Year: 2011

Vanderbilt University Medical Center doctors announced today they will begin screening patients who take commonly prescribed statin drugs for a rare genetic variation that can increase risks for side effects from these drugs such as muscle aches, kidney damage and even death. Read More

If you think that the word ‘compromise’ is a lost art in Congress, you are right. Marc Hetherington, professor of politcial science and co-author of the book Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics, tells us why our political leaders are digging in their heels. View 2012 election expertise information… Read More

Understanding how quickly children process speech is key to understanding why some struggle with language, but accurately measuring this speed has been difficult. Read More

Through its School Improvement Grants, the Obama administration has funneled $3.5 billion to turn around schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 15,000 schools, or 16 percent of schools nationwide, were eligible for the grants. According to Department of Education data, SIG-awarded schools tend to be high-poverty (75 percent), high-minority (86 percent) schools concentrated at the high school level in urban areas. Read More

By packing many tools into one advanced, minimally invasive platform, the MAC offers new capabilities for medical providers and less discomfort for patients undergoing colonoscopy or endoscopy. The robot is one of the initiatives of the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering. SAN DIEGO, Calif. – A team of Vanderbilt… Read More

In her interactions with black immigrants over the years, Jemima Pierre said she discovered a surprising sentiment. "They told me, 'I never knew I was black until I came to the U.S.' I found that fascinating." Read More

Stewart, a specialist in the religions and literatures of the Bengali-speaking world, arrives at Vanderbilt with a reputation as a program builder. Read More

Children who attended Tennessee state-funded prekindergarten classes gained an average of 82 percent more on early literacy and math skills than comparable children who did not attend, researchers from the Peabody Research Institute have found. Read More

Fans attending the Vanderbilt-Arkansas football game at Vanderbilt Stadium on Saturday are encouraged to get caught “green-handed” as Vanderbilt takes the EPA’s Game Day Challenge. Read More

Watch video from the Green Bag Luncheon Series, “Backyard Composting,” which took place on Oct. 26. The presenters – Jeffrey Ezell of Metro Beautification & Environment Commission and Emily Thompson of All Seasons Gardening & Brewing Supply Company – demonstrated the basics of composting, starting your own pile, and vermicomposting. The… Read More

Watch video of a lecture and performance by the Rev. Yvonne Gilmore-Essig. The Rev. Gilmore-Essig, who is a member of the D.C.-based Hip Hop group “Cornel West Theory,” spoke and performed Oct. 25 at Vanderbilt’s Divinity School. Her voice and thought are featured on the group’s recent release “The Shape… Read More

Study suggests a new therapeutic target in ulcerative colitis. Read More

As the topic of education reform continues to dominate and preoccupy today’s educational discourse and divide a nation, it is easy to get distracted from the primary reason we send our children to school every day: to learn how to read, write, think, and speak effectively. Read More

Watch video of the Oct. 25 Federal forum on the impact of deficit reduction on higher education. The forum focuses on the congressional Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, programs of interest that may be at risk for budget cuts, and potential outcomes of these negotiations. The panelists also discuss advocacy strategies… Read More

Watch video of popular blogger and social media expert Jessica Turner sharing some of the industry’s best blogging practices to create a space that is read, utilized and shared on a regular basis. Turner has much experience working with individuals and companies to create blogs that reflect their personalities, achieve their goals and… Read More

While listening to a physics colloquium titled “Science: What the Public is Thinking, What Congress is Doing, How You Can Contribute” delivered by Michael S. Lubell, professor of physics at the City College of New York and director of public affairs for the American Physical Society (APS), I couldn’t… Read More

Only a society built on Libyan culture and values has any chance to bring peace and democracy to that nation after years of abuse under dictator Moammar Gadhafi, says a Vanderbilt University professor who is advising the new government there. Read More

A new technique for imaging whole cells in liquid – with a nanometer resolution that brings into focus individual proteins and other intracellular structures – could dramatically improve the study of cancer, viral infections and brain function. Read More

Professor of Astronomy David Weintraub wanted his students to remember more of what they learned in his introductory class than the answers to typical questions on a quiz show. That was a strong impetus for his book How Old Is The Universe? It strives to make astronomy understandable… Read More

Watch video of science writer Michael Sims speaking about art and nature at Dyer Observatory Oct. 17. Sims’ talk examines mankind’s creative response to nature and the creative process as a natural instinct. Sims, the author of Apollo’s Fire: A Day On Earth In Nature And Imagination and Adam’s Navel:… Read More