Neuro360

Our Leaders

360 Degrees of Neurological Innovation

Eric Gulve

Retired Executive Vice President, BioSTL and President, BioGenerator; (Co-PI) Engine Co-Director; Translation Co-Lead

Eric Gulve

Retired Executive Vice President, BioSTL and President, BioGenerator; (Co-PI) Engine Co-Director; Translation Co-Lead

Eric Gulve, Ph.D. joined BioGenerator in 2007 following a 14-year career in the pharmaceutical industry. From 2009-2022, he assumed overall leadership of BioGenerator, an organization dedicated to growth of the St. Louis regional economy by catalyzing the creation and early advancement of startup companies in the life sciences sectors. During his tenure, the BioGenerator team substantially expanded its program offerings, investment portfolio, and annual budget, and startups secured on average a 60X multiple of dollars invested. BioGenerator’s programs include unique laboratory facilities, talent initiatives such as Executives in Residence and Venture Capital Fellows programs, early de-risking grants, and stage-specific investments. Eric formally retired from BioGenerator at the end of 2022. Example portfolio companies for Eric included Galera, APT Therapeutics, and Neurolutions.

Prior to joining BioGenerator, Eric spent 14 years in the pharmaceutical industry focused on drug discovery research. From 2003 – 2007 he held various roles in local and global leadership teams in Cardiovascular research at Pfizer, and led laboratories working in the areas of thrombosis, hypertension, and metabolic disease. From 2000 – 2003, Eric was Associate Director of the Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases research group at Pharmacia Corporation, prior to Pharmacia’s acquisition by Pfizer. From 1994 – 2000 he directed laboratory groups and served on leadership teams within G.D. Searle’s Cardiovascular drug discovery research group, where he established the company’s first diabetes research program. In all three companies he served on cardiovascular and metabolic disease therapeutic area in-licensing teams. Eric has worked collaboratively across different research lines, therapeutics areas, business units, and geographic sites.

Eric received an A.B. in Chemistry from Occidental College and a Ph.D. in Physiology from Harvard University. He served as post-doctoral fellow and research faculty at Washington University School of Medicine.

Eric Leuthardt

Co-Founder/Chief Scientific Officer, WashU, (Co-PI) Engine Co-Lead Translation, Co-Lead

Eric Leuthardt

Co-Founder/Chief Scientific Officer, WashU, (Co-PI) Engine Co-Lead Translation, Co-Lead

Eric C. Leuthardt, MD, is a neurosurgeon who is currently a professor with the Department of Neurological Surgery and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He is Chief of the Division of Neurotechnology. He is also Director of the Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology and the Brain Laser Center. His research has focused on brain computer interfaces and brain mapping – using engineering approaches to decode the brain to create novel diagnostics and treatments for disease ranging from brain tumors, stroke, chronic pain, and spinal cord injury. Dr. Leuthardt uses an integrated approach by employing multiple domains of expertise ranging from biomedical engineering, clinical neurosurgery, mathematical modeling, complex signal analysis, and computer programming. In addition to numerous peer-reviewed publications, Leuthardt has numerous patents on file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for medical devices and brain computer interface technologies. Neuroprosthetics – devices linked to the brain that may lead to cures for paralysis, allow patients to move artificial limbs or restore other neurological functions.

