Research, News & Discoveries

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

Lori Rudolph-Owen, an accomplished figure in the biotechnology industry and a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences alum, shared her insights on career progression and drug development on Oct. 3 as part of BRET’s Ph.D. Career Stories, a series focused on various alums and their professions. Read More

Doug Kojetin, associate professor of biochemistry, and a collaborator from the Guangzhou Laboratory, use NMR and crystallography to elucidate the binding pose of GW9662 and T0070907 cobound with synthetic ligands for the first time. Read More

Sonja Fulmer, a graduate of Chemical and Physical Biology Program who is now the deputy director of the FDA’s Digital Health Center of Excellence, sat down with us to discuss her experience studying basic science at Vanderbilt and how it played a role in her successful career. 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

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

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

Vanderbilt researchers used advanced imaging techniques to detail the microscopic structure of intestinal tuft cells, highlighting their unique organization of the structural protein actin. 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

Meet Mia Abernathy, associate director of human resources for the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Read More