Research

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

Two Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that earned a $1 million grant to develop AI-based training that will help neurodiverse people learn to drive—addressing a huge obstacle for that population. “The ability to drive will open up new opportunities for employment and a life of independence for many neurodiverse individuals,” said Nilanjan Sarkar,... Read More

A collaborative team led by Piran Kidambi, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, William Fissell, associate professor of nephrology and hypertension at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Shuvo Roy, professor of bioengineering at University of California, San Francisco, and Francesco Fornasiero, biosciences and biotechnology staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, has developed a new... Read More

Vanderbilt faculty and staff have been key contributors to a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan that was released by Metro Nashville on Sept. 19. Janey Camp, research professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Jaclyn Mothupi, director of social innovation at the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, co-chaired the subcommittee on adaptation and resilience as part of Mayor John... Read More

The National Science Foundation has granted $100,000 to Vanderbilt, Fisk and Tennessee State University to launch the Middle Tennessee Research Administration and Innovation Network, which focuses on developing regional research administration staff through a series of workshops to address disparities in regional research activity. Read More

The Discovery Vanderbilt center welcomed adolescent and young adult health expert Stephen Russell to share evidence for strategies that create supportive communities, reduce mental health risk and promote well-being for LGBTQ+ youth. Read More

Vanderbilt University faculty learned more about how ARPA-H funding can pave the way for transformative biomedical research. An information session, led by OVPRI and RDS, emphasized collaboration, innovation and the university’s commitment to pioneering health solutions. Read More

For his “eclectic but refined, musical, talky and witty” poetry, renowned poet Major Jackson, professor of English, director of creative writing and holder of the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities, has been awarded the 2023 Academy of American Poets Fellowship. Read More

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing will hold the second annual Academy for Diverse Emerging Nurse Leaders, a program that offers professional development and insight to support participants in health care and academic leadership roles, Nov. 13–17. Applications for the program are open through Oct. 30. Read More

A Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation paper argues that banks should be treated as public utilities, like electricity and other essential services. The white paper by Vanderbilt Law professor Morgan Ricks and Columbia Law professor Lev Menand is the first policy proposal released by VPA, a Discovery Vanderbilt initiative. Read More

Research led by David Merryman, a professor of biomedical engineering, pharmacology and medicine who holds the Walters Family Chair, has resulted in the development of VU6047534, a new drug that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension—a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs and in the heart—without serious neurological side effects. Merryman conducted... Read More

The Office of the Provost’s newly charged Science Space Planning Committee, a faculty- and staff-led initiative, will ensure that Vanderbilt’s physical spaces properly serve the needs and goals of scientific research and discovery. Read More

Vanderbilt has established a chemical safety and hazardous waste team as part of ongoing efforts to build a research-focused Environmental Health and Safety department at the university. In addition, EHS has launched a new data management system with the goals of improving data accuracy and transparency, enhancing efficiency and reducing administrative burden. Read More

By Jenna Somers Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez Many students from Spanish-speaking homes—whether designated as English learners or not—struggle with English language and reading comprehension, including students born and raised in the U.S. and who attend English-only-instruction schools. These students’ low scores on standardized English reading and language assessments are often associated… Read More

By Jenna Somers Hilary Travers Earlier this year, the U.S. and Tennessee Departments of Education awarded grants totaling more than $9.9 million to Hilary Travers, PhD’21, research assistant professor of special education, to support educational and post-school outcomes of students with disabilities in Tennessee. In April, Travers received… Read More

By Jane Sevier and Jenna Somers Meghan Burke Meghan Burke joined Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development in August as professor of special education. Her research interests include family advocacy, families of individuals with disabilities, and disability policy. She examines how families advocate for… Read More

Vanderbilt researchers found reduced net flow of cerebrospinal fluid in Huntington’s disease, which could contribute to mutant protein retention and altered responsiveness to medications delivered via the spinal cord. Read More

Screenshot of the GeoPACHA web platform. Red triangles denote archaeological features on the landscape. (Wernke/GeoPACHA) A $350,000 grant to develop next-generation archaeological mapping technology will let a Vanderbilt-led research team reveal information about vast settlement systems and human-modified landscapes in the Andes. Steven Wernke, associate professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology, is the... Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have uncovered a potential new way to help curb the rapidly rising worldwide prevalence of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes. Read More