Reporter Dec 21 2012

Blocking a serotonin receptor may provide a novel therapy for heart valve disease. Read More

Combining another drug with platinum-based chemotherapies may be more effective against ovarian cancer. Read More

Even relatively low levels of in utero alcohol exposure impact fetal brain development, and the effects last into adulthood, study finds. Read More

Editor’s note — the following is a chronological roundup of the news that made headlines at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2012. Digestive disease research In January, the Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center (VDDRC) was awarded a second five-year renewal of its federal research grant. The… Read More

Noah Harrison donated a kidney to his mother, Erica Johnson, earlier this week. (Photo by John Russell) For as long as Noah Harrison can remember, he has made all of his mother’s Christmas, birthday and other special occasion gifts by hand. But this year, Harrison’s gift for… Read More

Laura Beth Brown, R.N., president of Vanderbilt Home Care, was named vice president for Vanderbilt Health Services. While continuing to serve as president for Vanderbilt Home Care, Brown will provide operational oversight for Vanderbilt Health Services (VHS) and its subsidiary entities. Michelle Collins, Ph.D., CNM, was… Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center once again placed highly in several of the rankings conducted throughout the year by U.S. News and World Report. In the 2012-13 edition of “America’s Best Hospitals,” VUMC equaled an all-time best with 11 out of a possible 16 specialty programs being ranked among… Read More

The annual Thomas A. Hazinski Faculty Development Workshop this year centers on the encouragement of innovation. The two main speakers — David Owens, Ph.D., professor of Practice of Management and Innovation at the Owen Graduate School of Management, and Alan Bentley, M.S., assistant vice… Read More

“Order from Chaos, Accelerating Care Integration,” is a report now arriving on the desks of health care executives. It’s based on a roundtable convened by the Lucian Leape Institute (LLI) at the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF). Among the 20 participants were Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s… Read More

At Vanderbilt, we are all — faculty and staff — invested with the profound intergenerational responsibility to pass on our knowledge. It is that responsibility — to train individuals across all areas of this Medical Center who will be tomorrow’s leaders — I wish to discuss… Read More

Five-year-old Maddie Wright-Renteria laughs with Gnash, the mascot of the Nashville Predators hockey team, during a recent visit by coaches, players and team officials to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. (Photo courtesy of the Nashville Predators)… Read More

Nine Vanderbilt faculty members named to endowed chairs were recognized for outstanding academic achievement during a Dec. 12 ceremony. (Photo by Steve Green) Nine Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored for outstanding academic achievements last week during a celebration at the Student Life… Read More

AlertVU, Vanderbilt’s emergency notification system, is being expanded to include all members of the Vanderbilt community and is being strengthened by a new, more robust operating system. AlertVU will be tested Jan. 2, 2013, and again on Jan. 15. The test messages will provide instructions… Read More

Stanford neuroscientist Thomas Südhof, M.D., discusses the physiology and pathology of neurotransmitter release during his recent Flexner Discovery Lecture. To view the lecture, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/discoveryseries. (Photo by Joe Howell)… Read More

Doug Sawyer, M.D., Ph.D., is stepping down as director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. (Photo by Joe Howell) Doug Sawyer, M.D., Ph.D., Lisa M. Jacobson Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine and Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, will step down as director of the Division of… Read More

Lily Faught gets a helping hand from Santa Claus during his recent visit with patients and families at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. (Photo by Steve Green)… Read More

John Graves, Ph.D. The decision by several states not to expand Medicaid health insurance for the poor may create unintended cuts for hospitals that provide uncompensated care, according to a study by John Graves, Ph.D., a Vanderbilt policy expert in the Department of Preventive Medicine. Read More

Archived tissue samples are yielding new disease biomarkers. Read More