Arts And Science Research
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Slow traffic, fast food: The effects of highway congestion on fast-food consumption
According to new research from Panka Bencsik, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, on days when highways are more congested, particularly during weekday afternoon rush hour, people are more likely to choose the fast-food option. Read MoreFeb 20, 2025
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Sloan Foundation awards Vanderbilt’s Alexandre Tiriac prestigious research fellowship
Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowships honor extraordinary U.S. and Canadian researchers who stand out as the next generation of leaders for their creativity, innovation and research accomplishments. Tiriac, an assistant professor of biological sciences and Hooley Family Dean's Faculty Fellow in Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt, is part of the 2025 class. Read MoreFeb 18, 2025
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Seven Vanderbilt faculty research projects get innovation catalyst funding
Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund has awarded seven new faculty-led projects, advancing translational research and innovation in health care, engineering and AI-driven solutions. Read MoreFeb 17, 2025
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Reducing the risk of “forever chemicals” in Tennessee’s drinking water
By Jenna Somers A transdisciplinary team at Vanderbilt University seeks to identify Tennessee communities at risk of exposure to toxic man-made chemicals in their drinking water. Yolanda J. McDonald In response to a 2024 regulation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment… Read MoreJan 29, 2025
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Faculty members and alumni honored with Presidential Early Career Award
On Jan. 14, President Biden awarded nearly 400 scientists and engineers the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. Among the awardees were six Vanderbilt faculty members and three alumni. Read MoreJan 23, 2025
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Vanderbilt University’s Ralf Bennartz to lead NASA mission to study ice clouds
Vanderbilt University, led by Professor Ralf Bennartz, will lead a NASA satellite mission investigating Earth's high-altitude ice clouds, backed by a robust grant of $37 million. This endeavor, leveraging the university's climate research expertise, will provide opportunities for student involvement and bolsters Vanderbilt's position in global climate research. Read MoreJan 14, 2025
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White House awards Bartels and Stassun 2024 National Medal of Science
Larry Bartels and Keivan Stassun were among the 23 recipients of 2024 National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation—the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology. Both received their medals from President Joe Biden during a White House ceremony on Jan. 3. Read MoreJan 8, 2025
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Vanderbilt University, Fulbright Canada establish new visiting research chair at the Heard Libraries
The agreement, signed by university and Canadian officials during a Dec. 3 ceremony at Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives, marks the second five-year collaboration between the two organizations and reaffirms their shared commitment to advancing academic collaboration and fostering innovative research. The new collaboration establishes the Fulbright Canada Distinguished Chair at Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science, with the recipients working closely with the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. Read MoreDec 18, 2024
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Vanderbilt Poll: Post-election, core concerns and views of Tennesseans persist
The latest semiannual, statewide Vanderbilt Poll reflects that the election had little impact on Tennesseans’ stances on key issues. A notable exception was increased approvals for state lawmakers since May, despite often holding positions on some issues that are out of step with Tennesseans. Read MoreDec 13, 2024
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Cemetery of enslaved people at The Hermitage located with assistance from VISR
Directly north of The Hermitage, on a slight rise at the edge of the wooded bottomland near a creek, investigators confirmed what they had seen on a historic map: a cemetery where an estimated 28 bodies of enslaved individuals who lived on the property during the Jacksonian era are interred. Part of the research came from efforts by the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research, directed by Steve Wernke, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology at Vanderbilt. Read MoreDec 12, 2024
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Vanderbilt awarded up to $46M through ARPA-H to develop tools against alphaviruses
Jens Meiler, Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry, was named the principal investigator for the project, in cooperation with 14 investigators across eight institutions. The team will work together to use advanced technology, including computational modeling, AI-driven predictions and structural biology, to develop a groundbreaking vaccine against all alphaviruses that offers long-lasting protection. Read MoreDec 2, 2024
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Analyzing police shootings, public safety, and policy
A series of three recently published studies have provided the first nationally comprehensive analysis of shootings by law enforcement officers that injured or killed people in the U.S. Led by Julie Ward, assistant professor of medicine, health, and so... Read MoreNov 22, 2024
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Genes + culture: Exploring how our first language is echoed in our genes
A person’s native language is often referred to as their “mother tongue.” But does a first language always come from your mother? In a new study conducted by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Nicole Creanza, postdoctoral student Yakov Pichkar,... Read MoreNov 21, 2024
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Tiffiny Tung named senior fellow for Harvard’s Dumbarton Oaks Pre-Columbian Studies program
Tiffiny Tung, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Social and Natural Sciences, professor of anthropology and vice provost for undergraduate education, has been named a senior fellow in the Pre-Columbian Studies program at Harvard’s Dumbarton Oaks. The fellowship underscores Tung’s notable contributions to anthropology and Andean archaeology. Read MoreNov 12, 2024
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New study sheds light on seasonality in mood disorders
A recent study conducted by Vanderbilt chemistry professors Sandy Rosenthal and Oleg Kovtun found that people experiencing depressed states had lower daytime activity, and people’s daytime activity increased with longer days and more sun exposure. Read MoreOct 31, 2024
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Boundary-Spanning Genius
For John Jumper, BS’07, the road to winning the Nobel Prize in chemistry began with an interdisciplinary education at Vanderbilt. Read MoreOct 30, 2024
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Meet Vanderbilt’s first Packard Fellow Carlos Taboada, assistant professor of biological sciences and frog whisperer
Carlos Taboada, assistant professor of biological sciences, was among the 2024 Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering announced on Tuesday, Oct. 15. At the Taboada Lab, he and his team investigate the chemical, physiological and physical mechanisms that create different colors in frogs and the remarkable transparency of glassfrogs. Read MoreOct 28, 2024
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Vanderbilt secures four prestigious NEH grants
Vanderbilt University secured four National Endowment for the Humanities grants totaling $330,696 to support projects ranging from Yiddish literature to the preservation of Special Collections. The grants highlight Vanderbilt’s leadership in humanities research and were facilitated by the university’s Research Development and Support team. Read MoreOct 28, 2024
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John M. Jumper, DeepMind researcher and Vanderbilt alumnus, shares 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry
John M. Jumper, BS’07, is one of three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Oct. 9. Jumper currently is a senior staff research scientist for DeepMind, a London-based company that made a huge leap forward in solving the protein folding problem using artificial intelligence. He is the third Vanderbilt alumnus to win a Nobel Prize. Read MoreOct 10, 2024
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New study finds that anesthesia inhibits brain’s predictive processing
A new study led by Andre Bastos, assistant professor of psychology, found that animal subjects under general anesthesia were unable to detect moderate and complex surprises. This discovery deepens the understanding about the nature of consciousness and how it arises. Read MoreOct 8, 2024