Home Page
-
Promising new drug combination may help melanoma patients resistant to treatment respond once again to the body’s immune defenses
Vanderbilt researchers led by Ann Richmond have identified a promising drug combination that targets three key pathways in advanced melanoma, potentially restoring the immune response in patients resistant to standard immunotherapy. Although the work is preclinical, the use of drugs already in clinical trials for other conditions could accelerate testing in humans. Read MoreOct. 15, 2025
-
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
-
Alum Answers with Chase Spurlock
A Middle Tennessee native, Chase Spurlock, PhD’14, was drawn to Vanderbilt University for its excellence in healthcare and science. A project he completed in graduate school ignited in him a desire to impact patient lives through academic-industry partnerships, and he has not looked back since. Read MoreOct. 13, 2025
-
-
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
-
New algorithmic tool can improve microscopy image analysis, making improvements across fields
A new image analysis tool called TrueSpot has the capacity to overhaul the quantity and quality of usable data that can be obtained from fluorescence microscopy, which is used across an enormous range of biological, biomedical, and physical research. Read MoreOct. 6, 2025
-
Trainee Tribute: Hannah Waterman
Meet Hannah Waterman, a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Alan Cherrington in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. Read MoreOct. 6, 2025
-
School of Medicine Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight: David Stiles
Meet David Stiles, a senior financial analyst for the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Read MoreOct. 2, 2025
-
Spraggins awarded $4M NSF grant to develop next-generation molecular imaging platform
In addition to fueling cutting-edge research, a new molecular imaging system will serve as a cornerstone resource at the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, which is recognized nationally as a hub for molecular imaging and technology development. It will be made accessible to collaborators across academia, national labs, and industry, ensuring broad impact. Read MoreSep. 30, 2025
-
Beyond the fold: From single snapshots to shapeshifting proteins
Started in June 2025, a new collaborative science project called diffUSE involving Vanderbilt University, Cornell University, and the University of California, San Francisco, could be the next watershed moment. The $5 million, three-year project led by the Astera Institute will advance our understanding of protein motion. Using diffuse scattering, an overlooked signal measured by X-ray crystallography, the project will determine how protein dynamics are characterized, leading to a new paradigm in dynamic structural biology. Read MoreSep. 25, 2025