News & Discoveries
Black scientists at the heart of February’s Lab-To-Table conversation
Mar. 24, 2023— By Leah Mann The February 27 School of Medicine Basic Sciences Lab-to-Table event, “How I Got Over: Navigating Academia as a Black Scientist,” focused on how Black scientists have overcome challenges in academia. Felysha Jenkins, assistant dean of DEI for Basic Sciences, moderated the conversation, delving into compelling questions with a panel of Black...
O’Connor’s dissertation named top 2022 Drosophila dissertation worldwide
Mar. 24, 2023—By Lorena Infante Lara The Genetics Society of America has presented James O’Connor, a Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, the 2023 Larry Sandler Award. This international award recognizes the best Ph.D. dissertation on Drosophila—a fly genus that includes the fruit fly, a widely used model organism in biomedical research—from the...
Decoding cell division machinery
Mar. 23, 2023—In the final step of cell division, cytokinesis, one cell becomes two. Without complete separation, abnormal cells can accumulate and set the stage for tumor formation. One of the main controllers of cytokinesis is the protein Cdc15, which localizes to the dividing cell membrane — linking it to the cytokinetic ring, the constricting machinery that...
Goldenring’s gastrointestinal research contributions lauded
Mar. 23, 2023—James Goldenring, MD, PhD, the Paul W. Sanger Professor of Experimental Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been honored by the American Gastroenterological Association for making significant contributions to understanding gastrointestinal disease. Goldenring, vice chair of Surgical Research for the Section of Surgical Sciences and professor of Surgery and of Cell and Developmental Biology,...
E. coli uses serine to abide acidity
Mar. 23, 2023—E. coli bacteria are the main cause of urinary tract infections. It is thought that we acquire many of the E. coli strains through ingestion, which means that these bacteria must survive the harsh conditions in the stomach, which is acidic enough to dissolve skin. How do these bacteria survive acidic conditions that should destroy...
Vanderbilt Mourns the Loss of Conrad Wagner
Mar. 16, 2023—Dr. Conrad Wagner passed away on March 13, 2023. Connie joined the Department of Biochemistry as an Assistant Professor in 1961 and maintained an active laboratory studying one-carbon metabolism and folic acid until becoming emeritus Professor of Biochemistry in 2015. His research was part of an internationally recognized division of nutrition within the department for...
Cardiovascular research pioneer Inagami mourned
Mar. 16, 2023—Tadashi Inagami, PhD, DSc, Vanderbilt University Professor of Biochemistry, emeritus, who helped characterize the biochemical basis for hypertension, heart failure and vascular disease, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 13 after a brief illness. He was 92. “Tad was an exceptional scientist in the hypertension research field and brought international recognition to Vanderbilt and the Biochemistry...
Scientists resurrect a ‘dead’ antibody to study protein
Mar. 16, 2023—Scientists from Vanderbilt University, the Universidad de la República in Uruguay, and other research centers have achieved a scientific tour de force — resurrecting a “dead antibody” to reveal the mysteries of cytochrome c, a versatile protein that is an essential part of the cell’s energy-generating capacity, and of life itself. Cytochrome c is primarily...
Study establishes mediator of alpha cell proliferation, important for diabetes treatment
Mar. 16, 2023—By Leah Mann The lab of Wenbiao Chen, associate professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, identified a signaling pathway for hyperaminoacidemia-induced alpha cell proliferation. Hyperaminoacidemia, or an excess of amino acids in the bloodstream, occurs when the function of glucagon, a pancreatic hormone that raises glucose levels and breaks down amino acids, is disrupted. In...
VUMC’s Aspirnaut program to install science lab at Wynne High School in Arkansas
Mar. 10, 2023—A chemical biology research lab fit for an academic medical center is being installed at Wynne High School (WHS) in Wynne, Arkansas, as part of a pilot project of Aspirnaut STEM pipeline at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Aspirnaut, a K-20 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Pipeline for Diversity and Wellness, celebrated its 15th year...