American Heart Association

Defining the genes required for the function of insulin-producing beta cells is crucial for ongoing efforts to develop a cell-based therapy for diabetes. Read More

Studies of the molecular complex that helps build specialized cellular surfaces could shed light on the mechanisms underlying a genetic deaf-blindness syndrome accompanied by intestinal disease. Read More

The brains of children who are obese function differently from those of children of healthy weight, and exhibit an “imbalance” between food-seeking and food-avoiding behaviors, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt investigators developed a new method for rapidly generating heart muscle cells from stem cells. Read More

Scott Baldwin, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, recently was awarded the American Heart Association’s Helen B. Taussig Memorial Lecture, considered one of the most renowned invited lectures in the United States. Read More

Microtubules — cellular “highways” that deliver cargo to the cell membrane for secretion — have a surprising role in pancreatic beta cells. Instead of facilitating glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, they limit it, a team of Vanderbilt investigators reported recently in Developmental Cell. Read More

Understanding how macrophage immune cells accumulate in fat tissue and contribute to the pathology of obesity could lead to the development of novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders. Read More

A system to ensure that children with stroke-like symptoms receive emergency evaluations results in faster diagnosis and treatment for patients with the condition, a team of physicians and researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has shown. Read More

A metabolic change in adult stem cells makes them less “fit” for regenerative heart therapies, suggesting that strategies to prevent this response may boost the therapeutic usefulness of the cells. Read More

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has once again recognized the Vanderbilt Stroke Center for using scientific guidelines to provide top quality patient care. Read More

Patients with orthostatic intolerance – problems when standing – have cognitive changes, even when seated, compared to healthy individuals. Read More

New findings suggest that misfolded proteins accumulate in the heart atria, particularly in patients with hypertension, and may contribute to atrial heart disease. Read More

Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered a new molecular mechanism that regulates microtubule dynamics. The unexpected finding, reported in Developmental Cell, has implications for cancer drug discovery. Read More

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one of four institutions that are part of a new research network aimed at preventing heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the world. Read More

The Vanderbilt Stroke Center has once again struck gold, receiving top honors from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Read More

The mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of cardiac muscle cells play an active role in the initial stage of heart valve formation. Read More

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

For the sixth consecutive year, Vanderbilt was recently recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) with its Platinum Level Fit-friendly Worksite Award. Read More

Gaining and losing weight during “yo-yo dieting” may contribute to an exaggerated immune response in fat tissue that increases metabolic dysfunction more than steady weight gain alone. Read More