Reporter Feb 7 2014

Obesity causes peripheral immune cells to move to the brain, where they may contribute to inflammation and the pathophysiology of obesity. Read More

Variation in the gene for the beta-1 adrenergic receptor increases the risk that a patient will have an abnormal heart rhythm after cardiac surgery. Read More

Targeting the production of molecules that promote tumor blood vessel development offers a new path for treating lung cancer. Read More

Beginning with staff and faculty of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, VU Card Services will replace employee identification badges with a newly designed, contactless “smart” card. Read More

A program launched by Schnelle in January 2013 aims to reduce readmissions for Medicare patients transferred from Vanderbilt University Hospital to any of 23 area skilled nursing facilities, or SNFs. The specific goal is 17 percent reduction, by 2015, in 30-day hospital readmissions directly from these SNFs. Read More

Joey Barnett, Ph.D., has been named assistant dean and director of the Office for Medical Student Research. Read More

Ron Vale, Ph.D., co-discoverer of the molecular “motor” kinesin, spent the first 10 minutes of his Flexner Discovery Lecture last week talking not about science, but about science communication. Read More

Rob Naftel, M.D., traveled more than 8,000 miles to learn a new surgical technique to treat hydrocephalus, the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Read More

Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, clinical professor of Medicine with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and adjunct professor of Healthcare Management with the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, is president-elect of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Read More

Healthcare Informatics Magazine has awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center third place in its 2014 Innovator Awards. Read More

Christoph Lehmann, M.D., professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics, and Lynn Walker, Ph.D., professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Young Adult Health, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS). Read More

The Nashville Health Care Council’s second class of fellows participates in medical simulation exercises at the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA) at Vanderbilt. Read More

The next Bedside Matters, an hourlong, monthly rounds geared toward helping all Vanderbilt University Medical Center health care providers deal with the social and emotional issues of caring for patients and families, will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Read More

After her normal morning commute turned deadly, Teresa Evans says she is grateful to work at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read More

A diagnosis of ulcerative colitis during his junior year of high school threatened to stop Ryan Burcham’s future as a competitive collegiate swimmer before it could start. Read More

The antioxidant vitamin E prevented the buildup of toxic products in a model of a rare genetic disorder, suggesting new strategies for therapeutic development. Read More

Vanderbilt University scientists have contributed to a major finding, reported this week in the journal Nature, which could lead to the first effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a significant cause of infant mortality. Read More

Providing emergency medical coverage at special events can be challenging. But a recent downtown-wide New Year’s Eve celebration required the support equivalent to a mini-disaster response. Read More

Vanderbilt University has been named one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America for 2014 by Healthiest Employers, an independent corporate wellness research and data analysis firm. Read More