School Of Medicine

Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, an assistant professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, has won a prestigious 2027 Laureate Award from the international Endocrine Society for innovative research that “has transformed our understanding of thyroid hormone biology, diabetes, and the biology of aging.” Read More

Seven Vanderbilt researchers have received Innovation Catalyst Fund awards in the June 2026 cycle to advance promising technologies toward commercialization and real-world impact. Read More

Spencer Rothfuss, Hannah Collins, and James Hayes are the winners of the 2026 Cell Imaging Shared Resource Life Is Beautiful Image Contest. Their striking images showcase the beauty and complexity of biological structures revealed through advanced microscopy. Read More

Research into an aging paradox reveals details on why certain dysfunctions in mitochondria can lead animals to live longer lives. Read More

Vanderbilt faculty filled the Student Life Center for the 2026 Fall Faculty Assembly on Sept. 3, listening as Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost C. Cybele Raver celebrated their achievements and their dedication to students. Faculty Senate Chair Jason Harris opened the assembly, encouraging the room to embrace this year’s faculty theme of “Let us serve so that all may flourish.” Read More

During the Levi Watkins, Jr. Lecture on Oct. 5, 2026, awards will be given to honor at least one VUSM or VUMC faculty member, house staff member, professional degree student, and medical student who have made outstanding contributions through their mentorship of others to honor Dr. Watkins’ commitment to empowering the next generation of healthcare providers and researchers. Read More

This year’s recipient of the Brighter Ventures Student Award is Victoria Howard. Howard is a fifth-year chemical and physical biology Ph.D. student in the lab of Ivelin Georgiev, the Louise B. McGavock Professor and a professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology at the School of Medicine. Read More

A new method pioneered by the lab of Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Ken Lau is poised to make previously inaccessible medical knowledge that has been locked away in old patient samples newly accessible to scientists. Read More

Ela Knapik still remembers the first zebrafish she saw under a microscope—two days old, no bigger than an eyelash, tail wiggling, heart visibly beating. That was more than 20 years ago during her search for a postdoc position. That tiny fish has held her attention ever since and helped unravel many of the biological mysteries she has published about during her professional career. Read More

David C. Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Michigan Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs for the University of Michigan, has been chosen to succeed Jeff Balser as the next President and CEO of Vanderbilt Health and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Miller will assume the role at Vanderbilt on Jan. 1, 2027. Earlier this year, Balser announced plans to retire on Dec. 31, after serving Vanderbilt in both leadership roles for nearly two decades. Read More

For graduate students and postdoctoral fellows contemplating their next career steps, the possibilities can seem both exciting and overwhelming. The Vanderbilt University Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training’s 2026 Annual Career Symposium offered a roadmap to those possibilities, bringing together alums and professionals from across the biomedical enterprise to demonstrate the breadth of careers available to scientists beyond the traditional academic pathway. Read More

At the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, researchers are advancing neuroscience discoveries through molecular biology, pharmacology, drug discovery, and more. Their work seeks to understand how the brain functions in health and disease, identify new therapeutic targets, and develop innovative treatments for conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s and addiction to depression and epilepsy. Read More

Meet the researcher who pioneered ways to protect online medical data and is training the next generation to advance tech in health and protect your privacy. Read More

Eleven of Vanderbilt University’s most promising recently tenured faculty have been awarded spots in the 2026 Chancellor Faculty Fellows program. This year’s recipients demonstrate exceptional and innovative scholarly achievement. “These scholars represent the next generation of academic leaders, advancing the bold ideas and transformative research that are strengthening Vanderbilt’s… Read More

Ellis Island Honors Society Chairman Nasser J. Kazeminy awarded Billy Hudson, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology and the Elliott V. Newman Professor of Medicine, with a 2026 Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 16 at a black-tie gala. The Ellis Island Medals of Honor rank among the nation’s most renowned awards, officially recognized by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, with each year’s recipients listed in the Congressional Record. Read More

Martin Egli, the Richard N. Armstrong, Ph.D. Professor of Innovation in Biochemistry and a professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, delivered a Kairos Lecture on May 28. Egli’s work, which has resulted in over 300 publications and two influential nucleic acid textbooks, has advanced strategies to stabilize RNA for therapeutic applications, including siRNA. He has received major honors and extensively served his department and the university. Read More

The Vanderbilt University Center for Structural Biology and Center for AI in Protein Dynamics recently hosted a symposium called “Bridging Atoms and Algorithms: A Symposium on AI and Structural Biology.” The March event brought together Vanderbilt faculty, trainees, and invited speakers to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and structural biology, share research, and foster new scientific collaborations. Read More

Fifty retiring faculty members were honored on May 8 for their years of service with the title of emerita or emeritus Read More

See the powerful challenge bestselling author and happiness researcher Arthur Brooks gives that could make our lives more meaningful. Highlights from Graduates Day 2026 Read More

It’s difficult to monitor lung disease patients’ airways remotely and noninvasively, so symptoms of their conditions—tissue stiffness, pressure, mucus accumulation or temperatures—can worsen undetected. Assistant Professor Xiaoguang Dong and a team of researchers have developed a device with multiple sensors and a magnetic switch that can give health care personnel consistent and long-term data to improve patient treatment. Their research was published in Science Advances on April 15. Read More