Research, News & Discoveries

The pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii can survive on hospital surfaces — without water — for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Now, a team of Vanderbilt researchers has discovered a mechanism this bug uses to live in a dried-out state: it produces “hydrophilin”… Read More

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences announced today that Dr. Nancy Carrasco, Joe C. Davis Professor of Biomedical Science and professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics, has been elected as one of its new members. Carrasco was elected to… Read More

By Ansari Aleem Ansari Aleem, Ph.D. For me, Ramadan—the month of fasting—is about the Quran, worship, prayer, and generosity. Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam and is mandatory for a healthy adult Muslim. I have been practicing fasting ever since I can remember. For me, fasting is a… Read More

A collaborative project between the labs of William Tansey, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and professor of cell and developmental biology and biochemistry, and Stephen Fesik, Orrin H. Ingram II Chair in Cancer Research and professor of biochemistry, chemistry and pharmacology, has… Read More

Prothena and the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery have entered into a collaborative research agreement to develop new small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a condition in which a person’s having… Read More

By Aran Sullivan Felysha Jenkins, Ph.D. During February—Black History Month—Basic Sciences community members participated in a 21-day Racial Equity Challenge. Felysha Jenkins, the Basic Sciences diversity, equity, and inclusion program manager, organized the challenge for the Basic Sciences community, using resources from the… Read More

By Emily Overway Marija Žanić, Ph.D. The lab of Marija Žanić, professor of cell and developmental biology, is investigating the regulation of microtubules. Work led by former postdoctoral fellow Elizabeth Lawrence, recently published in eLife, details the role of microtubule-associated protein SSNA1 in… Read More

By Chuck Sanders Marie Maynard Daly (Photo courtesy of the archives of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Ted Burrows, photographer). As part of my responsibilities as president of The Protein Society I recently had the pleasure of announcing a new society award: the Marie Maynard Daly Award. Daly was a… Read More

Ethan Zohn, winner of the CBS reality show Survivor, two-time cancer survivor, humanitarian and former professional soccer player, will discuss his journey with reality television, cancer, mental health and humanitarian work as part of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences’ monthly Lab-to-Table Conversations on Tuesday, April… Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a critical regulatory factor in Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes the disease anthrax and has been used as a biological weapon. The findings, reported in the journal Nature Communications, provide new insights into bacterial gene regulation and may guide novel antibacterial therapeutic… Read More