Research
-
Interdisciplinary research team to develop novel drug detection technology using software that acts like a robotic scientist
With the support of a $2.7 million Recovery Act grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), an interdisciplinary team headed by Vanderbilt chemist John McLean and physicist John Wikswo will attempt to determine whether an individual's white blood cells retain chemical memories of exposure to drugs like cocaine and alcohol that can be read reliably and unambiguously. Read MoreNov 9, 2009
-
Inconspicuous leaf beetles reveal environment’s role in formation of new species
Unnoticed by the nearby residents of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, tiny leaf beetles that flit among the maple and willow trees in the area have just provided some of the clearest evidence yet that environmental factors play a major role in the formation of new species. Read MoreOct 30, 2009
-
New Vanderbilt research finds more intervention is a bad idea for Commodity Index Funds and Futures Markets
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, long known for its "hands-off" regulatory policy, appears to be changing course toward greater intervention in markets. New research by professors at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management finds that when it comes to index investors, more intervention is a mistake. Read MoreOct 20, 2009
-
New book offers latest research on performance pay for teachers
Performance pay for teachers continues to gain momentum nationally despite the absence of a clear understanding of its impact on students, teachers and schools. A new book from the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University brings together the latest research on the topic to offer guidance for researchers, policymakers and practitioners seeking deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding this issue. Read MoreOct 13, 2009
-
Vanderbilt biologist receives early career development award to study tree of life
Antonis Rokas is a member of a small cadre of scientists who are applying the growing power of genomics to untangle and correctly arrange the branches of the tree of life. Read MoreOct 8, 2009
-
Bad movie physics subject of free public lecture
"Bad movie physics from the perspective of art and science" is the subject of a free public lecture that is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Stevenson Center Room 4327 on the Vanderbilt campus. Read MoreOct 8, 2009
-
First direct information about the prion’s molecular structure reported
A collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University and the University of California, San Francisco has led to the first direct information about the molecular structure of prions. In addition, the study has revealed surprisingly large structural differences between natural prions and the closest synthetic analogs that scientists have created in the lab. Read MoreOct 5, 2009
-
Vanderbilt astronomers participate in new search for dark energy
The most ambitious attempt yet to trace the history of the universe has seen "first light." The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS), part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III), took its first astronomical data on the night of Sept. 14-15 at the Sloan Foundation telescope in New Mexico. Read MoreOct 1, 2009
-
Impact of rewards on student attendance, performance aim of new Vanderbilt study
The impact of recognition and rewards on student attendance and performance in afterschool programs is the aim of a new study being launched by the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University and uBoost, a company that manages student reward programs. Read MoreSep 21, 2009
-
Terrorist warnings affect political attitudes, says Vanderbilt researcher
When citizens in the United States and Mexico are confronted by terrorist threats, they cope in ways that can put significant stresses on the nations' democracies, according to research by political scientists at Vanderbilt and Claremont. Read MoreSep 1, 2009
-
Fisk/Vanderbilt program receives $3.7 million to increase minority Ph.D.s in the physical sciences
A unique collaboration between Fisk and Vanderbilt universities that is poised to become the nation's top source of Ph.D.s in physics and astronomy awarded to underrepresented minorities has received a major boost from three federal grants totaling $3.7 million. Read MoreAug 27, 2009
-
Obama’s appointees: some strong, some not, Vanderbilt expert finds
A Vanderbilt University political scientist's study of President Obama's appointments during his first six months in office finds some agencies are receiving significantly more qualified presidential appointees than others. Read MoreAug 25, 2009
-
Teacher-designed performance pay programs offer smaller incentives to more teachers
Performance pay programs designed by teachers, for teachers have been found to offer small incentives to a large number of teachers, new research indicates. Read MoreAug 20, 2009
-
Vanderbilt chemist receives grant to develop animal testing alternative
Vanderbilt chemist David Cliffel has received a grant from the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation to assess the potential of an advanced cell monitoring system for reducing the use of animals in toxicity testing. Read MoreAug 13, 2009
-
Why Obama’s birth certificate issue won’t go away: Vanderbilt expert
The controversy over President Obama's birth certificate will not go away as long as he refuses to release sealed records, including the original birth certificate, according to Carol Swain, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. Read MoreJul 30, 2009
-
Vanderbilt astronomer receives $50,000 fellowship to further racial equality
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Keivan G. Stassun has been awarded a $50,000 fellowship from the Fletcher Foundation to support his efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing scientific careers. Read MoreJul 23, 2009
-
Legalizing a federal crime: how states could win the war over marijuana
Even though it's against federal law to grow, sell or possess marijuana, 13 states have recently legalized medical use of the drug. Now California is contemplating taking the next step – legalizing marijuana outright – in the hope that taxing marijuana sales could help ease the state's latest budget crisis. Vanderbilt University Law School professor Robert Mikos, an expert on federalism issues, examined the conflict between state and federal drug laws in a new paper. Read MoreJul 22, 2009
-
Lotteries: From big bucks to bankruptcy
In this tough economy, the allure of buying lottery tickets seems like a pretty enticing way to erase financial problems. But new research from Vanderbilt Law School found that people who won between $50,000 and $150,000 did not solve their debt problems and only postponed bankruptcy. Read MoreJul 7, 2009
-
Ultra-sensitive detector promises improved treatment of viral respiratory infections
A Vanderbilt chemist and a biomedical engineer have teamed up to develop a respiratory virus detector that is sensitive enough to detect an infection at an early stage, takes only a few minutes to return a result and is simple enough to be performed in a pediatrician's office. Read MoreJun 26, 2009
-
TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt experts give insight on Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination; Video included
Will Judge Sonia Sotomayor become the next U.S. Supreme Court justice? Vanderbilt faculty Tracey George, Terry Mahoney and Brian Fitzpatrick provide expert insight and commentary. Read MoreJun 25, 2009