Health And Medicine

  • Vanderbilt University

    Antioxidants promising for rare disorder

    The antioxidant vitamin E prevented the buildup of toxic products in a model of a rare genetic disorder, suggesting new strategies for therapeutic development. Read More

    Feb 6, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Discovery may pave way for RSV vaccine

    Vanderbilt University scientists have contributed to a major finding, reported this week in the journal Nature, which could lead to the first effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a significant cause of infant mortality. Read More

    Feb 5, 2014

  • new patient form

    Study examines routine screening for health literacy

    Research conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center shows that routine administration of the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) by nurses provides a valid measure for large-scale studies of the influence of health literacy on clinical outcomes. Read More

    Jan 30, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Study tracks pet therapy’s impact on young patients

    A Vanderbilt study is investigating whether therapy dogs can have a positive effect on children undergoing chemotherapy. Read More

    Jan 30, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Overuse injuries among young athletes examined

    With concerns mounting as children train harder, compete more frequently and specialize in a single sport earlier, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has released a position statement that provides guidance to health providers who care for young athletes. Read More

    Jan 30, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Is healthy obesity possible?

    It might be possible to generate a “metabolically healthy” state of obesity by targeting signaling pathways that improve insulin sensitivity. Read More

    Jan 29, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Math models to aid voice disorders

    A new computational model of the interactions between vocal folds and the air around them could aid in designing new treatments for voice disorders. Read More

    Jan 27, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Probing mysteries of preterm birth

    Understanding the relationship between the thinning and rupture of fetal membranes and the presence of bacteria could lead to treatment and prevention strategies for premature birth. Read More

    Jan 24, 2014

  • Colleen Niswender

    Autism Speaks grant boosts Rett syndrome research

    Colleen Niswender, Ph.D., research associate professor of Pharmacology, has received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the autism science and advocacy organization Autism Speaks to support studies investigating a possible new treatment for Rett syndrome. Read More

    Jan 23, 2014

  • anatomy lab

    VUSM moves into top 10 in NIH funding

    According to annual figures available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) is now ranked ninth in the nation among U.S. medical schools in total grant support provided through the nation’s medical research agency. Read More

    Jan 23, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Human and Helicobacter co-evolution

    by Denise Anthony (iStock) A Vanderbilt University-led research team has solved a long-standing riddle: Why do people of mostly Amerindian ancestry in the Andes have a gastric cancer rate that is 25 times higher than that of fellow Colombians of mostly African descent only 124 miles away on the coast?… Read More

    Jan 23, 2014

  • brain illustration

    New approach may halt glioblastoma’s ability to grow

    Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a “backdoor” approach to blocking an enzyme that fuels the growth of glioblastoma, the most common and most fatal form of brain cancer. Read More

    Jan 16, 2014

  • mother and baby

    Grant aids premature infant hydrocephalus research

    Neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus is the subject of a new research study at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Read More

    Jan 16, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    CHF project shows home monitoring eases readmissions

    In preliminary testing, Vanderbilt Home Care Services (VHCS) has found that Internet-based remote patient monitoring reduces hospital readmissions for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) who are receiving home nursing visits. Read More

    Jan 16, 2014

  • HIV cell

    HIV’s impact on B cells

    Understanding how HIV infection affects immune system B cells may guide strategies for vaccine development. Read More

    Jan 15, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism

    Children with autism spectrum disorders have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their eyes and their ears--as if they experience the world like a badly-dubbed movie. Read More

    Jan 14, 2014

  • cells

    Searching for beta cell stimulators

    Vanderbilt researchers describe a new technique for identifying factors that stimulate the proliferation of pancreatic beta cells – factors that might offer therapeutic options for diabetes. Read More

    Jan 13, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    A pain in the … genes

    Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that variation in the gene encoding the potassium channel GIRK1 plays a role in modulating human pain perception. Read More

    Jan 10, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Employment may lead to improvement in autism symptoms

    More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a Vanderbilt study released in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Read More

    Jan 9, 2014

  • Vanderbilt University

    Brain-gut connection in autism

    An association between rigid-compulsive behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may point to a common biological pathway that impacts both the brain and the gut. Read More

    Jan 9, 2014