Biochemistry

A recent paper from the lab of Emily Hodges looks at how two types of epigenetic changes act together but on different time scales to affect gene expression during cell differentiation. Read More

At the annual VIRAL Research Symposium on April 18, associate professor of biochemistry Yi Ren reflected on her path as an international scientist as one of the event’s featured early-career speakers. Read More

In a new study published in Nature Communications, the Doug Kojetin and Zhongyue Yang labs use peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma—more commonly known as PPAR—as a model system to understand the functional shifts of nuclear receptor LBDs. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a nanoparticle complex that can both visualize and attack cancer cells by targeting the tumor microenvironment. Read More

Eleven outstanding faculty members including Emily Hodges, associate professor of biochemistry, and Lar Plate, faculty affiliate of the Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, have been selected for the 2025 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. Each fellow holds the title of Chancellor Faculty Fellow and receives $80,000 over a multi-year period to support their work. They also meet with their cohort to exchange ideas on teaching and research, build a broader intellectual community that advances collaborative scholarship, and engage in academic leadership development to increase their leadership capacity. Read More

Congratulations to our School of Medicine Basic Sciences members who were promoted or received new appointments between January and March 2025. These individuals significantly enrich our pursuit of pathbreaking research and contribute to the growth and success of our school. Read More

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University have figured out how two bacterial elements present in only some Helicobacter pylori strains lead to molecular changes in host tissues that favor the development of gastric cancer. Read More

Vanderbilt and Northwestern University researchers characterized a group of KCNQ1 variants probe their role in a common heart disorder called LQTS. They found that there are five classes of mutations that act through independent mechanisms, suggesting that a more tailored/personalized treatment approach could be beneficial for LQTS patients. Read More

Recent work from collaborators Ray Blind, Lucia Rameh, and John York has provided the first comprehensive analysis of inositol phosphate regulation of mTOR and mTORC1, increasing our kinetic understanding of mTOR kinase activity and providing a tool to modulate mTOR/mTORC1 in cells. Read More

Meet Jo Ann Byl, senior research specialist in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences Department of Biochemistry. Read More