Lorena Infante Lara

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University have figured out how two bacterial elements present in only some Helicobacter pylori strains lead to molecular changes in host tissues that favor the development of gastric cancer. Read More

Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10 percent of breast cancer cases in the U.S. annually. As T-cells that normally kill cancer cells often become exhausted and stop, Vanderbilt pharmacologists are seeking chemotherapy or targeted therapy approaches that can enhance the T-cell killing of cancer cells. Read More

Peanuts cause the highest number of food allergy–related deaths in the U.S. Basic scientists at Vanderbilt uncover how the allergy works and suggest new potential treatments. Read More

Vanderbilt and Northwestern University researchers characterized a group of KCNQ1 variants probe their role in a common heart disorder called LQTS. They found that there are five classes of mutations that act through independent mechanisms, suggesting that a more tailored/personalized treatment approach could be beneficial for LQTS patients. Read More

Researchers from the School of Medicine Basic Sciences found that, although synapses are not bound by a membrane, they are still able to maintain a nanostructure necessary for evoked neurotransmission with the help of a physicochemical phenomenon called liquid-liquid phase separation. Read More

Researchers from the School of Medicine Basic Sciences have discovered that the concentration of a critical protein influences the formation of the gallbladder and the bile duct system. Read More

Researchers from the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, developed a compound that can treat both negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia in rodents. The compound holds promise as an investigational tool and an inspiration for novel schizophrenia therapies. Read More

Alexandra C. Schwartz, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Chemical and Physical Biology Program, and colleagues developed an experimental and artificial intelligence–coupled methodology to explore the structural dynamics of membrane proteins. Read More

Researchers from the lab of Richard Simerly have uncovered the first example of activity-dependent development of hypothalamic neural circuitry. The work also suggests a novel role for the hunger hormone leptin in specifying the development of neural circuits involved in autonomic regulation and food intake. Read More

The academic landscape can seem like an unmoving entity, but it’s the people within it that make it tick and grow to new frontiers. No outlook on our School of Medicine Basic Sciences is complete without recognizing significant faculty transitions, including well-deserved promotions, exciting new appointments, and bittersweet departures as… Read More