Molecular Physiology And Biophysics

A protein linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease that causes muscle weakness, may be a key to treating fibrotic disease of the kidneys and other organs, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported recently. Read More

As the new academic year gets underway, Vanderbilt’s faculty heads of house are revealing some things about themselves in this special portrait series. Get to know Alyssa Hasty, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and faculty head of Murray House. Read More

A drug that targets multiple pathogenic steps in diabetic retinopathy may be an ideal therapeutic strategy for the disease, Vanderbilt researchers report. Read More

Poorly functioning AMPARs have been linked to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression and autism spectrum disorder. Understanding how AMPARs are formed and operate is essential for the rational design of pharmacological compounds that, by tuning AMPAR activity up or down, could improve treatment of these conditions. Read More

Nancy Carrasco, new chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and originally from Mexico City, knows how enriching an experience living abroad can be. Read More

Meena Madhur, MD, PhD, has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered how a protein pump distinguishes between chemicals that it will expel from a cell and inhibitors that block its action. The new findings could guide the development of more efficient inhibitors to prevent cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy. Read More

Using techniques to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons, Vanderbilt investigators are probing the brain’s reward circuitry. Read More

The bacterium H. pylori is a leading cause of stomach cancer, and Vanderbilt researchers are studying how one of its toxins gets into cells. Read More

Brian Kobilka, MD, who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), shared his team’s progress in understanding receptor activation — and how that might guide drug development — at last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture. Read More

Brian Kobilka, MD, who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on April 5. Read More

Non-exercise physical activity has a measurable energy expenditure, which goes down when animals engage in voluntary exercise, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Professor Linda Sealy has won the AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement for her continued efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM Ph.D. programs. Read More

Eric Gouaux, PhD, whose work has helped reveal the molecular mechanisms by which nerve cells communicate, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture Thursday, Feb. 22. Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have worked out part of the “wiring diagram” of a signaling system in the brain that has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Read More

Studies of alpha-B crystallin in zebrafish could ultimately lead to improved treatment for cataracts and heart disease. Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered how insulin crosses the capillary endothelium to exit blood vessels and stimulate skeletal muscle cells — a major finding that may lead to new ways to reverse insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified an interaction between two proteins that play a role in learning and memory. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt University scientists and engineers led by Professor John P. Wikswo has won an R&D 100 Award--called the "Oscar of Innovation"--for their MultiWell MicroFormulator. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a pathway that links excess sodium, inflammation and hypertension. Read More