Biochemistry

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

The Center for Structural Biology in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences will be a hub of research innovation using Carterra’s platform in traditional and AI-driven workflows for characterizing both antibodies and other biomolecules Read More

For researchers, projects can sometimes feel like babies, and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your baby grow up. For William Tansey, professor of cell and developmental biology, this baby started 10 years ago when he and Stephen Fesik, Orrin H. Ingram II, Professor of Cancer Research and professor of biochemistry, discovered that a protein called WDR5 is a “partner in crime” to MYC, a transcription factor and oncogene that is often mutated in cancers. In fact, dysregulation of MYC is estimated to be responsible for about a third of all cancer deaths annually. Read More

Through his work, Neil Osheroff reaches medical students at Vanderbilt and around the globe with his innovative ideas. Read More

Congratulations are extended to our School of Medicine Basic Sciences members who were promoted or received new appointments from January to March 2024. These individuals significantly enrich our pursuit of pathbreaking research and contribute to the growth and success of our school. Read More

Randy Perera, Fellow'24, who worked in the biochemistry department and is now a scientist at the pharmaceutical and biotech company MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA) sat down with us to discuss his experience studying basic science at Vanderbilt and how it played a role in his career.  Read More

To honor and continue Richard Caprioli’s legacy of teaching technological advances, the Richard Caprioli Basic Sciences Research Award for Technology Education fund has been established to allow Ph.D. students in the biomedical sciences to attend focused educational experiences in a technology that they would otherwise not encounter in their graduate studies. Read More

It started with a hacksaw and a multimillion-dollar instrument. Richard Caprioli, then a postdoctoral fellow, was given the saw to cut the instrument in half during his first day of his postdoctoral studies. It was the day that Caprioli, now Stanford Moore Professor of Biochemistry, developed a desire to “do innovative things” with mass spectrometry instruments.” This yearning resulted in him becoming a pioneer of new mass spec techniques, including imaging mass spec. Read More

Leader in the field of ribosome biogenesis, Katrin Karbstein has joined the School of Medicine Basic Sciences as Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and professor of biochemistry. Her work has revealed the intricate details of ribosome biogenesis and revealed how misassembled ribosomes contribute to disease. She is also a community leader and mentor to emerging scholars. Read More