Research

Fifteen Vanderbilt faculty members conducting a range of biomedical and clinical research have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Six of the 15 have received funding through the university’s Trans-Institutional Programs initiative, which facilitates research and teaching collaborations across disciplines and are a core pillar of the university’s Academic Strategic Plan. Read More

Vanderbilt astronomers will carry out detailed studies of nearby stars orbited by planets with the potential to harbor or sustain life. Read More

Researchers believe they can address problems stemming from heart rate, respiration and digestion by untangling which nerves control which bodily functions and then stimulating them with light. Read More

Using sophisticated genome mining and gene manipulation techniques, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have solved a mystery that could lead to a new treatment approach for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Read More

A simple blood test is allowing Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) researchers to determine which patients should be prescribed varenicline (Chantix) to stop smoking and which patients could do just as well, and avoid side effects, by using a nicotine patch. Read More

This summer the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC) began its 17th year of continuous operation and federal support with a $5.5 million, five-year renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read More

Writing in the Office of Cross-College Initiatives' BreakThru blog, political science Ph.D. student SangEun Cecilia Kim finds that poverty is the most common factor driving the tax aversion of Malawi citizens. Read More

To develop strategies for preventing radiation-induced lung fibrosis (scarring), Vanderbilt investigators are exploring the cell types and factors that contribute to the fibrotic response. Read More

Vanderbilt University, through the Chancellor’s Office and the Office of Federal Relations, today shared an official letter with members of the Tennessee delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives from Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos outlining the university’s deep concerns with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the current tax reform plan under consideration in Washington by federal lawmakers. Read More

Vanderbilt scientists have teamed up with the Italian Scientific Police to apply nanoscience techniques to improve the accuracy of forensic investigations. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a pathway that links excess sodium, inflammation and hypertension. Read More

The new TIPs-supported Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab is just five months old and has already launched an Internal Seminar Series and presented at a prestigious national conference. The lab brings together faculty from five schools and 10 departments and is focused on research to understand the causes and consequences of LGBT-targeted public policies. Read more about the lab and other internally funded projects at the VU BreakThru blog. Read More

The recent decriminalization of homosexuality in Mozambique has not made it easier for LGBT advocacy groups to support these populations within the country. Read More

Lipids in the plasma membrane regulate the position of the contractile ring that is required for cell division, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Vanderbilt University, through the Chancellor’s Office and the Office of Federal Relations, is working to make its voice heard on Capitol Hill about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the current tax reform plan being considered by lawmakers. Vanderbilt University has serious concerns with the bill, particularly provisions that could erode support for graduate students and affect financial aid. Read More

Many incarcerated South Africans find religion in prison, found undergraduate Zoe Psakis. Read More

When chronic disease patients let their care lapse and fail to show for clinic appointments, it may behoove clinics to reach out and encourage a return to care. Read More

Amid the intense discussions around head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment and survivorship planning, sexuality — an important quality of life issue — may understandably not be discussed. When and in what manner do patients with HNC want to talk about the impact the disease may have on their sexuality? Read More

A combination of two antibiotics is often prescribed to treat community-acquired pneumonia in children, but a JAMA Pediatrics study is now showing that using just one of the two has the same benefit to patients in most cases. Read More

Research by a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) scientists suggests that older people whose hearts pump less blood have blood flow reductions in the temporal lobe regions of the brain, where Alzheimer’s pathology first begins. Read More