Research

Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair and professor of political science, and co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss how transparency and increasing public literacy about statistics—including an awareness of limitations—can disrupt Americans’ mounting distrust in polling data. Read More

Vanderbilt may nominate up to two candidates for the 2026 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Award in translational immunology (non-cancer). Read More

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate up to two candidates (one per project type) for the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research opportunity. Read More

by Jenna Somers Jessika Boles After consulting with the palliative care team, Jessika Boles, MEd’08, found herself speaking with a mother about honoring her daughter’s legacy. “One of the ways we can do that is through handprint art, since handprints and fingerprints are unique to each person. Would you… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich When top special education researchers, a cutting-edge dyslexia academy and research center, and influential school leaders converge at Vanderbilt University, big ideas are bound to emerge. That is exactly what happened at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Neurodivergence-Informed Schools conference, hosted by the Roberts Academy… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich In rural Monroe County, Tennessee, the school district’s only teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) is approaching retirement. But her daughter, Andrea Leatherwood, is almost ready to step into the role. Leatherwood is among the first cohort of teachers accepted last summer into the new Vanderbilt… Read More

Vanderbilt University has joined the Urban Humanities Network (UHN) as a consortium campus, solidifying the university’s place among leading institutions at the forefront of urban humanities scholarship. Established in 2022, UHN unites universities, organizations, and researchers dedicated to interdisciplinary study within the urban humanities, which operates at the nexus of humanities, urbanism, and design. Read More

Targeting ncRNAs with drugs presents a much larger therapeutic opportunity than targeting proteins, but the currently available drug discovery tools are slow and computationally intensive. Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and core member of the Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics Carlos Oliver is working with collaborators to unlock the untapped potential of ncRNAs, as they are a promising family of targets for the development of novel small-molecule therapeutics. Read More

Like anyone, it takes time for coders to reengage in their work, meaning interruptions from bosses, co-workers, and email and messaging notifications can lead to a loss of focus, decreased productivity, increased stress, and a longer time to complete tasks. But according to a new award-winning study by researchers in Vanderbilt’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems, not all interruptions are created equal. Read More

A new study by Vanderbilt investigators uncovered a previously unknown biological mechanism: how tissues detect and respond to damage in basement membranes, the thin layers of extracellular matrix that surround and support nearly every organ in the body. The research, published in Developmental Cell, is the first to show how local cells sense and respond to changes in basement membrane stiffness caused by damage—and how they activate a previously unknown set of “matrix mender” cells to repair the tissue. Read More

At a time of deep political divisions, registered Tennessee voters are united in their overwhelming support for key federal programs, according to the latest semiannual statewide Vanderbilt Poll. Concern about the U.S. economy and personal financial futures is also prevalent, while partisan divides are more apparent on issues such as immigration, tariffs and President Donald Trump’s response to court rulings against his actions and policies.   Read More

Vanderbilt University and its Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization hosted the inaugural Southeast Venture Showcase, a first-of-its kind collaboration among top research universities and federal laboratories across the Southeast to highlight their most promising new technology-based ventures.  Read More

Generative AI will play a key role in three new campus projects being developed thanks to early-stage funding from the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries’ Digital Lab. The Digital Lab’s 2025 seed grant projects will be celebrated in a public showcase this fall.  Read More

Vanderbilt University may submit up to two proposals, one in Medical Research and one in Science and Engineering, for the W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program. Read More

Vanderbilt University may submit two nominations to the American Diabetes Association for the Pathway to Stop Diabetes Awards, one nomination spanning basic through preclinical research and one nomination spanning clinical through public health research. Read More

Crucial research by Neil Osheroff and his lab leads to approval of the first new class of antibacterial drugs in decades. The drug, gepotidacin, developed by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Blujepa, will be available starting later this year, potentially bringing relief to thousands of women who struggle with uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Read More

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate up to two candidates for the V Foundation V Scholar Award program. Read More

Nashville’s tumultuous spring weather upended plans for an in-person faculty assembly on April 3. Fortunately, faculty will still have an opportunity to connect with colleagues and congratulate the 10 spring award winners during the May 1 Faculty Senate meeting. Read More

In this live performance turned Quantum Potential episode, Provost C. Cybele Raver hosts an extraordinary musical collaboration between Ji Hye Jung, associate professor of percussion at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, and the multi–Grammy Award–winning Attacca Quartet—Amy Schroeder and Domenic Salerni (violins), Nathan Schram (viola), and Andrew Yee (cello). The result? A rich exploration of what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century. Read More

A new paper, co-authored by Eric M. VanEpps, associate professor of marketing at Vanderbilt Business, shows that a lack of consumer confidence in forecasting ability, instead of pessimism, sways stock market predictions, often pushing estimates too low. In this study, the term consumers refers to ordinary people who are not professional investors or economists; consumer confidence refers to how confident they feel in their own ability to understand and predict the stock market. Read More