Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Exercise and movement may be a prescription to mitigate drug and alcohol seeking behavior due to its influence on the brain. Est. reading time: 3 mins. Read More

Roger Chalkley, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics and senior associate dean for biomedical research education and training, will retire this summer, his department has announced. Read More

Disrupting the action of glucagon — a pancreatic hormone that works to raise blood glucose — restores functional insulin-producing cells in mouse models of type 1 diabetes and may be a promising treatment strategy. Read More

Discovering the mechanism behind cell behavior that is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, Vanderbilt researchers move closer to treatments for the disease, which affects 34 million Americans. Read More

Nancy Carrasco, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Joe C. Davis Chair of Biomedical Science, receives one of the highest honors in health and medicine. Read More

Histamine — commonly associated with allergies — also has a signaling role in the brain’s reward center and may offer a novel target for treating addiction. Read More

The brain’s response to low oxygen — growth and remodeling of blood vessels — involves certain cell types and molecular pathways, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Excess dietary salt activates immune cells to induce inflammation and hypertension, supporting current recommendations for low sodium consumption. Read More

Terunaga Nakagawa and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute discover new qualities of GSG1L, responsible for activity in the anterior thalamus. Read More

A single mutation in one gene can impair inhibitory signaling in the brain and cause multiple types of seizures and behavioral abnormalities. Read More

Nancy Carrasco has found that the environmental pollutant perchlorate, found in drinking water in 49 states, is more dangerous than we knew. Read More

A disease-associated mutation in a transporter protein impairs gut barrier function, leading to gastrointestinal disease and chronic infections. Read More

Danny Winder and colleagues are teasing apart the actions of neurotransmitter receptors in a brain region linked to anxiety and addiction, with a goal of finding treatments for substance use disorders. Read More

Roger Colbran and colleagues have discovered new molecular details about the function of an enzyme with a key role in shaping learning and memory. Read More

A disease-associated mutation in a transporter protein causes cells to increase energy production, as if they are starving, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Erkan Karakas and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to determine structural details of a calcium channel protein that has numerous cell signaling roles. Read More

To study the dynamics of structural proteins in the heart, Vanderbilt investigators generated a cellular tool they expect will be useful for screening drugs that affect heart muscle contraction. Read More

Structural details of a protein that is essential to normal brain function could improve treatments for epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that a protein called SGK1 in immune cells is activated by sodium, leading to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. Read More

A previously unrecognized role for a cell surface receptor may open new therapeutic options for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Read More