Brittany Whitley

Director of Regional Workforce Strategy, BioSTL

Brittany Whitley

Director of Regional Workforce Strategy, BioSTL

As the Director of Regional Workforce Strategy, Brittany leads the development of evidence-based strategies to address regional gaps in career pathways, work-learn opportunities, credentialing, and supportive services. She oversees the implementation and scaling of core workforce initiatives like BIOTECH for MO and the Gateway Hub, driving new grant and partnership development to ensure sustainable growth. Additionally, Brittany builds and manages key strategic workforce relationships through her leadership of the Industry Workforce Collaborative and BioSTL Talent & Workforce team. Brittany joined BioSTL a year ago as Manager of Career Pathways, making an immediate impact through her management of the statewide BIOTECH training platform, building valuable partnerships to enabled regional pilots of biotechnology "boot camps" aligned to industry-validated credentials. Her ability to translate our workforce vision into compelling narratives has inspired both our team and partners. Always striving for improvement, Brittany continually seeks ways to enhance our approaches and drive greater impact. Her expertise in biomedical research, education, communication, and public policy provided valuable insights into education and workforce systems in Missouri, supporting industry growth and ensuring access to essential skills and quality employment opportunities. Before joining BioSTL, Brittany served as Executive Director of MOST Policy Initiative, where she led the strategic growth of a Missouri-centered policy fellowship to train scientists in nonpartisan policy research and evidence-based decision-making. Brittany earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Washington- Seattle, with a concentration in Public Policy & Management. Prior to her dissertation research, she completed her B.S. in Neuroscience at Bucknell University and served for two years at NIH as a post-baccalaureate research fellow. She is passionate about accessible STEM engagement and served in various volunteer roles, including Science Communication Fellow at the Pacific Science Center and Life Science Interpreter at the Seattle Aquarium.

Joyce Balls-Berry

Associate Professor of Neurology, WashU Use-Inspired R&D, Co-Lead

Joyce Balls-Berry

Associate Professor of Neurology, WashU Use-Inspired R&D, Co-Lead

Joyce (Joy) Balls-Berry, PhD, is an associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine and core leader for the newly established Health Disparities and Equity Core in the Knight ADRC (Center Director John Morris, MD). Prior to joining Washington University School of Medicine, Balls-Berry was an assistant professor of epidemiology and senior associate consultant at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. She completed her formal education at Xavier University of Louisiana with graduate training at Washington University School of Medicine and The University of Toledo. Balls-Berry completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in health equity, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Florida. Her work as a scientist centers on increasing awareness of the importance of community-patient engagement in research to increase health equity in minority and under-resourced communities. Recently, she completed a PCORI project to expand the efforts of the Minority Women in Research Network, which she established in 2011. The network’s mission is to promote community-patient engagement in research conducted by minority women scientists interested in research collaborations, academic scholarship, innovation and dissemination. As an educator, Balls-Berry received the Mayo Clinic Teacher of Year for the Graduate School and Educator of the Year for the Center for Clinical and Translational Science awards. The faculty and the student body vote on these awards. Recently, she shared her story of living with dyslexia and handling personal challenges as TEDx Talk.

Katherine Scheidhauer

Program Coordinator, WashU, Operations Lead

Katherine Scheidhauer

Program Coordinator, WashU, Operations Lead

Program Coordinator WashU Operations Lead

Lori Becker

CEO, Starkloff Disability Institute

Lori Becker

CEO, Starkloff Disability Institute

Lori Becker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Starkloff Disability Institute (SDI). In her role, Lori oversees the organization’s efforts to advance inclusion, access, and equity for people with disabilities in all aspects of society, and especially the workforce. As a leader with a disability herself, Lori is passionate about diversity and inclusion and was named a Diverse Business Leader in 2019 by the St. Louis Business Journal.

Faybra Jabulani

Director of Racial Equity, Capacity Forward Through Ferguson, Inclusive Engagement Co-Lead

Faybra Jabulani

Director of Racial Equity, Capacity Forward Through Ferguson, Inclusive Engagement Co-Lead

Faybra is a native St. Louisan who lives with her partner and son in University City. She has a background in directing Racial Equity initiatives in the educational field as well as designing and facilitating Racial Equity curriculum, workshops and roundtables. She built Forward Through Ferguson’s (FTF) robust suite of Racial Equity Capacity Building offerings from the ground up and expanded FTF’s impact by growing the Racial Equity capacity, anti-racism skills, and action plans needed for transformational change with 400+ community advocates at anchor institutions, Biotech and STEM companies, local philanthropic foundations, and others. As one of the Racial Equity experts on the FTF team, Faybra comes with a wealth of knowledge on the equity spectrum. She specializes in next practices of growing capacity for the successful development of anti-bias, antiracist institutions. She has dedicated 10 years of service to the St. Louis community within the Education and non-profit advancement sectors. She is an experienced facilitator and enjoys participating in courageous conversations. She is the 2018 recipient of the Annie Turnbo Malone Trailblazer Award, presented by Annie Malone Children & Family Services, and the Power 100-Game Changer Award, presented by Delux Magazine.

