Steven Townsend

Learn about the women who inspire Steven Townsend in his breakthrough research that puts a spotlight on women, their health and discoveries around the healing powers of breast milk. Read More

In today’s world, collaboration is essential in solving problems, bridging the gaps between science, engineering, medicine and the humanities. By prioritizing cross-disciplinary collaborations, Vanderbilt walks the walk—not only across departments—but across schools and cultures. Read More

Jad Abumrad, Distinguished Research Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and creator of Vanderbilt’s Quantum Potential series, talks to Vanderbilt Magazine about this groundbreaking project, described as a collection of wild but precise portraits of the scholars, scientists and students at Vanderbilt who are finding new ways to understand the world—and change it. Read More

Quantum Potential is a collection of wild but precise portraits of the scholars, scientists and students at Vanderbilt who are finding new ways to understand the world—and change it. A premiere event will take place Oct. 11 at 6 p.m., including a screening of two short films, behind-the-scenes discussions and an immersive performance. The event is open the general public; registration is required. Read More

JaHyne “JJ” Johnson, BA’23, came to Vanderbilt as a QuestBridge Scholar, ready to “do the work” and come out with a solid career path. What the chemistry major didn’t realize then was that the opportunities he pursued through classes, activities and Immersion Vanderbilt would allow him to write poetry, conduct research, dance in a ballet, launch a podcast and more. Read More

Vanderbilt has convened a task force to help the university react to the possible impact of two anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decisions in cases that challenge the use of race as a factor in college admissions. The university-wide panel will work to gauge the effects on recruitment and admission practices, and on Vanderbilt’s ability ensure equal opportunity in carrying out its imperative to educate diverse minds.  Read More

A Lab-to-Table Conversation on Monday, Feb. 27, will discuss some of the challenges that Black trainees and faculty face in their STEM fields of study and the strategies they've used to be successful in the face of these challenges.  Read More

Steven Townsend, associate professor of chemistry, and Fang Yan, research professor of pediatrics and cell and development biology, have discovered how a sugar in human breast milk mitigates damage to the small intestines caused by chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Read More

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steven D. Townsend has been awarded the 2021 David Y. Gin Young Investigator Award by the American Chemical Society. The award is one that “encourages outstanding contributions to research in carbohydrate chemistry by scientists in the first seven years of their independent career.” Read More

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steven D. Townsend, PhD’10, has been awarded a 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the highest honors for young scientists who have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study. Read More

Biomedical researchers across Vanderbilt University will convene to discuss the history and impact of Black biomedical scientists on Monday, Feb. 15, at noon CT. Read More

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steve Townsend has been named to this year’s class of Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awardees. Every year, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation supports the careers of a select number of faculty in the chemical sciences who are in the first five years of their academic career, exhibit a strong body of research, and demonstrate a commitment to teaching. Read More

Read about recent faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements. Read More

This year alone, Townsend has earned an $800,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award for his research on the protective properties of human milk, a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to discover new antibiotics, a $110,000 award from the American Chemical Society, and a place on the Chemical & Engineering News 2019 “Talented 12” list of scientists. Read More

Read about recent faculty, staff, student and alumni awards, appointments and achievements. Read More

Steven Townsend, whose research into human milk could one day help all babies get their best start in life, is also a committed mentor devoted to helping young scholars get the best start on their careers. Read More

Vanderbilt’s most prestigious faculty prize for accomplishments in research, scholarship or creative expression was awarded to Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Kathleen Gould Aug. 23. She was one of 10 award recipients during Fall Faculty Assembly. Read More

Six faculty-led teams have received 2018 Microbiome Venture Fund awards to pursue projects related to the broad category of microbiomes—the totality of microbes in or on an environment. Read More

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steven Townsend explores the role that human breast milk can play as a source of narrow spectrum antimicrobial agents in this VU BreakThru blog. Townsend brought together members of the Vanderbilt Pre-3 Initiative, a 2015 Trans-Institutional Program, to assist with his research. Read More

A new study has found that sugars in mother's' milk do not just provide nutrition for babies but also help protect them from bacterial infections. Read More