations in local classrooms, field trips to the Washington University campuses, dissemination of teaching kits containing pre-planned lessons, individual and personalized mentoring, and loaning or donating laboratory equipment to classrooms in need.”

The Redevelopment Center at WashU Medicine has helped provide human and social services, diverse housing options, and residential life and safety to surrounding neighborhoods. This is done through initiatives and outreach programs that caters to those communities.

The Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program (MAOP) works to improve the health and quality of life of adults with arthritis through uplifting and supporting evidence-based lifestyle management. WashU serves as one of seven Regional Arthritis Centers in Missouri and the only one in the St. Louis area.

Housed within the Integrated Health Network, the Enhanced Centering Pregnancy (ECP) is a collaborative community-led initiative that integrates behavioral health, reproductive justice, and racial equity into healthcare for Black women in the St. Louis region. This program is run by WashU physician Dr. Ebony Carter, and holds the NIH grant for support. WashU serves as the largest supporter of this program.

The Center for Community Health Partnership & Research (CCHPR) reduces disparities and improves health and wellness in the region as it fosters meaningful engagement between communities and researchers.

The What’s your reach? campaign is designed to make research understandable and relatable to everyone. The campaign provides research education in community settings, dispels myths and misconceptions about research, and discusses opportunities to participate in research. Community members include libraries, YMCAs, community centers, health fairs, etc.