Featured Research
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Sex matters: Guys recognize cars and women recognize birds best
Women are better than men at recognizing living things and men are better than women at recognizing vehicles: That is the unanticipated result of an analysis of data from a series of visual recognition tasks collected by Vanderbilt psychologists. Read MoreSep 17, 2012
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Romney appears to be losing traction with swing voters: Vanderbilt survey
A new survey from the Vanderbilt University/YouGov Ad Rating Project shows that the latest attack ad aimed at President Obama is not working as well as previous efforts. Read MoreSep 13, 2012
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Study tracks potential coverage gaps under Affordable Care Act
An analysis of Massachusetts’ health care reform program by a Vanderbilt researcher indicates insurance gaps may remain as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands insurance coverage beginning in 2014. Read MoreSep 13, 2012
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Ants have an exceptionally high-def sense of smell
Ants have four to five times more odor receptors than most other insects, a team of researchers have discovered. Read MoreSep 10, 2012
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NSF funding boosts Vanderbilt climate change studies in Sri Lanka
In 2010 the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment began a unique interdisciplinary study of agricultural adaptation to water scarcity in Sri Lanka's Mahaweli River Watershed. Now a five-year, $3.7M grant from the National Science Foundation, through their Water Sustainability and Climate program, will further the study and its global best practices. Read MoreSep 6, 2012
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Spinach power gets a major boost
Vanderbilt researchers have combined the photosynthetic protein that converts light into electrochemical energy in spinach with silicon, the material used in solar cells, in a fashion thatproduces substantially more electrical current than has been reported by previous "biohybrid" solar cells. Read MoreSep 4, 2012
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Bill Clinton better at rallying the Democratic base than Obama: study
The latest political ad to be rated by the Vanderbilt/YouGov Ad Rating Project shows former president Bill Clinton doing a better job of rallying Democratic voters to re-elect President Obama than the president himself. Read MoreAug 28, 2012
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Little evidence supports autism treatment options in adolescents
There is insufficient evidence to support findings, good or bad, for therapies currently used in adolescents and young adults with autism. Read MoreAug 27, 2012
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Anti-Obama attack ad finally earns Romney points among independent voters
One of Mitt Romney’s latest campaign commercials against President Barack Obama seems to be hitting a nerve among independent voters, data from the Vanderbilt/YouGov Ad Rating Project shows. Read MoreAug 21, 2012
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Get motivated and stay motivated: Eight keys for pursuing long-term goals
Setting a goal—and sticking to it—can be difficult for anyone. A new study co-authored by Vanderbilt management and sociology professor Bruce Barry examines how certain types of professionals sustain their motivation and enthusiasm over very long periods. Read MoreAug 16, 2012
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Engineer, astronomer and geologist receive NSF Faculty Early Career Development awards
An electrical engineer who is attempting to make wireless communications more reliable, an astronomer who studies the evolution of the cosmos by creating large numbers of virtual universes and a geologist who is studying the origins of super-eruptions have received the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development awards. Read MoreAug 9, 2012
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Largest 3-D map of the universe released to public
Star gazers – both those who have a telescope and those who don’t – should be happy to learn that the largest-ever three-dimensional map of the universe has been released to the public. Read MoreAug 8, 2012
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Negative ad proves more effective for Obama
Positive ads from President Obama won't get the job done of defeating challenger Mitt Romney in the presidential race, data from the Vanderbilt/YouGov Ad Rating Project continues to suggest. Read MoreAug 7, 2012
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Celebrity endorsements: the more we know, the less we like
When it comes to using a star to endorse a product, new Vanderbilt research finds the less people know about the celebrity’s personal opinions, the better. Read MoreAug 3, 2012
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Test flight over Peru ruins could revolutionize archaeological mapping
Archaeological sites that currently take years to map will be completed in minutes if tests of the Semi-autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system being developed at Vanderbilt University go well. Read MoreAug 1, 2012
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Reaction to recent positive Obama ad indicates negative strategy would be better
Nearly a third of American voters finds a new ‘positive’ ad by President Obama contrasting his approach to the economy with that of Mitt Romney to be 'disgusting.' Read MoreJul 30, 2012
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Vanderbilt-led team to develop ‘microbrain’ to improve drug testing
Creating a device out of human cells that simulates brain chemistry is the goal of a $6.4 million grant which is part of major new federal initiative to develop a series of “organs on a chip” designed to improve the drug development process. Read MoreJul 24, 2012
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Vanderbilt and YouGov team up to survey reactions to campaign ads
Voter reaction to campaign advertisements by the presidential candidates will be evaluated this fall through a partnership between Vanderbilt University and YouGov, a prominent research firm. Read MoreJul 23, 2012
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Radiation damage bigger problem in microelectronics than previously thought
The amount of damage that radiation causes in electronic materials may be at least 10 times greater than previously thought, say Vanderbilt scientists using a combination of lasers and acoustic waves to pinpoint the size and location of defects buried deep inside. Read MoreJul 19, 2012
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New federal energy regulations flawed: Vanderbilt researcher
New and proposed federal energy-efficient standards for automobiles, clothes dryers, air conditioners and light bulbs make unfair assumptions about the rationality of consumers, said researchers from Vanderbilt University and the Brookings Institution. Read MoreJul 17, 2012