Pharmacology

Ege T. Kavalali, William Stokes Professor of Experimental Therapeutics, has been named chair of the Department of Pharmacology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Read More

Researchers discover how a protein may treat schizophrenia, including reversing working memory deficits, a hallmark of schizophrenia for which there is currently no treatment. Read More

Erin Calipari, assistant professor of pharmacology and a member of the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, has been named a Dean’s Faculty Fellow of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Read More

Stephen Fesik’s discovery of a cancer-targeting molecule has been made freely accessible through opnMe for global researchers to advance research into cancer therapeutics. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers push research on ketamine’s role as a rapid antidepressant another step forward. This work opens avenues for new therapeutics for half of people for whom today’s antidepressants don’t work. Read More

Lisa Monteggia and her lab have identified how specific neurons in the hippocampus work to produce ketamine’s antidepressant action. Est. reading time: 2 mins. Read More

Jeffrey Conn, Lee E. Limbird Chair and professor of pharmacology, is among 16 scientists named 2021 fellows of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Selection as a fellow of ASPET is an honor bestowed on members who have demonstrated excellence in their efforts to advance pharmacology through scientific achievements, mentorship and service to the society. Read More

Discovery shows that dopamine is not a reward molecule at all, calling for revision of textbook facts regarding the hormone’s role in the brain. Est. reading time: 3.5 mins. Read More

Research led by Lisa Monteggia reveals that ketamine provides antidepressant effects by blocking key neural pathway. Est. reading time: 3 mins. Read More

By studying extracellular vesicles from the brain, researchers at Vanderbilt and Argentina’s Universidad Nacional de Córdoba are the first to show how the incorporation of extracellular proteins into a neuron can modify neurotransmission Read More

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Erin Calipari will share insight into how addiction has changed due to COVID-19 at fundraiser for local nonprofit Mending Hearts. Read More

A new partnership between Vanderbilt University’s Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery and clinical stage biopharmaceutical company Soleno Therapeutics will further research into new clinical treatments for multiple obesity syndromes. Read More

Vanderbilt alumnus Graham Gaylor and Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Cody Siciliano have been named to the 2021 Forbes “30 Under 30.” Read More

A team of Vanderbilt investigators has discovered that blocking a certain signaling pathway boosts antitumor immunity and reduces tumor growth and metastasis in models of breast cancer and melanoma. Read More

Erin Calipari, assistant professor of pharmacology and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on those struggling with opioid addiction. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers discover how a group of neurodevelopmental disorders ranging in severity are caused in infants and children, opening new avenues for therapeutics. Read More

Behavioral and systems neuropharmacologist Jerri Rook is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation with the Goodes Prize to continue her work in Alzheimer’s disease research. Read More

New Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Rick Sando is interested in how neural circuits carry out specific functions when activated—and why these processes sometimes go awry. Read More

The VBI recently marked its 20th anniversary, a span that has seen the institute’s wide-ranging missions—including administering the university’s Neuroscience Graduate Program, as well as postdoctoral training and community outreach—steadily coalesce under a single umbrella. Read More

VU319, an investigational drug product developed by Vanderbilt researchers, targets one of medicine’s most bedeviling challenges: improving memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Read More