Natalie Self

Sr. VP, Equitable Economic Impact, Cortex, Inclusive Engagement Co-Lead

Natalie Self

Sr. VP, Equitable Economic Impact, Cortex, Inclusive Engagement Co-Lead

Natalie Self, MSW, SHRM-CP is the Senior Vice President of Equitable Economic Impact at the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, Missouri. In this role, Natalie builds strategies, capacity and partnerships to ensure Cortex leverages its 200 acre innovation community to narrow the racial wealth gap in the St. Louis region. Natalie brings an extensive background in building more equitable economies through cross-sector collective leadership, national grant-making and entrepreneurship support. Natalie’s previous roles include Executive Director of STEMSTL, a regional coalition that builds more clear, rigorous and equitable STEM learning; Program Officer in Entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she managed the Inclusion Open grant portfolio, Program Manager at BioSTL, where she was responsible for the operations and evaluation of the BioSTL Inclusion Initiative. Natalie is also the founder of the St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective. Natalie is the proud mom of 6 year old Lucy Mae Clay, with whom she loves to read, paint and go on hikes.

Linda Richards

Edison Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine

Linda Richards

Edison Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine

Linda J. Richards AO, PhD, FAA, FAHMS is the Edison Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine (since January 2021). Prior to this role, she was a Professor of Neuroscience and Deputy Director (Research) of the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland. Professor Richards' laboratory focuses on the development of the cerebral cortex and cerebral connectivity, in particular, the development of the corpus callosum.

In 2015 she co-founded an International Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5) with colleagues from Melbourne, San Francisco, France and Brazil. The consortium brings together clinicians and scientists working to identify the causes of developmental brain disorders and how best to provide support and care for affected individuals and their families. Professor Richards is a scientific advisor and patron of the support group AusDoCC (Australian Disorders of the Corpus Callosum).

Service highlights include being past President of the Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS) and a previous Chair of the Australian Brain Alliance, an organization founded to advocate for an Australian Brain Initiative. She was a founding member of the International Brain Initiative and worked to develop strong ties between the Brain Initiatives in different countries. From 2018-2020 she was appointed to the Australian Federal Government's Million Minds Mission Advisory Panel. She is currently on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Brain Laboratory.

Professor Richards awards include the 2004 Charles Judson Herrick Award from AAA, the 2010 Nina Kondelos award from ANS, the 2020 Pinkney J Harmon and the Krieg Cortical Discoverer Awards from the Cajal Club. From 2011-2021 Professor Richards was an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow. In 2015 she was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and in 2016 she was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Professor Richards was awarded the Order of Australia in 2019, one of the highest honors to be bestowed on its citizens by the Australian Government.

Professor Richards is passionate about the public awareness of science and in 2006 she founded the Australian Brain Bee Challenge, a competition for high school students to learn about the brain. Over 30,000 high school students have participated in the challenge and students from Australia have won the international brain bee competition three times and placed in every event since 2006.

Dedric Carter

Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development & Chief, Innovation Officer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, External Advisory Board Chair

Dedric Carter

Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development & Chief, Innovation Officer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, External Advisory Board Chair

Dr. Dedric A. Carter serves as the Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and Chief Innovation Officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as of November 1, 2023. Dr. Carter has cabinet level responsibility for the entrepreneurship, innovation, economic development, and commercialization portfolios at the University through Innovate Carolina and the Innovate Carolina Junction (a new Hub for catalyzing innovation and accelerating entrepreneurial intention located in Chapel Hill, NC) among other oversight and engagement roles. He teaches courses in systems applications to technical, business, and policy issues with an emphasis on the entrepreneurial process, innovation, and new venture creation.

