Reagan Villet

Just like electrical stimulation of heart muscles can restore a regular heartbeat, new research led by Thilo Womelsdorf suggests that "electroceutical" intervention in the brain can improve memory and other cognitive functions wrought by behavioral health disorders and diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Womelsdorf, professor of psychology and biomedical engineering at the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, said, “For these cognitive disabilities, brain-computer interfaces promise to become next-generation electroceutical treatment options.” Read More

A collaboration among VUMC, the College of Arts and Science, the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering has led to some higher-order “hitchhikers” that can make immunotherapy cancer treatments more effective. Associate Professor John Wilson’s lab devised a way to piggyback cancer-fighting nanobodies onto molecules that naturally accumulate around tumors—getting the treatment where it needs to go. Read More

Quynh Anh Nguyen, assistant professor of pharmacology, is the first Vanderbilt faculty member to be awarded the highly competitive Klingenstein Fellowship in Neuroscience since 1985. Her research aims to unravel the mysteries of epilepsy by focusing on how specific cells in the brain contribute to or suppress the hyperexcitability in neural circuits that are thought to be involved in the disorder’s spontaneous seizures. Read More

This year’s event will be titled “Vanderbilt University Presents: The Southern Festival of Books, a program of Humanities Tennessee,” marking a new chapter in the life of this storied public event and reflecting Vanderbilt’s deepening investment in the cultural, civic and intellectual fabric of the region. The continuation of the festival is a testament to the power of community. After months of uncertainty following the termination of federal funding, Tennesseans will have the opportunity to celebrate the return of this free event that connects authors and readers at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is seeking Friendship Families for the 2025–26 academic year. The Humphrey Fellowship Program at Vanderbilt brings accomplished mid–career educational leaders from developing nations and emerging democracies to the United States for an academic year for leadership and professional development as well as fostering mutual exchange. Humphrey Fellows for the 2025-2026 year are expected to come from at least nine different countries. Read More

A university requires more than professors, administrators and students to run properly. The preparation of food, maintenance and cleaning of facilities, landscaping and groundskeeping work, and thousands of other essential tasks build the foundation of every place of learning. Even so, conversations between these two worlds can be rare, and when they do occur, might be scaffolded by hierarchical ideas about work. One program, sponsored by the Curb Center in collaboration with Forklift Danceworks, seeks to change this.  Read More

Take courses and advance your skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical trials, informatics, survey research, program evaluation, implementation science and more. Courses are offered through the Master of Public Health program in the School of Medicine. Tuition assistance is available for eligible employees. Read More

Seven incoming first-year students and three rising sophomores have been selected for the Ingram Scholars Program. They were chosen from among more than 2,000 applicants for the prestigious merit scholarship, awarded each year to students who demonstrate academic excellence and a strong passion for service.  Read More

When economics and communication of science and technology double major Leilani Rucker, Class of 2026, stepped into the Wond’ry’s Fiber Arts Build Lab, she had the feeling her lifelong love for fashion design was about to gain momentum. In the FAB Lab, Manager Alexandra Sargent Capps provides experiential opportunities to promote sustainable fashion and upcycling. Capps piqued Rucker’s interest when she showed up with a bin of colorful neckties from a clothing drive. Rucker’s imagination was sparked, and she set out to create a small upcycled clothing collection to display during Vanderbilt Fashion Week. Read More

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Gen. Nakasone, former NSA director, founding director of Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security, Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Science and Management, and special advisor to the chancellor, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss the challenges of national security in the 21st century and academia’s role in training the next generation of multifaceted national security professionals. Read More

“Stitched Stories: A Children’s Literature and Quilting Journey” took place over six weeks and brought upper-elementary students together with members of the Zuri Quilting Circle, a collective of local Black women quilters who use fabric to tell stories about their lives and traditions. The students read and discussed four picture books about quilting before designing their own quilts and learning hands-on techniques to assemble and sew them. Read More

Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff who enjoy free online subscriptions to The New York Times courtesy of the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries can now access The Athletic and fully access Games alongside other features. Read More

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may select one nominee for the Curing Kids Cancer Innovative Research Award. Read More

Vanderbilt University may submit up to two letters of intent to the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research 2025 Endeavor Award. Read More

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Amanda Little, writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how journalism can highlight the tipping points humanity faces and how people-first storytelling can move us from observation to action. Read More

Vanderbilt University may submit one application to the CFMT Community Impact Grants competition. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy recently conducted a national poll about Americans’ opinions on topics including higher education, the state of the economy under President Donald Trump’s administration and immigration, among other key issues. The results reveal interesting nuances in public sentiment, as well as divisions among those Republican voters who identify as part of the Make America Great Again movement and those who identify more with the traditional Republican Party. Read More

Researchers led by John T. Wilson, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering, have developed a new approach using a molecularly designed nanobody platform that seeks to make immunotherapy more effective in the treatment of cancer. Read More

Vanderbilt University may submit only one proposal to the NEXT for AUTISM Autistic-Led and Community-Based Grants. Read More

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, in partnership with the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association, announced the 2025 award winners at the Spring Postdoc Awards Ceremony on May 21. The event highlighted the vital contributions that postdocs make across various disciplines at the university.   Read More