Research

When the human genome was sequenced in 2003, scientists around the world turned their collective attention to discovering what roles genetic variation plays in human health and illness. Their goal: to use that knowledge to tailor disease treatment and prevention strategies based on an individual’s own DNA blueprint, a concept… Read More

A new study in the American Journal of Human Genetics, led by Vanderbilt researchers Josh Denny, M.D., M.S., and Dana Crawford, Ph.D., takes random volumes of human genotypes and matches them with data siphoned from de-identified medical records and sheds new light on the genetic basis of the common… Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are studying how the supplement melatonin can ease the sleep difficulties that often afflict children with autism spectrum disorders. (iStock) A new Vanderbilt study shows that the over-the-counter supplement melatonin is promising in helping children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families, sleep better. Read More

Human rhinovirus (HRV), also known as the common cold, can be uncommonly serious for certain children, a study led by a Vanderbilt University Medical Center pediatrician shows. The study, published in the Dec. 28, 2011 online issue of the journal Pediatrics, shows that not only can HRV lead to hospitalization… Read More

Research participant Loren Kirkpatrick, right, has worked with Janie Lipps, MSN, and Vanderbilt’s Diabetes Control and Complications Trial since its inception in 1983. (Daniel Dubois / Vanderbilt) Loren Kirkpatrick has been enrolled in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) at Vanderbilt’s Diabetes Center for nearly half… Read More

Managing myocardial infarction – and the resulting heart failure – remains a clinical challenge. To search for chemicals that can stimulate cardiac muscle cell production, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology investigators led by Tao Zhong, Ph.D., Terri Ni, Ph.D., and Eric Rellinger, M.D., turned to a novel drug discovery tool:… Read More

Images of individuals with Alagille syndrome (National Institutes of Health) Mutations in the Jagged1 gene cause Alagille syndrome, an inherited disorder that affects the liver, heart, kidneys and facial structure. Patients with Alagille syndrome often have a prominent forehead, a flattened midface and a prominent chin; some have a cleft… Read More

Mary Gwyn Bowen, R.N., is studying whether art on the walls motivates patients to ambulate more quickly following cardiac surgery. (Joe Howell / Vanderbilt) Following cardiac surgery, patients are encouraged to get out of bed and walk as soon as possible, a daunting task to many who… Read More

The first graduating class of the School for Science and Math celebrates last spring. Photo by Tommy Lawson Their research papers are published in a scientific journal. They win accolades in a prestigious national science competition. And that’s before they graduate from their public high schools. These are the… Read More

The conventional wisdom about Newt Gingrich's troubles at the Iowa caucuses may be mistaken, says John Geer of Vanderbilt University. Blaming a barrage of attack ads aimed at the former House speaker for his decline in the polls may be inaccurate, Geer believes. Read More

A landmark study that found early antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce the risk of HIV transmission between sexual partners by 96 percent has been named Breakthrough of the Year by Science magazine. The study, conducted by the… Read More

A Vanderbilt-led workshop for military health care providers could lead to more post-deployment mental health referrals. Read More

Statins, traditionally known as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study released online by The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Read More

Ela Knapik, associate professor of medicine, and colleagues are using zebrafish to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms that cause birth defects of the face and skeleton. Read More

(Benedict Campbell/Wellcome Images) Mitosis, or the separation of chromosomes during cell division, is driven by dynamic interactions between the kinetochore region on chromosomes and string-like structures called microtubules. A number of proteins, including the enzyme Cdk1, regulate these interactions, but it is unclear what kinetochore components such enzymes work… Read More

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given them $1 million to three Vanderbilt scientists to develop a point-of-care sample collection and preparation product that could bring advanced medical diagnostic testing to the third world. Read More

The progression of new drug candidates for schizophrenia with partner Janssen Pharmaceutica is the latest evidence that a new collaborative model for drug discovery pioneered at Vanderbilt may help identify and develop innovative candidate drugs for treatment of major brain disorders. Read More

Young bone marrow cells alleviate aging-related kidney changes in mice. Read More

Protein helps ensure proper division of chromosomes during cell division. Read More

Host cell protein may be a target for strategies to limit spread of virus-induced squamous cell cancers. Read More