Prior to his appointment, he was the Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Chief Commercialization Officer at Washington University in St. Louis with faculty appointments as professor of engineering practice at the McKelvey School of Engineering and professor of practice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the John M. Olin School of Business. Dr. Carter had responsibility for the entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization portfolios at Washington University. Dr. Carter was the founding Co-principal investigator of NSF Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM program ($5M) and principal investigator on one of 44 inaugural Type 1 NSF Engine awards ($1M, NEURO360). During his time at Washington University, Dr. Carter launched the Needleman Program for Commercialization for advancing drug development.

Prior to joining Washington University, he served as the senior advisor for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in addition to serving as the executive secretary to the U.S. National Science Board executive committee. At NSF, Dr. Carter launched and oversaw the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program to impact the speed of basic research commercialization.

Dr. Carter became chairman of the Missouri Technology Corporation in 2021. He is a member of the MIT Office of Sponsored Research Visiting Committee, the MIT Corporation (Board of Trustees), and a Fellow of the Academy of Science-St. Louis. Additionally, he is a board member of the Center for American Entrepreneurship, the Lemelson Foundation International Advisory Board, and Junior Achievement. He is a steering committee member of the N.C. Collaboratory, the Institute for Convergent Science, and Eshelman Innovation.

Among other experiences, Dr. Carter has been a venture-backed entrepreneur. He has an undergraduate and graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University.

Justin Raymundo

Vice President of Innovation Ecosystem-Building, BioSTL, Ecosystem and Partnerships Lead

Justin Raymundo

Vice President of Innovation Ecosystem-Building, BioSTL, Ecosystem and Partnerships Lead

Justin Raymundo serves as the Director of Workforce Strategy at BioSTL, where they lead the regional strategy for talent development and deployment for the bioscience industry. Justin brings a deep history of leading multi-stakeholder initiatives and partnerships for inclusive and equitable workforce development and global talent pipelines. Previously, they managed Monsanto's Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars program developing the next generation of leaders in plant science through a global, premier doctoral fellowship with leading universities and international agricultural research organizations. They also led one of the St. Louis region's most extensive portfolios of youth workforce readiness programs during their time at Diversity Awareness Partnership. This included launching the EXPLORE Bioscience and Agriculture Science programs with BioSTL, MilliporeSigma, KWS, and Venture Café as well as leading and expanding youth diversity programs with Centene, Ameren, Edward Jones ,PwC, Boeing, and other corporate and non-profit institution across the region. In addition to their stakeholder engagement efforts, Justin also brings expertise in business development and growth strategies. Most recently, they served as the corporate head of marketing for Amanda Blu, a global fashion design and manufacturing company, where they established the organization's first comprehensive sales and marketing division to expand and sustain strategic partnerships with national retailers.

Brian Manchisi

Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Innovation, WashU, Finance Lead

Brian Manchisi

Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Innovation, WashU, Finance Lead

Ben Johnson

Senior Vice President, Programs, BioSTL, Operations and Strategy Lead

Ben Johnson

Senior Vice President, Programs, BioSTL, Operations and Strategy Lead

Ben is Senior Vice President, Programs at BioSTL, where he leads its initiatives related to public policy, diversity/inclusion/equity, talent & workforce development, and fundraising. Since 2001, BioSTL has laid the foundation for St. Louis' innovation economy with a comprehensive set of transformational programs leveraging the region’s medical and plant science strengths. Ben currently serves as Chairman of the national Innovation Advocacy Council (IAC). The IAC informs and educates policymakers and elected officials to grow our innovation economy through federal legislation, programs, and funding that support practitioners on the ground. IAC is SSTI’s voice in Washington, DC. SSTI strengthens initiatives to create a better future through science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. He also is a Board member of the Missouri Biotechnology Association, Missouri’s statewide biotechnology trade association, and St. Louis Makes, a nonprofit dedicated to reshaping St. Louis’ manufacturing future. Prior to BioSTL, Ben moved to St. Louis to complete the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. Ben received his M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.A. from Northwestern University, majoring in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Business German. He became an Eisenhower Fellow in August 2022.

