Research, News & Discoveries

A newly determined structure from the lab of Yi Ren reveals information about the mRNA export pathway and suggests that herpes viruses could hijack that interaction to infect their host. The new structures also reveal how certain mutations in the protein complex could play a role in cancers. Read More

Congratulations to our School of Medicine Basic Sciences members who were promoted or received new appointments from July to September 2024. These individuals significantly enrich our pursuit of pathbreaking research and contribute to the growth and success of our school.  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

As a fifth-year graduate student in the Biochemistry Graduate Program, Jenny focuses on dissecting the allostery involved in heme biosynthesis initiation using an integrated structural biology approach in the lab of Professor Breann Brown. Her work has led to collaborations with other Vanderbilt labs, including the labs of Jens Meiler, John Yang and Jason MacGurn. Read More

Mirazul Islam, a graduate student in the lab of Professor Ken Lau, has developed a molecular clock that records the timing of cellular events at a single-cell resolution. Read More

It’s often the simplest and most informal of invitations that can open a world of endless possibilities and lifelong relationships. That’s how Professor Jens Meiler’s extraordinary scientific journey began in the lab of Nobel Prize winner David Baker. What has he made of the opportunities presented to him that day? Read More

Sloan Kettering Institute’s PaineWebber Professor of Cancer Genetics Agnel Sfeir will present the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences Apex Lecture on Oct. 30, 2024. Read More

Led by Craig W. Lindsley, Vanderbilt drug discovery experts set out to develop a backup drug candidate to improve memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

In 2024 the National Institutes of Health awarded Sando a New Innovator Award, part of their High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. This award, which provides $1,500,000 over five years, supports early-career scientists proposing innovative and impactful research that might not get funded in the traditional peer-review process due to its inherent risk. Read More