Ten-year anniversary: People who shaped the School of Medicine Basic Sciences

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, we are highlighting 10 community groups and members who have made us who we are as a school today.

Follow along as we share more 10-item lists to celebrate our 10th anniversary throughout the months of April and May.

1. Inaugural Dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences Larry Marnett: The Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research was tapped to be the burgeoning school’s inaugural dean in 2016. Well prepared to be the founding dean of the SOMBS, Larry Marnett was the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s associate director for research, the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology’s director, and the university’s associate vice chancellor for research and senior associate dean for biomedical sciences.
   

   Marnett oversaw the new school’s four departments, each of which had a 100-year history within the medical center, and all affiliated programs, comprising more than 1,000 community members. During his tenure, 60 percent of faculty hires were women or people from backgrounds underrepresented in science.

   Marnett helped drive major gains in external support, with all four departments ranking within the top 10 departments in their disciplines nationwide that receive the most funding from the National Institutes of Health. He also led key initiatives that included the Dean’s Faculty Fellows program, the endowment of the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund, the establishment of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, and the restructuring of the graduate curriculum. Marnett promoted outreach efforts such as the Lab-to-Table Conversations lecture series and the school’s Vestigo magazine.

   

2. Leaders who helped build the foundation of our school from day one: Behind the success of the SOMBS is a group of leaders who helped build the school from the ground up. At its inception, the original associate dean team—Roger Chalkley, Kathy Gould, Linda Sealy, Alyssa Hasty, and Chuck Sanders—worked alongside founding leadership to establish the school’s academic structure, research priorities, and culture.
   

   From faculty recruitment and curriculum design to governance and infrastructure, nearly every aspect of SOMBS had to be envisioned and implemented from scratch. Along with Marnett, their collective efforts laid the foundation for a thriving, collaborative scientific community.

   As the school has grown over its first decade, new leaders have continued to build on that momentum. Today’s associate deans, Mark Magnuson, Walter Chazin, Vivian Gama, and Tina Iverson, carry forward this legacy, guiding the school through its next phase of innovation and impact.

3. John Kuriyan, the school’s second dean: After Marnett returned the lab in 2022, the university conducted an extensive nationwide search that resulted in the appointment of renowned structural biologist John Kuriyan as Marnett’s successor.
   

   Kuriyan, who was previously at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a longtime Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, is a highly published and frequently cited expert in biochemistry, cancer research, and cellular signaling. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a foreign member of the Royal Society, the independent scientific academy of the United Kingdom.

   Under Kuriyan’s tenure, the SOMBS has launched and expanded several initiatives, including the establishment of the Vanderbilt Institute for Therapeutic Advances, the Center for Computational Systems Biology, and the Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics, as well as the creation of the Innovation Ignition Fund for high-risk translational projects.

   

4. New department leaders bringing out the best in their communities: Three of our four departments have had new chairs appointed since 2016: The Department of Biochemistry promoted David Cortez to chair in 2021, the Department of Pharmacology promoted Ege Kavalali in 2022, and the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics recruited Nancy Carrasco for the role in 2019. Ian Macara, chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, has held the position since 2012.
   

   All four chairs are recognized for major advances in their fields and have deftly led their departments through periods of growth, both in terms of faculty and postdoc recruitment and research funding, with each of the departments consistently ranking in the top-funded departments by the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, the chairs serve as resourceful advisors to the dean, helping to shape the direction of the school.

5. Staff who built and sustained a thriving scientific community: The success of the SOMBS is not only a story of scientific discovery, but one of dedication.From the earliest days following the Vanderbilt–VUMC split, administrative teams—the backbone of our school—worked under immense pressure to establish financial, operational, and business systems from the ground up. During periods of major transition, including the first months after the split and the implementation of new university-wide systems, staff routinely went above and beyond, often working long hours to ensure continuity and stability for the SOMBS community. Their commitment laid the operational foundation that allowed research and education to move forward without interruption.
   

   Senior administrative leaders helped foster a culture defined by collaboration, problem-solving, and deep pride in the school’s mission. Across the institution, pod and core staff have provided essential, day-to-day support that enables scientific work to happen. Meanwhile, facilities and infrastructure teams, including those responsible for managing space and research environments, transformed empty space into fully functioning laboratories and shared resources.

   

6. Center and institute leaders, who bring scientific advances and community: A defining force behind the success of the SOMBS has been the leadership of its centers and institutes. These dynamic hubs have brought together scientists across disciplines to tackle complex biomedical challenges and engage with one another over shared goals and challenges.
   

   Today, our school has 12 centers and institutes and 17 cores and shared resources, each of which serves as an engine of collaboration that unites faculty, trainees, and staff around shared scientific goals. Their missions extend beyond individual labs, fostering interdisciplinary research and providing access to advanced technologies that accelerate discovery.

   Since its inception, SOMBS has strengthened long-standing centers and launched new ones, expanding its ecosystem to address emerging scientific frontiers—from extracellular vesicle biology to artificial intelligence in protein dynamics.

   These efforts reflect the vision of center and institute directors, each of whom not only guides the scientific direction of their facilities but also builds communities that connect basic science to translational impact. Together, their leadership has created a collaborative infrastructure where ideas move faster, partnerships grow stronger, and discoveries happen at scale.

