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As 2024 comes to a close, we take a look back at the accomplishments and contributions to science and society made by School of Medicine Basic Sciences community members throughout the past year. The efforts of our faculty, trainees, staff, and collaborators have resulted pioneering discoveries that tangibly benefit society. Read More

Vanderbilt University has announced this year’s Master Innovators including Carrie Jones, Colleen Niswender, and Alex Waterson. The recognition, presented by the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, honors faculty whose groundbreaking research has been translated into transformative innovations, advancing their fields and making a significant impact on society. Read More

Jens Meiler, Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry and Kevin Schey, Stevenson Chair and professor of biochemistry, are two Vanderbilt collaborators on the project that brings together specialists in virology, structural biology and clinical research to tackle the complex challenge of vaccine development. 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

Eunyoung Choi and Ken Lau receive funding for novel cancer research, which may ultimately result in cancer detection and treatment options for patients. The fund supports early-stage, high-risk high-reward research projects and honor Cohen’s seminal discoveries, which led to the invention of many anticancer drugs used today. Read More

Leigh Anne Tang won the 2024 Brighter Ventures Award for her efforts to leverage health care artificial intelligence to influence the overdose crisis. She is the first Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt to work with the state on this type of translational research. Read More

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Ken Lau and Jeffrey Spraggins are creating the first spatially mapped atlas characterizing the progression trajectories of early-onset colorectal cancer versus average-onset CRC as they transition from precancerous lesions to malignant cancers. Read More

This award recognizes a staff member whose support of research has made a significant impact on the process of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge at Vanderbilt. This year’s winner of the award was Prashant Singh, a scientist and senior research associate in the department of pharmacology. Read More

For John Jumper, BS’07, the road to winning the Nobel Prize in chemistry began with an interdisciplinary education at Vanderbilt. Read More

Nobel Prize winner Venki Ramakrishnan delivered a captivating talk as part of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences Apex Lecture Series. His presentation was based on his best-selling book, Why We Die, which explores the biological mechanisms behind aging and death and humanity's efforts to prolong life. Read More