Genetics

Genetic counseling is one of the fastest growing health professions in the country. Demand for genetic counselors is far outpacing the number of trained specialists, prompting the creation of a new degree program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The Board of Trust recently approved a master of genetic counseling degree, and the first students are expected to enroll for the fall 2019 semester. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered that oxidative damage may play an important role in the development of a rare cholesterol synthesis disease and in the behavioral changes of autism spectrum disorders. Read More

Geneticists have developed an effective new method for identifying the genes that produce the chemicals plants use to protect themselves from predators, which are an important natural drug source. Read More

A newly identified genetic risk factor for heart block after surgery may help guide the course of postoperative care. Read More

In a study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, Vanderbilt University’s Jonathan Mosley, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues use genetic correlation to hitch together two unrelated sets of data, one from a longstanding epidemiological cohort and the other from electronic health records. Read More

Genetic variation in GABA-A receptors confers risk for inherited forms of epilepsy. Read More

The first study that directly compares Neanderthal DNA in the genomes of a significant population of adults of European ancestry with their clinical records confirms that this archaic genetic legacy has a subtle but significant impact on modern human biology. Read More

A genetic test that suggests a patient may be at increased risk for potentially fatal heart rhythms is very often not as ominous as it sounds. Read More

An interdisciplinary team of biologists and medical researchers have created a new platform, which they call GEneSTATION specifically designed to leverage the growing knowledge of human genomics and evolution to advance scientific understanding of human pregnancy and translate it into new treatments for the problems that occur when this complex process goes awry. Read More

Using revolutionary CRISPR technology, Vanderbilt investigators have developed a fast and simple method to simultaneously turn off multiple genes in order to study complex diseases. Read More

It’s a story of love and determination and a debilitating lifelong disorder. A son’s rare genetic disease has led his mom to become a scientist at Vanderbilt University. Watch this VUCast Extra and a mom’s race against time. Read More

A nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt Hereditary Cancer clinic is expected to be one of the first nurses in the country to receive a newly created certification in Advanced Genetics Nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Read More

Prospecting for genes that might be implicated in cancer, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center research team has struck pay dirt. Read More

Electronic medical records linked to DNA biobanks are a valid resource for defining and understanding the genetic factors that contribute to drug response. Read More

A gene on chromosome 8 — in a region of the genome linked to risk for many types of cancer — is particularly associated with prostate cancer susceptibility, Vanderbilt University researchers have found. Read More

The pulmonary arterial hypertension knowledgebase (PAHKB), developed by Vanderbilt researchers, provides a useful tool for identifying PAH-related genes and signaling pathways relevant to pathogenesis. Read More

With their intricate, translucent shapes and elaborate bioluminescent displays, comb jellies add beauty and mystery to the ocean depths. They also have an important story to tell about the origin of animals. Read More

Using computational tools to search for the genetic basis of what makes us human, Vanderbilt Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics Tony Capra and colleagues at the University of California-San Francisco have identified promising candidate regions. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have used bioinformatics analysis of gene expression data to describe molecular “circuits” that drive ovarian cancer. Read More

Amish populations are valuable for genetic research because of their isolation, shared ancestry and homogeneous lifestyles. Read More