Research, News & Discoveries

Cells in the body communicate by sending and receiving protein and genetic information packaged in extracellular vesicles and nanoparticles, including exomeres and supermeres. This complex transport system is important not only in health, but in disorders as diverse as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. For example,… Read More

Whether working on dynamic discoveries in the lab, connecting with students and faculty, or pursuing his passion for nature photography, acclaimed biomedical researcher John Kuriyan is inspired by his recent move to join Vanderbilt as the new dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences and… Read More

  THE BASICS Giving Day is an annual, 24-hour fundraising campaign providing an opportunity for Commodores across the globe to come together to show their Commodore pride and support Vanderbilt students and faculty. Gifts of all sizes will come together to provide important funding for areas across the university. Read More

  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… Read More

By Lorena Infante Lara James O’Connor, Ph.D. 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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More