Andwele Jolly

President and CEO, St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN)

Andwele Jolly

President and CEO, St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN)

Andwele Jolly helps build regional capacity across sectors to advance health equity and improve wellbeing, with an emphasis on historically excluded communities. The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) is comprised of Federally Qualified Health Centers, the largest healthcare systems, public health departments, and community partners in the St. Louis region. Jolly strives to co-create and advance strategies that improve equity, quality, access, and affordability of healthcare.

During his tenure, IHN’s been awarded over $26M dollars to strengthen safety net by providing support for new primary care access points, pandemic relief, Medicaid enrollment navigation, justice reentry services, workforce training, and access to specialty care services. As a result, IHN was invited to be a part of the National Academy of Medicine’s Culture Inclusion & Equity Network, which places IHN among leading institutions in the country that inform health policy. In addition, the MacArthur Foundation selected IHN for their national justice reform campaign.

While leading the IHN, Jolly serves as immediate-past president of the National Association of Health Services Executives St. Louis, chairperson of Build Missouri Health, and on the board of Forest Park Forever and Missouri Public Health Institute. He also serves on the National Council for the Institute of Public Health at WashU. In acknowledgment of his work in community, he was named a 2018 Eisenhower Fellow—a global network of experts committed to producing transformative and sustained impact in their communities—during which he studied how interprofessional and interdisciplinary care models in Rwanda and Australia could translate into solutions for improving health and wellbeing in St. Louis. Jolly was also selected to the 46th Leadership St. Louis Class of FOCUS St. Louis.

Jolly earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a clinical doctorate in physical therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and master’s degrees in business administration and health administration from Georgia State University. He was also selected to be the first Executive Management Fellow at Washington University School of Medicine.

Juliana Amaral Passipieri

Division Administrator, WashU, Grant Lead

Juliana Amaral Passipieri

Division Administrator, WashU, Grant Lead

Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz

Associate Professor in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University

Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz

Associate Professor in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University

Jenna Gorlewicz is an Associate Professor in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Saint Louis University, where she holds the Gene Kranz Professorship in Engineering. Dr. Gorlewicz directs the Collaborative Haptics, Robotics, and Mechatronics (CHROME) where her research interests focus on human-centered design, haptic and multimodal interfaces, robotics, medical devices, and engineering education. She is engaged in numerous initiatives at the intersection of people and technology, harnessing use-inspired research and deep, interdisciplinary collaborations to rethink technology design and interaction. Dr. Gorlewicz was an NSF CAREER Award Recipient and has served as PI on multiple collaborative initiatives, including a current NSF Convergence Accelerator project, Inclusio. She also has a vested interest in entrepreneurship and broad societal impact and is co-founder of an educational technology company, Vital, and a medical device company, Aurenar. Her passion for research and innovation has led her into an administrative role as Associate Dean in the School of Science and Engineering at SLU which she began in 2022.

Jeffrey Milbrandt

James S. McDonnell Professor and Executive Director of McDonnell Genome Institute

Jeffrey Milbrandt

James S. McDonnell Professor and Executive Director of McDonnell Genome Institute

Jeffrey Milbrandt, MD, PhD, James S. McDonnell Professor and Executive Director of McDonnell Genome Institute, Co-Director of Needleman Center for Neurometabolism and Axonal Therapeutics, and Professor of Pathology & Immunology, Medicine and Neurology. Major discoveries from his lab include identification and characterization of GDNF neurotrophic factor family, establishing the molecular link between metabolism and axon health, and discovering that SARM1, the executioner of damaged axons, is an enzyme that breaks down NAD and is a promising drug target for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Jeff is the co-founder of Pierian DX and Disarm Therapeutics. He has published nearly 300 papers. He has served on multiple scientific advisory boards and won numerous awards throughout his career.

