Research

Vanderbilt researchers are bolstering the fight against cancer with technology that enhances the effectiveness of T cells that attack tumors. The cutting-edge research was recently published in the high-impact journal Science Immunology. Cancers co-opt both the immune and cardiovascular systems to fuel their own growth, researchers say. They do this in part by forming new... Read More

By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh, associate professor of education and public policy Two recent studies indicate that school-level factors play a considerable role in racial disparities in school discipline. The first study, conducted primarily through a series of interviews, reveals disciplinary tensions between district leaders, school administrators, and… Read More

By Jenna Somers Will Doyle, professor of leadership, policy, and organizations In April, Will Doyle, professor of leadership, policy, and organizations, participated in a panel presentation attended by congressional staff in Washington, D.C., to discuss the possibility of federal-state partnerships to fund higher education at low or no… Read More

A new technique will allow researchers to track subsets of immune cells that patrol and defend the lungs, to better understand the roles of these cells during lung inflammation, infection and injury. Read More

Fluorescent nanoparticles clearly identified colonic adenomas — precursors to colorectal cancer — in mice, and the formulation should translate to clinical use in humans. Read More

The inaugural Mark Dalton Faculty Director of Experiential Learning in Aerospace Engineering is Amrutur "A.V.” Anilkumar. Anilkumar has served as the faculty adviser to Vanderbilt teams that have won numerous national and international aerospace engineering awards over two decades. Read More

Nicole Moehring, a fifth-year graduate student in interdisciplinary materials science, has been selected for an extended residency to continue her doctoral research at the Savannah River National Laboratory. She is one of just 87 awardees selected by the Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research program this year. Nicole Moehring (Anne Rayner) At... Read More

By Jenna Somers Sarah Brown-Schmidt, professor of psychology and human development In the first four months of Donald Trump’s presidency, leading up to Trump firing FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017, they met privately nine times. Alarmed by how these meetings broke with traditional boundaries between… Read More

Autumn Kujawa, assistant professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, has received a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for a study to identify objective predictors of future suicidal behavior in high-risk adolescents. The study could improve understanding of the pathways to suicidal behavior in young people, help to identify those at greatest risk for suicide attempts, and lead to personalized interventions to prevent suicidal behavior and suicide deaths. Read More

By Jenna Somers Ilana Horn, professor of mathematics education, and Yeliz Günal Aggül, Fulbright Dissertation Research Fellow Around the world, educational problems are both highly universal and highly particular. Opportunities to collaborate internationally allow education researchers to see these problems through new perspectives and possibly discover solutions they otherwise may… Read More

Vanderbilt professor Kelly Haws’ GREEN scale evaluates the relationship between consumer commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly product evaluations. Read More

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Rolanda Johnson received the Vanderbilt University Joseph A. Johnson Jr. Distinguished Leadership Professor Award at the university’s Spring Faculty Assembly.   Read More

The Department of Energy has renewed its partnership with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. The IACMI is a community of industry, universities, national laboratories and government agencies working together to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative manufacturing technologies. The funding connected with the renewed partnership will be used over five years to... Read More

The Department of Energy has renewed its partnership with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. The IACMI is a community of industry, universities, national laboratories and government agencies working together to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative manufacturing technologies. The funding connected with the renewed partnership will be used over five years to... Read More

Joshua Caldwell (Vanderbilt University) Josh Caldwell, director of the Interdisciplinary Material Sciences program and professor of mechanical engineering, has been awarded a grant from the Office of Naval Research’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. The five-year grant, which provides up to $1.5 million in funding annually, will be shared among Vanderbilt University, the University of Iowa,... Read More

Joshua Caldwell (Vanderbilt University) Josh Caldwell, director of the Interdisciplinary Material Sciences program and professor of mechanical engineering, has been awarded a grant from the Office of Naval Research’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. The five-year grant, which provides up to $1.5 million in funding annually, will be shared among Vanderbilt University, the University of Iowa,... Read More

The cultural evolution of a population depends not only on size but also on the degree of specialization within a population, according to a new study published last month by a team of scientists including Nicole Creanza. The study found that populations can increase their cultural repertoire by subdividing knowledge into smaller groups, but the total group must be sufficiently large for specialization to be advantageous. Read More

A new study led by members of Ann Tate’s lab found evidence that pleiotropy may slow down evolution of genes involved in immunity. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers detail the landscape of RNA editing — a form of RNA modification — in primary effusion lymphoma cells during Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection and identify an edited viral microRNA that is critical for infection. Read More

A team of engineering seniors has designed an embedded thermoelectric generator to convert that wavy shimmer of heat that rises from hot asphalt—waste heat radiation—into electrical energy. To protect soldiers’ hands from heat burns while rappelling from helicopters, another team has created ‘fast rope’ insertion gloves. These design projects and 52 more will be on display at the Vanderbilt School of Engineering’s Design Day 2023, Monday, April 24. Read More