featured research Archives
The 20 most popular research stories of 2017
Dec. 15, 2017—New clues to Alzheimer's disease, helping kids deal with stress, understanding why our universe is three-dimensional and—of course—electric eels all appear in this year's look back on the research stories that were visited the most frequently on Vanderbilt's website in 2017.
Hyperlens crystal capable of viewing living cells in unprecedented detail
Dec. 11, 2017—A fundamental advance in the quality of an optical material used to make hyperlenses makes it possible to see features on the surface of living cells in greater detail than ever before.
A quest to find ‘the best’ may bring out the worst in shoppers
Dec. 1, 2017—Marketers want to motivate consumers to act in their own self-interest, but they may be encouraging negative behavior such as theft or illegal returns, according to new Vanderbilt research.
The unexpected way international business influences U.S. politics
Dec. 1, 2017—Corporations in different industries tend to donate to the same political candidates when their board members serve on the boards of international companies, too.
Sorry, Grumpy Cat—Study finds dogs are brainier than cats
Nov. 29, 2017—The first study to actually count the number of cortical neurons in the brains of a number of carnivores, including cats and dogs, has found that dogs possess significantly more of them than cats.
‘Mind’s eye blink’ proves ‘paying attention’ is not just a figure of speech
Nov. 21, 2017—Vanderbilt psychologists have discovered that when you shift your attention from one place to another, your brain 'blinks'—or experiences momentary gaps in perception.
Battery-switching device promises more road time for Tesla, Leaf drivers
Nov. 20, 2017—A device out Vanderbilt's engineering school reconfigures modules in electric car battery packs to be online or offline – depending on whether they’re going to pull down the other modules.
Forensic science comes to Vanderbilt
Nov. 13, 2017—Vanderbilt scientists have teamed up with the Italian Scientific Police to apply nanoscience techniques to improve the accuracy of forensic investigations.
VU astronomer heads U.S. study team for space-based gravitational wave detector
Nov. 3, 2017—A Vanderbilt astrophysicist has been elected chair of a scientific study team that will advise NASA on science issues related to the international Laser Interferometer Space Antenna program.
Progess isn’t progress unless it happens for you
Oct. 16, 2017—People who don't prosper when the overall economy does well tend to feel dispossessed and angry.
Crime casts pall on Central America’s Northern Triangle
Oct. 3, 2017—LAPOP research shows that crime prevalence impacts economic progress in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras
Cell signals that trigger wound healing are surprisingly complex
Oct. 3, 2017—Vanderbilt scientists have taken an important step toward understanding the way in which injured cells trigger wound healing, an insight essential for improving treatments of all types of wounds.