Featured Research
-
High standards of female songbirds could be driving their mates to evolve
Picky females force male songbirds to become better singers. Read MoreSep 4, 2019
-
Public options can strengthen society: Vanderbilt law professor
Robust public options for retirement, banking, child care and other broadly beneficial services – beyond health care – would position more Americans to participate equally in society, argues Vanderbilt law professor Ganesh Sitaraman in a new book. Read MoreSep 3, 2019
-
How peer pressure does—and doesn’t—influence our choices
New research by marketing professor Kelly Haws helps explain why we match our friends' orders at a restaurant—but not exactly. Read MoreAug 27, 2019
-
When it comes to investing, love at first sight doesn’t always pay off
It's very easy to get too attached to a particular investment—even when there are better options out there. New research by Vanderbilt business professors explains why it happens, and how to avoid it. Read MoreAug 20, 2019
-
Rare study of Earth-sized planet uses technique pioneered by Vanderbilt professor
A groundbreaking study, using data from NASA and a technique pioneered by a Vanderbilt professor, is giving humankind a glimpse at a distant exoplanet with a size similar to Earth and a surface which may resemble Mercury or Earth’s Moon. Located nearly 49 light-years from Earth, the planet known… Read MoreAug 19, 2019
-
Meet the alpacas that are helping researchers who study autism, Alzheimer’s and cancer
Written by Heidi Hall Alpacas aren’t the typical animals that drivers spot as they wind their way through rural Tennessee, but there’s a happy herd of them outside Waverly, where they eat the finest pellets, walk up and down a scenic hill and potentially save lives. They’re owned by… Read MoreAug 13, 2019
-
Intense look at La Brea Tar Pits explains why we have coyotes, not saber-toothed cats
The most detailed study to date of ancient predators trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits is helping Americans understand why today we’re dealing with coyotes dumping over garbage cans and not saber-toothed cats ripping our arms off. Read MoreAug 5, 2019
-
The momentum myth: Staggering primaries didn’t affect outcome of 2016 nominating contests
During the 2016 primary season, voters didn't shift their preferences based on who was winning, according to an analysis of more than 325,000 tracking poll results. Read MoreJul 29, 2019
-
When legislatures can and can’t check executive powers
The largest analysis of gubernatorial executive orders to date reveals important nuances that explain how and when legislatures can constrain executive power. Read MoreJul 29, 2019
-
Cellular soldiers designed to kill cancer cells that get loose during surgery, stop metastasis
Cellular soldiers created using the body’s own defenses can track down and kill escaping cancer cells during surgeries, preventing metastasis and saving lives, a Vanderbilt University biomedical engineer has discovered, particularly in cases of triple negative breast cancer. Read MoreJul 24, 2019
-
Decline of U.S. auto industry linked to midcentury shift in production models
A massive shift in production models by American automakers to limit the impact of labor unions may have unintentionally stifled innovation and led to the present decline of the U.S. auto industry, according to new research by Joshua Murray. Read MoreJul 18, 2019
-
Human rights treaties benefit the world’s most oppressed
International human rights treaties really do work, and they work most effectively against the most repressive governments, argues political scientist Emily Hencken Ritter in a new book. Read MoreJun 17, 2019
-
Think Treasuries are risk-free? Not so fast.
Oversight of the Treasury market hasn't kept up with new technology, leaving these very safe investments unexpectedly vulnerable to major shocks, says Vanderbilt law professor Yesha Yadav in a new paper. Read MoreJun 6, 2019
-
VUMC joins international effort to speed vaccine development
VUMC has joined an international effort to streamline and accelerate development of vaccines and other treatments against a growing worldwide surge of deadly and debilitating viral infections. Read MoreJun 6, 2019
-
Tennessee stands at a political crossroads: Vanderbilt Poll
Despite opportunities for broad consensus, Tennessee’s long history of pragmatic politics could be affected by rising polarization along party lines, according to the most recent statewide Vanderbilt University Poll. Read MoreJun 6, 2019
-
Study: Continuity, not change, marked President Trump’s first year
An empirical analysis of executive actions taken during President Trump's first year shows that while he focused more on immigration and deregulation than previous presidents, his use of unilateralism was largely in line with his predecessors. Read MoreMay 29, 2019
-
Life in evolution’s fast lane
A group of budding yeasts in the genus Hanseniaspora, which is closely related to the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has lost large numbers of genes related to cell cycle and DNA repair processes. Read MoreMay 21, 2019
-
Why some rules are meant to be broken
When businesses fail to comply with the rules, sometimes the rules themselves are partly to blame. Read MoreMay 9, 2019
-
Technology better than tape measure for identifying lymphedema risk
New research by School of Nursing professor Sheila Ridner finds that a special scan measuring lymphatic fluid volume is significantly better than a tape measure at predicting which women undergoing treatment for breast cancer are at risk of developing a common complication resulting from damaged lymph nodes. Read MoreMay 6, 2019
-
Vanderbilt Poll: Nashville residents uneasy about growth
Vanderbilt's 2019 poll of Nashville residents indicates a growing number think the city is no longer “on the right track,” and that the city is growing too quickly. Mayor David Briley receives high marks, however, with a 66 percent approval rating. Read MoreApr 30, 2019