Mass Spectrometry Research Center

To honor and continue the legacy of Richard Caprioli, Ph.D., Stanford Moore Chair in Biochemistry and Director Emeritus of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, the Richard Caprioli Basic Sciences Research Award for Technology Education Fund was established to allow Vanderbilt University Ph.D. students in the School of Medicine to pursue an opportunity to obtain hands-on training and education in one or more new technologies outside of those obtained in their graduate research training. The scholarship will be awarded to a Ph.D. student to enhance the approach to their research program. Read More

In addition to fueling cutting-edge research, a new molecular imaging system will serve as a cornerstone resource at the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, which is recognized nationally as a hub for molecular imaging and technology development. It will be made accessible to collaborators across academia, national labs, and industry, ensuring broad impact. Read More

In a landmark study published in Science Advances, Vanderbilt researchers have created the first high-resolution lipid atlas of the human kidney, mapping over 100,000 functional tissue units across 29 donors. By integrating advanced imaging mass spectrometry with microscopy using machine learning, the team identified distinct lipid signatures that could transform diagnostics and precision treatments for kidney disease. Read More

In a landmark study published in Science Advances, Vanderbilt researchers have created the first high-resolution lipid atlas of the human kidney, mapping over 100,000 functional tissue units across 29 donors. By integrating advanced imaging mass spectrometry with microscopy using machine learning, the team identified distinct lipid signatures that could transform diagnostics and precision treatments for kidney disease. Read More

Since its publication on February 21, 2025, the Burnette Lab’s article detailing the discovery of blebbisomes—a newly identified class of extracellular vesicles—has received over 44,000 Article Accesses, a remarkable benchmark for scientific reach and engagement. This visibility is due in part to Vanderbilt University’s new open access agreement with… Read More

Just as swallows journey to San Juan Capistrano, California, and monarch butterflies migrate to Michoacan, Mexico, each spring, so mass spectrometrists from across the globe converge on Vanderbilt University for the annual, four-day Advanced Imaging Mass Spectrometry workshop. Read More

Just as swallows journey to San Juan Capistrano, California, and monarch butterflies migrate to Michoacan, Mexico, each spring, so mass spectrometrists from across the globe converge on Vanderbilt University for the annual, four-day Advanced Imaging Mass Spectrometry workshop. Read More

Since its February 2025 publication in Nature Cell Biology, a groundbreaking study from the Burnette Lab has drawn more than 44,000 Article Accesses—amplified by Vanderbilt’s new open access agreement with Springer Nature. The study reveals the existence of blebbisomes, massive, motile extracellular vesicles that behave almost like mini cells. Packed with organelles and capable of delivering immune-modulating proteins, blebbisomes may one day serve as therapeutic couriers or targets in cancer treatment. Read More

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Ken Lau and Jeffrey Spraggins are creating the first spatially mapped atlas characterizing the progression trajectories of early-onset colorectal cancer versus average-onset CRC as they transition from precancerous lesions to malignant cancers. Read More

A research grant to study lung and cerebral organoids will yield insights into the sensitivity of lung and brain tumors to commercially available antibody-drug conjugate payloads. The OVPRI Industry Collaborations group facilitated the collaboration. Read More