WashU Women Innovate

WashU women innovate, inspire, create and change the world with their passion and ideas. They invent new products, launch companies and bring their vision to life, all the while strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurship community at Washington University and beyond. We are proud to celebrate them here.

The Trailblazer: Nancy Tye-Murray

Sharon

Nancy Tye-Murray, PhD, is the first female faculty member at WashU to found a startup. Her company, clEAR, helps people with hearing loss to better recognize and understand speech through training that uses their loved ones’ voices.

The Discoverer: Lan Yang

Brandie

Meet Lan Yang. At 14, she was so committed to becoming a scientist, she went on a hunger strike. The photonics researcher now holds the most patents and disclosures of any female faculty member at WashU.

The Researchers: Battling deadly TB

Sharon

Christina Stallings, PhD, Shabaana Abdul Khader, PhD, and Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD, are on the front lines of the battle to stop the world’s deadliest bacteria. Between them, they hold eight patents related to TB research.

The High Risers

Brandy

These WashU alumnae have reached dizzying heights of success in fashion, tech, media and design. With high-profile clients, an unending stream of accolades and jawdropping funding rounds, they’ve risen fast and far — most before the age of thirty.

Physician and researcher Dr. Audrey stands with her arms crossed wearing a white lab coat emblazoned with the logo of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

The Fighter: Audrey Odom John

Sharon

Audrey Odom John, MD, PhD, is on a mission to fight the spread of infectious diseases like malaria through better, faster, more nimble diagnostic tools.