Research, News & Discoveries

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have made a fundamental discovery about how the heart compensates for genetic variations that otherwise could trigger abnormal and potentially fatal heart rhythms. Their findings, reported recently in the journal Circulation, add significantly to understanding what causes abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, and… Read More

Vanderbilt University has signed an exclusive, worldwide license and a research collaboration agreement with Neumora Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering precision medicines for brain diseases through the integration of data science and neuroscience.   The licensed program centers around the M4 muscarinic receptor positive allosteric modulator—including… Read More

Publicly available data sources help drive progress in science, especially complete and annotated data sources. As part of a student research project, corresponding author Anne Hatmaker, a Ph.D. student in the lab of Antonis Rokas, professor of biological sciences, and first author Miya Hugaboom, an undergraduate in the Rokas lab,… Read More

In recognition of Black History Month, the School of Medicine Basic Sciences’ monthly virtual Lab-to-Table Conversation will celebrate Black excellence in research and discuss the future of diversity in academia. The event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 22, from noon to 1 p.m. CT. The discussion is free and… Read More

Stressful experiences can lead to adaptive or detrimental behaviors. Understanding how stress can affect our brains can help understand basic brain function and is also essential to discerning causes and treatments for some diseases. A group of researchers led by Jeffrey Conn, professor of pharmacology at… Read More

Richard Sando, assistant professor of pharmacology, has been selected to receive a 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career researchers. The fellowships, awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, honor extraordinary U.S. and Canadian scientists and scholars… Read More

When considering pursuing an M.D., biomedical Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D., what knowledge could undergraduate students obtain to prepare them to decide on a pathway aligned with their interests, personality, and goals? Do undergraduates grasp what this journey as a student will look like, and what professional life afterward will entail? Beth… Read More

The brain is constantly firing and controlling purposeful action potentials—electronic messages used by neurons to communicate with each other and allow the brain to function. Conversely, the way spontaneous neural communication happens in the brain has been found to make use of a different process. Ege Kavalali, William Stokes Chair in Experimental… Read More

Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and Executive Vice President for Research for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is stepping down on June 30 from her long-held role as the Cancer Center’s director to focus on a combined leadership role… Read More

The Office of the Dean of Basic Sciences is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences Core Development Grants, which provide each awardee with up to $50K toward the purchase of capital equipment, the development of a new core technology or service, or… Read More