Steven E. Bruce

Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery, Director of Clinical Training, Professor of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Steven E. Bruce

Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery, Director of Clinical Training, Professor of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis

JSteven E. Bruce, Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery, Director of Clinical Training, and Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He then completed his internship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC and a post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, RI. He has authored or co-authored over 100 publications and over 250 presentations in the area of PTSD and anxiety disorders. Dr. Bruce’s primary research interests and clinical specializations include the treatment of anxiety and affective disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. Specifically, Dr. Bruce is interested in conducting translational research incorporating neuroimaging assessment as both a predictor and outcome of cognitive behavioral treatment response. In addition, Dr. Bruce is an investigator actively involved in multiple capacity building projects in Cambodia, Thailand, and Kyrgyzstan to improve the effectiveness of culturally informed empirically based therapies in individuals suffering from significant traumatic events.

Faybra Jabulani

Lead Racial Equity Capacity Catalyst, Forward Through Ferguson

Faybra Jabulani

Lead Racial Equity Capacity Catalyst, Forward Through Ferguson

Faybra Jabulani (she/her) is the Lead Racial Equity Capacity Catalyst of Forward Through Ferguson (FTF). She is a proud St. Louisan with over a decade in combined experiences in teaching, facilitation, community engagement, nonprofit organizational startup, and facilitating Racial Equity initiatives. Her work has touched community advocates representing institutions, initiatives, and coalitions of varying identities, reaching over 1000 changemakers and close to 150 institutions over the span of her tenure at FTF. She is one of the founding project managers of the Racial Healing + Justice Fund Pilot and the primary facilitator of the St. Louis Regional Racial Equity Roundtable. She is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Deaconess Foundation Institute for Black Liberation, an active member of Amplify Fund’s Co-Leadership Committee, and a Board member of 4theVille. She also is a contributor to the Antiracism in Health Equity Consortium convened by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Saint Louis University Institute for Healing Justice & Equity.

Linda Richards

Chair – Dept. of Neuroscience, WashU, Use Inspired R&D, Co-Lead

Linda Richards

Chair – Dept. of Neuroscience, WashU, Use Inspired R&D, Co-Lead

Professor Linda Richards joined Washington University in St. Louis as the Chair of the Department of Neuroscience and the Edison Professor of Neurobiology on January 1, 2021. Before joining WashU, she was the Deputy Director (Research) at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia. During her tenure at QBI, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for “distinguished service to medical research and education in the field of developmental neurobiology, and to science and community engagement in science”, was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAAS), and appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS). The research in her lab focuses on how the brain becomes wired during development. Particular emphasis is on the corpus callosum, specifically with regards to the development, plasticity, and function of the long-range connections of the cerebral cortex. In placental animals, the corpus callosum, which is the largest fiber tract in the brain, connects both cortical hemispheres. The lab is interested in how cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms regulate brain wiring during typical development, as well as in congenital corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD). CCD can result in profound changes in the structural architecture of brain connectivity, and the lab is interested in investigating the underlying causes of CCD, how long-range plasticity occurs, and how the changes in brain wiring impacts cognition and behavior. Prof. Richards is also passionate about scientific outreach. She has planned and established nation- and global-wide brain initiatives to help society better understand the role of the brain and nervous system. She helped establish the International Brain Initiative, the Australian Brain Alliance, the Australian Brain Bee Challenge, and is a member of the International Brain Bee and Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.

Neuro360

Our Leaders

360 Degrees of Neurological Innovation

St. Louis boasts some of the brightest minds in academia, healthcare, non-profits, community organizations, incubators, and government agencies. NEURO360 is fortunate to have many of them leading our efforts to make St. Louis the leading hub for neurological innovation.

Eric Gulve

Eric Leuthardt

Brittany Whitley

Joyce Balls-Berry

Katherine Scheidhauer

Lori Becker

Faybra Jabulani

Natalie Self

Linda Richards

Dedric Carter

Justin Raymundo

Brian Manchisi

Ben Johnson

Andwele Jolly

Juliana Amaral Passipieri

Dr. Jenna Gorlewicz

Jeffrey Milbrandt

Steven E. Bruce

Faybra Jabulani

Linda Richards

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