Marissa Shapiro
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Free access to Overleaf Professional, collaborative tool that streamlines scientific writing
Overleaf is a web-based LaTeX code editor that enables users to write, edit and publish scientific documents. It simplifies the creation of complex documents with precise layouts by incorporating equations, figures and bibliographies seamlessly, making it ideal for structured writing and eliminating the need to install LaTeX software locally. It is now available to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff free of charge. Read MoreOct. 13, 2025
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Learning the language of lasso peptides to improve peptide engineering
In the hunt for new therapeutics for cancer and infectious diseases, lasso peptides prove to be a catch. Their knot-like structures afford these molecules high stability and diverse biological activities, making them a promising avenue for new therapeutics. To better unleash their clinical potential, a team co-led by Doug Mitchell developed LassoESM, a new large language model for predicting lasso peptide properties. Read MoreOct. 9, 2025
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Prashant Donthamsetti wins prestigious NIH pioneer award to advance addiction research
Prashant Donthamsetti has received a prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. His project will use a new platform called Tag-Guided Drug to uncover how specific dopamine signaling proteins contribute to addiction. This work paves the way for more precise and effective addiction therapies. Read MoreSep. 25, 2025
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Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center names Tansey, Kojetin to leadership team
Vanderbilt-Ingram names William Tansey associate director for Shared Resources and Douglas Kojetin as co-leader of the Genome Maintenance Research Program. The Genome Maintenance Research Program is focused on understanding how DNA is damaged, repaired, packaged, expressed and replicated. Read MoreSep. 20, 2025
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NCI grant funds $12 million for colorectal cancer research
A colorectal cancer research team led by Robert Coffey has received a Specialized Programs of Research Excellence grant renewal totaling $12.6 million from the National Cancer Institute.The team has made numerous discoveries over the past 23 years, and it plans to build upon those achievements with the goal of “drugging the undruggable.” Vanderbilt-Ingram is one of only four cancer centers in the U.S. with GI Cancer SPORE funding. Read MoreSep. 15, 2025
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Cortez, Bhowmick win Chancellor’s Award for Research at 2025 Fall Faculty Assembly
David Cortez and Rahul Bhowmick won the Chancellor’s Award for Research for their work, “RAD51 Bypasses the CMG Helicase to Promote Replication Fork Reversal,” which was published in the journal Science. Read MoreSep. 5, 2025
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Isomerization insights: a deeper understanding of Pin1-PPARγ dynamics
Kojetin lab members Christopher Williams, staff scientist Paola Munoz-Tello and a collaborator from the Scripps Institute use NMR spectroscopy to investigate Pin1- PPARγ binding. Read MoreSep. 5, 2025
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Hirak Sarkar joins College of Connected Computing and Center for Computational Systems Biology
Sarkar, machine learning and genomics expert, joined Vanderbilt on July 1. His appointment to the College of Connected Computing and the Center for Computational Systems Biology enhances the team of biomedical experts across Vanderbilt and VUMC translating cutting edge science to improved patient care. Read MoreAug. 21, 2025
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Record participation and groundbreaking science highlighted at 2025 VICB Student Research Symposium
The Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology held its annual Student Research Symposium on Aug. 1, drawing a record number of registrants and poster presenters. Organized by the Chemical Biology Association of Students, the event showcased cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary collaborations, and exceptional contributions from both trainees and faculty. Read MoreAug. 15, 2025
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Moving Discoveries
Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and Principal Investigator Stephanie Wankowicz explores how protein movement influences function. Read MoreAug. 13, 2025