7. BRET, which has had a lasting impact on SOMBS graduate education and career development: Since its inception just before the turn of the century, the Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training has played a central role in shaping the educational mission of the university’s biomedical Ph.D. programs, many of which are housed within the SOMBS today. More than an administrative unit, BRET has built a comprehensive ecosystem for graduate education and career development, supporting trainees from recruitment through career placement.
   

   Guided by strong leaders, including current Senior Associate Dean of BRET Walter Chazin, the team has developed innovative programs that prepare students and postdoctoral fellows for success across academic, industry, and nontraditional career paths. Much of this impact is driven by leaders such as Kim Petrie, Kate Stuart, Abigail Brown, and Ashley Brady, who, along with a slate of capable and dedicated staff, have built and sustained these programs, as well as training initiatives that are both rigorous and forward-looking, from the ground up.

   Equally important, BRET staff have supported the complex administration of training grants, ensuring that programs remain competitive and well-resourced. Together, these efforts have positioned BRET as a cornerstone of the SOMBS, empowering the next generation of scientists to thrive in an evolving biomedical landscape.

   

8. The SOMBS Council of Visitors, which connects our community to the world: Since its founding, the SOMBS has benefited from the guidance and advocacy of its Council of Visitors, a group of accomplished leaders who help extend the school’s reach beyond campus. The COV plays a vital role in advising school leadership, fostering partnerships with industry and foundations, and supporting philanthropic efforts that advance research, education, and training.
   

   The presence and participation of engaged alums who bring both deep expertise and a personal connection to the SOMBS makes the COV especially impactful. Members such as Dr. Asit Parikh, Laurent Audoly, Renee Iacona, Dr. William Pao, Lori Rudolph-Owen, and J. J. Owen exemplify this connection, contributing insights shaped by careers spanning academia, medicine, and biotechnology.

   Through their strategic guidance and advocacy, the COV has helped position the SOMBS for long-term success, strengthening external relationships, accelerating opportunities, and ensuring that the school’s impact continues to grow well beyond its first decade.

9. Everyone who laid the groundwork for our departments and our school: Despite being only 10 years old, our school’s history extends far into the past. Its reputation as a global leader in biomedical research, especially in cancer, pharmacology, and diabetes, has been crafted through the years by a group of influential and dedicated scientists and leaders.
   

   At the top of our list are our two Nobel laureates, Earl Sutherland and Stanley Cohen. Sutherland joined Vanderbilt in 1963 and earned the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of cyclic AMP and his formulation of the “second messenger” theory that explained hormone action in cells. His work laid the groundwork for modern studies of metabolism and neurotransmission. Cohen, who joined Vanderbilt in 1959 discovered epidermal growth factor and its receptor, reshaping understanding of cell growth and enabling many targeted cancer therapies. He received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with collaborator Rita Levi-Montalcini.

   More recently, Vanderbilt and the SOMBS have been fortunate to have sharp and dedicated faculty members who push the boundaries of their fields. A non-exhaustive list of examples includes:

   • Heidi Hamm, who served as chair of pharmacology from 2000 to 2014 and who advanced GPCR and G protein signaling research and strengthened Vanderbilt’s drug-discovery profile through recruitment and collaboration,
   • Richard Caprioli, who built Vanderbilt’s Mass Spectrometry Research Center and pioneered MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, allowing molecular mapping in tissues and accelerating advances in cancer and drug development,
   • Fred Guengerich, who became a leading authority on the cytochrome P450 enzymes that metabolize most therapeutic drugs, informing drug design, toxicity prediction, and carcinogen research,
   • Lee Limbird, the School of Medicine’s first female department chair, whose research clarified the actions of α2-adrenergic receptor and who helped bridge basic and clinical science while building research infrastructure, and
   • Alan Cherrington, who advanced our understanding of the hormonal control of liver glucose production and whose research efforts reinforced Vanderbilt’s prominence in diabetes research, among many, many others.

   Without inquisitive and creative minds driving research forward and without dedicated mentors training new generations of scientists, the school would not be the scientific powerhouse it is today.

• You—yes, you!—and the school’s spirit of collaboration: At the SOMBS, one principle has defined its first decade: a spirit of collaboration, not cutthroat competition, driven by its people. The message is simple but powerful—you create the climate that pushes the science forward. While breakthroughs may begin in individual or even collaborating labs, it is the collective energy of faculty, trainees, staff, and leadership that transforms ideas into impact.
  

  Across the SOMBS, collaboration is woven into daily life. Researchers connect across disciplines—from neuroscience and structural biology to genetics and pharmacology—sharing expertise, tools, and perspectives to tackle complex problems. This culture is reinforced through shared cores, interdisciplinary centers, and training programs that encourage openness and partnership.

  Just as important is the sense of community behind the science. A culture of generosity, mentorship, and mutual support ensures that individuals can thrive while contributing to something larger than themselves. Over the past 10 years, this collaborative spirit has become a defining strength of the SOMBS, demonstrating that discovery at our school is not just about what we do, but how we do it together.