Research

See how historian Jane Landers and her team are rescuing enslaved Africans’ stories from oblivion and honoring thousands of lives. Read More

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may submit one proposal for the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation Grant Program.  Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich With artificial intelligence being rapidly deployed across all sectors of public life, including education, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how younger children interact with AI algorithms. Future programmers will need to consider the social and ethical impacts of technology, contends Vanderbilt Peabody College of… Read More

Vanderbilt (VU + VUMC, collaboratively) may nominate one associate or full professor to submit a Letter of Intent for the 2026 Brain Research Foundation Scientific Innovations Award (SIA). Read More

Though Helicobacter pylori lives in the guts of about half of the world's adults, infections can go undetected for decades. The problem: the bacteria is the primary risk factor for gastric cancer, and one strain of the germ carries a higher risk. Vanderbilt researchers Tim Cover and Jennifer Shuman analyzed how the genetic makeup of H. pylori strains affects how they change the molecular makeup of gut tissues and lead to gastric cancer. Read More

Read the stories of what motivates members of Vanderbilt's faculty to pursue excellence as researchers, professors, experts and innovators. Read More

Stephanie Wankowicz, Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and Principal Investigator at the Wankowicz Lab (Submitted photo) When proteins are on the move, the way they wiggle, jiggle and form shapes within a cell informs the jobs they perform. From simple interactions, to making chemical reactions happen, to helping… Read More

Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Physics and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy Julia Velkovska (Submitted photo) When Julia Velkovska views the world, it’s through a microscopic lens.    As Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Physics and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Velkovska studies the… Read More

Dean Pamela Jeffries of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing does research around innovative instruction using technology and simulations that give student nurses a way to begin learning how to make clinical decisions without putting patients at risk. Read More

Charles G. Finney Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics Eunjoo Kim does research that focuses on new perspectives and methods of preaching and worship that are relevant to changing cultural contexts. Read More

In March, students and faculty from Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University took an environmental tour of Nashville, funded by the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate. The students learned about the city’s history and recent sustainability projects to improve the environment. Yolanda J. McDonald The tour included… Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development’s expertise in designing and offering gifted education was highlighted in March when Peabody Global Initiatives and Chris Vanags, director of the Peabody Research Office, hosted a pair of Japanese visiting researchers. Hirokazu Kumazaki, professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry at… Read More

Vanderbilt Divinity School was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Wabash Center to study artificial intelligence and its impact. The project, “We Can Wait No Longer: Educating Theological Educators About Artificial Intelligence,” seeks to inform Divinity faculty of the mechanics behind AI and the latest advancements. Read More

Learn about the women who inspire Steven Townsend in his breakthrough research that puts a spotlight on women, their health and discoveries around the healing powers of breast milk. Read More

As fewer people enter the education profession and high rates of principal turnover persist, school districts need strategic and systematic approaches to recruiting, hiring, and supporting effective school leaders. Principal pipelines may be the answer. Principal pipelines are a comprehensive and aligned system for identifying, developing, and supporting school leaders. Read More

By Jenna Somers Alex Astrella At age two Alex Astrella, MEd’23, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His parents were told that he had little chance of graduating high school or becoming financially independent. Today, Astrella is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, an award-winning film studio… Read More

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University Peabody College of education and human development has launched the Early Childhood Governance Landscape, a new tool that illustrates how states structure early childhood governance—and what those choices mean for coordination, funding, and access to services for young children… Read More

By Jennifer Kiilerich A teacher’s education doesn’t stop when they graduate from college and enter the classroom. Like all fields, professional development is pivotal to progress, and Vanderbilt University’s IRIS Center, housed in Peabody College of education and human development, meets that need… Read More

Laurie Cutting, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Special Education (Harrison McClary/Vanderbilt University) Laurie E. Cutting, a pioneering educational neuroscientist devoted to unlocking the mysteries of brain function in learning, has been named the 2025 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner from Vanderbilt University. The annual award honors… Read More

Fat and protein molecules are essential to human brain health, and there are microscopic transport hubs that make sure the right molecules get to the right cells. If the proteins aren’t interacting properly, they can wind up in the wrong places—a problem that’s been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Research in Associate Professor Lauren Jackson’s lab has uncovered how those proteins interact. Read More