Releases

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the homeless community, including posing unique health risks to the homeless population and spurring a likely increase in homelessness due to job losses, said Marybeth Shinn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor of human, organizational and community development. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has begun recruiting up to 250 participants for a Phase 3 clinical trial testing an investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Read More

Behavioral and systems neuropharmacologist Jerri Rook is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation with the Goodes Prize to continue her work in Alzheimer’s disease research. Read More

Peptides derived from the antimicrobial peptides secreted by frogs could function as microbicides to limit HIV transmission, while sparing protective vaginal bacteria. Read More

Angelika Amon, PhD, a pioneering cell and molecular biologist and winner of the 2018 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, died Oct. 29 from cancer. She was 53. Read More

An innovative Vanderbilt program that brings together scientists and artists with the shared goal of scientific communication is set to expand with support from a three-year grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Read More

Histamine — commonly associated with allergies — also has a signaling role in the brain’s reward center and may offer a novel target for treating addiction. Read More

Vanderbilt epidemiologists identified new markers for colorectal cancer risk and characterized a previously unidentified tumor suppressor that regulates overall tumor volume in vivo. Read More

An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Karl Zelik explores how wearable sensor technology can monitor bone stress in runners, developing a new multi-sensor algorithm that could save runners from months of pain and recovery time. Read More

Rare photographs of the Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a pivotal figure in the history of the civil rights movement and Vanderbilt University, have been acquired by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Read More

Jacek Hawiger’s anti-inflammatory peptide therapy, licensed by Amytrx and now in clinical trials, has the potential to safely and effectively treat a multitude of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers—including Charles Sanders, associate dean for research and professor of biochemistry, and graduate student Justin Marinko—have illuminated the cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, putting them on the road to developing therapeutic approaches for the disease that affects one in 2,500 people. Read More

Frank P. Grisham, who led the Vanderbilt library from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, a time that included the establishment of the Vanderbilt Television News Archive and the transition of the libraries after the merger with George Peabody College for Teachers, died Oct. 9. He was 92. Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center played a key role in the development of remdesivir, the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of COVID-19. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s inaugural cohort of Interfaith Fellows is gaining a new understanding about the diverse religious beliefs of their fellow students during a two-semester leadership program. Read More

A virtual symposium with noted speakers and artists will reflect on the civil rights legacy of Kelly Miller Smith Sr., Vanderbilt’s first African American administrator, and its meaning today. The symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28. Read More

Vanderbilt University hosted a virtual celebration on Oct. 21, recognizing the Reunion classes of 2020 with a special toast. The event served as a prelude to an on-campus celebration Vanderbilt will host next fall for all alumni whose Reunion year falls in 2020 or 2021. Read More

Vanderbilt Genetics Institute investigators have added a new method to the computational genetics toolbox. Their approach, described in the journal Nature Genetics, integrates vast genomics datasets to predict gene expression and facilitate discovery of genetic mechanisms underlying human diseases. Read More

Vanderbilt-Fisk collaboration shares achievements of Black women artists in online ‘Women of Rosenwald’ exhibition, supported by the Mellon Partners for Humanities Education program. Read More

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing will use a $3.2 million federal grant for a scholarship program for economically disadvantaged students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. The program aims to increase diversity in primary health care providers, particularly in medically underserved areas. Read More