Research

He leads groundbreaking work creating robotic tools to make surgeries safer. Now, with a passion for partnership, see how Robert Webster is carving a path for others to take their life-changing innovations and turn them into reality. Read More

Soldiers spend a lot of time wearing body armor. The added weight takes a toll on their shoulders and back, contributing to one of the most common injuries reported by U.S. Army soldiers: back overuse. Vanderbilt researchers have developed a two-pound wearable device that redistributes 90 percent of that weight to the wearer’s hips while standing, walking and sitting—and lets soldiers retain their full agility and freedom of movement. Associate Professor Karl Zelik, senior research engineer Chad Ice and Ph.D. graduate Paul Slaughter published the study. Read More

While using an ice pack to ease pain is nothing new, a Vanderbilt team has taken the concept high-tech. Associate Professor Leon Bellan leads the group that has developed a cold-triggered “depot”—an implantable device that releases medication from within the body on demand. This shows promise on two fronts: Patients can release the medication simply by putting an ice pack over the implant, and locally effective NSAID drugs can be used instead of more addictive opioids. 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

Meet two student-professor teams using AI and social media to take their musical Immersion research to a new level. 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

In 2024, eleven teams of graduate students received Lacy-Fischer Interdisciplinary Research Grants to support projects ranging from advanced optical technologies and gravitational wave detection to medical innovations and autonomous vehicle safety. Read More

Wolters Kluwer Health and Vanderbilt University’s Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries have announced a new collaboration that will help support medical breakthroughs and improve access to scholarly research. The agreement, which is an expansion of Wolters Kluwer’s read-and-publish offerings in North America, will run through 2028. Read More

Since the inception of the Ancora Innovations partnership in 2018, Vanderbilt and Deerfield Management have enjoyed a robust collaboration. Deerfield’s commitment includes significant support for advancing translational research and sponsorship of various events across Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Recently, key members of Deerfield's leadership team spent two days at Vanderbilt to engage faculty in discussions about potential projects of mutual interest.  Read More

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, plagues millions of people. Vanderbilt researchers led by Assistant Professor Xiaoguang Dong have developed a soft robotic valve that can seal off the lower esophagus from the stomach, keeping gastric acid where it belongs. Then when the patient eats or drinks, the valve, which is implanted in concert with a stent, can be opened with a wearable external magnet. “This platform holds promise not only for treating GERD, but also for managing other sphincter-related disorders,” said co-author and Assistant Professor Yuxiao Zhou. Read More

Political propaganda and artificial intelligence–driven misinformation are infiltrating social media accounts, and Americans need to do something about it. That’s the warning revealed in research from two Vanderbilt professors and discussed on this spe... Read More

Road closures are a pain—and sometimes they’re not even supposed to be happening. A project by senior research scientist Ayan Mukhopadhyay is working to develop a system—SENTRY—that uses AI to help city inspectors find and address unauthorized road closures in Nashville. “The system has the potential to save millions in unpaid permit fees, reduce external inspection costs and minimize disruptions for residents, commuters and local businesses,” Mukhopadhyay said. His research is supported by a $697,000 grant that's part of NSF's CIVIC Innovation Challenge. Read More

Through a collaboration between US and Kenyan researchers and Turkana communities of northern Kenya, scientists have uncovered key genetic adaptations underlying survival in hot and dry environments, revealing how natural selection has enabled this pas... 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

Faculty and staff are invited to an information session on plans for Vanderbilt’s innovation neighborhood on Monday, Oct. 6, 12–1 p.m. in Kissam C210 MPR. Lunch will be provided. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers, including those from the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, have made significant strides in understanding how the enteric nervous system—sometimes called the “brain” of the gut—forms and functions. Read More

David Hyde, assistant professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University’s College of Connected Computing, has received a $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new, open-source software platform for “physical intelligence,” which is the combination of traditional physics simulation algorithms with artificial intelligence for addressing complex real-world applications. Read More

Over the next four years, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Alex Lupsasca will lead a Vanderbilt team in a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration funded by an $8 million grant from the Simons Foundation with a focus on black holes and strong gravity. Read More

In a new white paper sponsored by the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab (VAILL) and Vanderbilt Private Climate Governance Lab (PCG), Vanderbilt researchers spotlight two innovative tools they built to accelerate research into climate adaptation policy and AI regulation. Read More

Vanderbilt University and England’s University of Liverpool have announced the inaugural recipients of a new joint seed grant program, which supports faculty teams pursuing innovative projects designed to grow into larger collaborations and external funding.  Read More