Research
Saint Louis University is home to pursuits and discoveries that span the entire academic spectrum. Our research addresses big questions and emerging issues around the globe, from food security to chronic pain to the human spirit.
Since its establishment in 2018, the SLU Research Institute has been dedicated to building an ambitious culture of discovery and innovation at Saint Louis University. Central to our aspiration to become a preeminent Jesuit research university is recognizing and celebrating our most talented researchers. See Our Research Institute Fellows
Vaccine Development
SLU is an internationally recognized leader in vaccine research and development. The University’s Center for Vaccine Development, which is home to one of only ten federally funded Vaccine Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) in the country, is currently leading efforts to protect the global population against highly infectious diseases, such as influenza and COVID-19.
Geospatial Science & Technology
St. Louis is emerging as a national hub for geospatial science and technology, a multi-billion dollar industry, and SLU researchers are helping lead the charge. The Geospatial Institute at SLU, also known as GeoSLU, brings together researchers across disciplines to better understand how location impacts a variety of complex issues, from food security to public health to economic inequity.
Humanities
The humanities are the connective thread between everything we do at SLU. Informed by the University's Jesuit mission, SLU researchers and scholars in the humanities are investigating what it means to built a better world, exploring how how humanity is changing in today's hyper-connected society, and more.
Food
Researchers at SLU are taking an interdisciplinary approach to examine one of life's most essential resources: food. This research brings together experts from a wide range of fields, including biology, health sciences, the humanities, and geospatial science. SLU researchers are developing new partnerships with organizations such as the Danforth Plant Science Center to answer the question: how can we feed the world in an equitable manner, today and tomorrow?
Equity & Community Wellness
SLU researchers believe that communities thrive when all people have opportunities
for health, education, housing, and employment. With leadership from the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, SLU researchers are studying issues such as the impact of racism on individual and
community wellness, health disparities, community healing practices, and more. These
researchers are developing community partnerships in St. Louis and beyond to build
a more just and equitable world for all.
Drug Discovery and Development
Over the past several years, drug development has moved away from the old model in
which drug discovery was largely handled by major pharmaceutical companies and toward
a new model where universities are better equipped to handle this work. Researchers
at SLU are seizing on this momentum, and the Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation (SLU-IDBI) is bringing together researchers to develop new drug treatments with a focus on rare
and neglected diseases.