Research News

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center rank 24th nationally in the National Science Foundation’s 2024 Higher Education Research and Development Survey, with combined research and development expenditures of $1.33 billion. The ranking places Vanderbilt 10th among private research universities. Read More

Research into combating cocaine addiction has been limited by the difficulty in structuring accurate animal models; standard practice relies on implanting IV catheters that the animals can use to self-dose. Now Assistant Professor Cody Siciliano's lab has devised a method that more closely mimics cocaine use in humans—effectively, a way for the animals to snort cocaine. This makes the animal model more analogous to human experience, and it reduces surgical and intravenous procedures for the animals. "This model provides a powerful framework for linking motivated drug use with real-time neural activity, offering new opportunities to study the circuitry underlying reinforcement and decision-making," Siciliano said. Read More

When people choose from a large set of options, there is likely one that aligns closely with their particular preferences. When there are fewer options, their choice is less likely to reflect a strong opinion—they're just choosing the one that is any amount closer to what they think. This can be misinterpreted, researchers say, as deep enthusiasm. And it can lead to polarization, because people tend to not consider how many options were available when forming an opinion about others' choices. Read More

Advances in medicine, society and life-altering innovations are sparked through an environment committed to curiosity and potential. See what’s coming up in the second season of the Quantum Potential podcast as Provost C. Cybele Raver introduces listeners the innovators driving Vanderbilt progress. Read More

At Vanderbilt, research doesn’t just live in the lab. It moves into the world in the shape of new tools, treatments and technologies that improve lives, support communities and expand what’s possible. Read More

As a research institution, the two “products” Vanderbilt puts into the world are alumni and the research produced. Whether it’s helping to cure cancer, inspire with art, or promote sustainability, Vanderbilt students learn to apply the combination of practical skills and confidence that can only be gained from experience to a broad range of fields—positioning them to be much more effective in translating their education to results outside the classroom. Read More

Vanderbilt University announced nine recipients of the Innovation Catalyst Fund awards for the June 2025 cycle, continuing its mission of accelerating translational research and driving innovative solutions to real-world challenges by providing faculty with crucial pre-seed funding across diverse disciplines.  The newly selected projects span cutting-edge work in health care, engineering and technology solutions. Read More

Vanderbilt University welcomed regional policymakers, researchers and community leaders to campus on September 11 for Policy Innovation Days, designed to connect universities with state and local governments and highlight effective public policies based on research.   Read More

The Mid-South I-Corps Hub, one of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps Hubs led by Vanderbilt, is proud to welcome the University of Arkansas as its newest participating institution, marking the next stage in a regional partnership built on innovation and shared vision.  Read More

Pet parrots often outlive their owners, and Vanderbilt researchers want to know why—because uncovering the biological mechanisms behind exceptional longevity could one day help safely extend the lives of humans. With the support of a new $1.3 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, Vanderbilt biologist Gianni Castiglione is taking a bold approach to aging research: reverse-engineering how birds live three to four times longer than similarly sized mammals to identify safe, effective genetic targets for human aging therapies. Read More

Padma Raghavan has been appointed to the newly created role of chancellor’s executive director for science and technology strategy, reporting directly to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, beginning July 1. The move underscores Vanderbilt’s commitment to accelerating its impact in research and innovation at the national and global levels. Read More

The trial, which is funded by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is expected to begin this summer and will assign peer-parent coaches to families to determine whether their having support to navigate the medical system and other challenges means their children will be healthier.   Read More

At Vanderbilt, people with autism aren’t only research subjects—they are key drivers of scientific discovery. Vanderbilt’s autism research centers and academic programs have fostered a collaborative ecosystem where neurodiverse scholars and scientists can thrive and bring their unique perspectives and abilities to bear on complex research challenges. Read More

Internal grant programs at Vanderbilt—developed by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Provost C. Cybele Raver and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation and Chief Research Officer Padma Raghavan—are accelerating discovery of solutions for real-world challenges. Read More

Vanderbilt University and its Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization hosted the inaugural Southeast Venture Showcase, a first-of-its kind collaboration among top research universities and federal laboratories across the Southeast to highlight their most promising new technology-based ventures.  Read More

Bennett Landman who holds a Stevenson Chair, has more than 2,000 collaborations globally that look at all sorts of different diseases, from the head down to the shins. But the heart of his work remains medicine and the promise of a world where AI-driven imaging leads to earlier diagnoses and better patient outcomes. Read More

Vanderbilt University is launching the Provost Discovery Bridge Funding Program to provide short-term financial support ranging from three to six months to faculty researchers affected by stop work or termination orders for research they were doing with federal support. Read More

A three-year read-and-publish agreement between Oxford University Press and the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries is elevating the visibility and impact of Vanderbilt University research by expanding access to OUP’s broad portfolio of academic journals. Under the agreement, which is effective through 2026, Vanderbilt-affiliated authors can publish open access in hundreds of OUP’s hybrid journals without incurring article processing charges. Read More

The lab of Hassane Mchaourab, director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Protein Dynamics and professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, has developed a methodological blueprint that couples experimental double electron–electron resonance spectroscopy with an AI approach to help describe the conformational landscapes of a diverse spectrum of cell membrane transporters. Read More

Vanderbilt University secured four National Endowment for the Humanities grants totaling $330,696 to support projects ranging from Yiddish literature to the preservation of Special Collections. The grants highlight Vanderbilt’s leadership in humanities research and were facilitated by the university’s Research Development and Support team. Read More