Research, News & Discoveries

Stephen Fesik, Orrin H. Ingram II Chair in Cancer Research, has conducted pioneering research on some of the most difficult drug discovery targets in cancer research. As a result of his lab’s discoveries, molecule-specific data has been made freely available for download to cancer researchers on the opensource platform opnMe.com, which… Read More

Biomedical science has made huge strides in understanding the mechanics of human aging, and these discoveries have drastically affected how we work to prevent disease and increase longevity. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, 11 a.m.–noon CT, the School of Medicine Basic Sciences’ monthly virtual Lab-to-Table Conversation will bring aging research experts… Read More

On Sunday, November 7, Michael Waterman, former chair of the Department of Biochemistry, passed away. Waterman was chair of biochemistry for 18 years and helped develop the department into a place where faculty could thrive. “Mike believed in empowering faculty,” David Cortez, current chair of the department, said. “He always… Read More

THE IDEA Vanderbilt researchers found that ketamine’s rapid antidepressant action is due to specific synaptic effects. This represents a new target for drug development that could fill a major gap in care for depression. Ege Kavalali (Vanderbilt University) Lisa Monteggia (John Russell/Vanderbilt University) The research was led by… Read More

By Wendy Bindeman L-R: Sheila Collins, Ryan Ceddia A trans-institutional team that includes Professor of Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Sheila Collins, first author and Collins lab postdoc Ryan Ceddia, and Johns Hopkins collaborators Dr. David Kass and Sumita Mishra recently published a study showing that mice lacking an… Read More

Nerve cells in the brain establish connections or synapses to form complex electrical circuits that keep people thinking and moving. Despite the importance of these synapses in mediating the flow of charged particles between neurons, not much is understood about how these connections are created. Sierra Palumbos David Miller Research… Read More

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the next dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. The committee includes faculty members, Vanderbilt University Medical Center leadership, a dean, an alumna and a current student. John Geer,… Read More

A molecular switch that regulates the cytoskeleton — the cellular equivalent of our skeleton — is required for the maintenance and integrity of the kidney collecting duct, Vanderbilt researchers have found. The discovery, reported in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, could… Read More

By Wendy Bindeman Sheila Collins, professor of medicine. Sheila Collins, who is a professor of medicine and has a secondary appointment in molecular physiology and biophysics, first author Fubiao Shi, a postdoctoral fellow in the Collins lab, and colleagues have recently identified the transcription factor PPARγ as a novel regulator… Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are reimagining Charles Darwin’s work by communicating how the origin of species might depend largely on the microbiome—the totality of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms—living in or on a host body. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species put forth a seminal and revolutionary thesis for the life sciences in 1859: Populations with a common… Read More