biological sciences
Rokas to lead budding cross-disciplinary collaboration on evolutionary studies
Aug. 14, 2019—The Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative seeks to position the university as a global leader in evolutionary studies by engaging a large group of scholars who share this research interest.
Team’s study reveals details of new DNA repair pathway
Jul. 25, 2019—Investigators have discovered how a DNA repair pathway protein shields sites of damage to avoid mutations and maintain genome integrity.
I Am Vanderbilt: Jonathan Ertelt
Jul. 16, 2019—The Vanderbilt greenhouses are a lush, light-filled retreat in the heart of campus, and Jonathan Ertelt is charged with making sure each of their inhabitants thrives.
Dean Whittier, professor of biological sciences, emeritus, has died
Jun. 27, 2019—Dean P. Whittier, an emeritus professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt and an internationally known researcher on the biology of ferns, died May 29. He was 83.
Six new endowed chairs from Medicine, A&S, Owen and Law School honored
May. 3, 2019—Vanderbilt’s six newest endowed chairs were honored by colleagues, university leaders, family members and donors at a ceremony on April 30 in the Student Life Center.
Yohn named Postdoc of the Year at annual symposium; Sappington named Mentor of the Year
Apr. 22, 2019—Postdoctoral scholars Samantha Yohn and Anneke Sanders and ophthalmology professor Rebecca Sappington were honored by the Graduate School at the 13th Annual Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association Symposium on April 9.
Graduate student condenses energy research to take top prize at Three Minute Thesis competition
Apr. 5, 2019—For the seventh straight year, Vanderbilt graduate students competed March 29 to summarize years of research and discovery into a clear three-minute presentation as part of the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
How attracting multiple mates affects flirting fads in birds
Feb. 22, 2019—For many species, extravagant displays are a critical part of attracting a mate. Think of a peacock’s long tail or a songbird’s elaborate melody. When considering these populations, scientists at Vanderbilt University wondered if they could use new methods to test a theory that has been around for almost 150 years: that having multiple reproductive...
Rokas elected to American Academy of Microbiology
Feb. 6, 2019—Antonis Rokas, who holds the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Biological Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. He was among the 109 new fellows welcomed by the academy in 2019.
Faculty selected as Chancellor’s Public Voices Fellows for fall 2019
Jan. 30, 2019—Hiba Baroud, Jeffrey Bennett and Suzana Herculano-Houzel have been named to the first cohort of the Chancellor’s Public Voices Fellowship, a semester-long program designed to expand Vanderbilt’s global reach by amplifying the impact of faculty academic research.
School for Science and Math students place in national competition
Jan. 9, 2019—Three members of the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt’s senior class are semifinalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Today’s budding yeasts shed traits from their 400-million-year-old ancestor
Nov. 8, 2018—Evolutionary biologists decoded the genomes of nearly a third of known budding yeast species, allowing them to reconstruct an ancient parent’s metabolic characteristics.