Research

A report released by the Institute of Medicine confirms the safety of eight vaccines studied by a committee of experts. Evidence showed no links between immunization and serious conditions that have raised concerns, including Type 1 diabetes and autism. Read More

Should scientists inform participants in genomic studies about their risk for diseases or conditions discovered during the studies, and if so, when and how? A Vanderbilt professor is part of a team working to answer these questions. Read More

Vanderbilt chemists have developed the first method that can rapidly and accurately map the surfaces of tiny particles that possess two chemically distinct faces. The findings have broad potential applications ranging from drug delivery to video displays. Read More

The discovery of new compounds that work in a fundamentally different way than those in existing schizophrenia medications may allow for more normal function of brain cells involved in schizophrenia. Read More

(iSTOCK) Like the Wizard of Oz, computer scientists have largely been happy to perform their magic behind the curtain, out of public view.  However, this reticence has begun causing problems in the digital realm. “Computer scientists face the drawbacks of lacking public awareness,” wrote an international team… Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in collaboration with Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., have achieved a milestone in the development of a potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism. Read More

A new study shows ophthalmologic antibiotics promote antimicrobial resistance, prompting a call from Vanderbilt Eye Institute physicians to be more judicial in administering the drugs. Read More

A new study indicates that patients with high-grade glioma brain tumors who have preexisting type 2 diabetes or obesity have poorer outcomes, and is the first to use the Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center Clinical Database to report a novel clinical finding. Read More

Astronomer Davy Kirkpatrick (Courtesy of Davy Kirkpatrick) If Davy Kirkpatrick’s calculations stand up, then Vanderbilt will have solid connections to two of the Sun’s nearest stellar neighbors. One link is long standing. Barnard’s star, which is six light years away from the Sun and its second-closest… Read More

Video: Watch this story about a breakthrough drug study that may prevent type-1 diabetes. Read More

Early motor experiences can shape infants’ preferences for objects and faces, new research indicates. The study supports evidence that early motor development and experiences contribute to infants’ understanding of their world and implies that when motor skills are delayed or impaired – as in autism – future social interactions could be negatively impacted. Read More

New details about a host mechanism that fights off HIV may reveal strategies for therapies to treat or prevent HIV infection. Read More

The pattern of hearing loss across sound frequencies affects the benefit from hearing aids. Read More

Thomas Schwartz Thomas Schwartz, professor of history, recently responded to an interview request from a journalist in São Paulo, Brazil, about the lasting political impacts of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Professor Schwartz’s responses provide a concise overview of the lasting impact of a day… Read More

There is a list, famous among astronomers, of 110 faint objects in the night sky, first cataloged by French astronomer Charles Messier in the 18th century. A “Messier marathon” is when astronomers begin at dusk and work until dawn, hoping to locate every single one, searching amid the field of… Read More

Scanning electron micrograph of a Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus colony by Perrin Ireland. Art and science are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, these two important fields of human endeavor often draw from and inspire each other. Think Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin. A 21st century version of this cross-fertilization currently… Read More

How the brain is wired to control impulsive behavior differs significantly from what psychologists have thought, new research finds. Read More

In addition to her high school diploma, Aziza Hart earned an unusual honor this spring – her first scientific paper was published in a new Vanderbilt University journal, Young Scientist. Hart, who graduated from Nashville’s Glencliff High School, spent part of her senior year in a Vanderbilt laboratory, studying… Read More

A team led by Vanderbilt University biomedical engineer Michael Miga has been awarded a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to enhance image-guided surgery techniques for safely removing liver tumors. Read More

The antibiotics of the future could take a page from the immune system’s playbook – and “starve” bacteria of the nutrients they need. Read More