Biochemistry

As 2024 comes to a close, we take a look back at the accomplishments and contributions to science and society made by School of Medicine Basic Sciences community members throughout the past year. The efforts of our faculty, trainees, staff, and collaborators have resulted pioneering discoveries that tangibly benefit society. Read More

Lori Rudolph-Owen, an accomplished figure in the biotechnology industry and a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences alum, shared her insights on career progression and drug development on Oct. 3 as part of BRET’s Ph.D. Career Stories, a series focused on various alums and their professions. Read More

Doug Kojetin, associate professor of biochemistry, and a collaborator from the Guangzhou Laboratory, use NMR and crystallography to elucidate the binding pose of GW9662 and T0070907 cobound with synthetic ligands for the first time. Read More

Jens Meiler, Distinguished Research Professor of Chemistry and Kevin Schey, Stevenson Chair and professor of biochemistry, are two Vanderbilt collaborators on the project that brings together specialists in virology, structural biology and clinical research to tackle the complex challenge of vaccine development. Read More

The only elected fellow outside of Oceania and Southeast Asia, Neil Osheroff brings four decades of medical education to the highly regarded health professional educator association ANZAHPE. Read More

Polycystic ovarian syndrome  is a complex endocrinological disorder with widespread prevalence, affecting approximately one in ten women worldwide. Treatment for PCOS typically involves extensive lifestyle modification and medications to help manage reproductive symptoms and insulin resistance, but there are no treatments that directly target hyperandrogenism. Because of this, women with PCOS often feel unsatisfied with the quality of their care and are belabored by the changes necessary to live out their daily lives. Read More

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