Neuroscience
-
New Warren Center TREK channel compounds reveal power of academic-industry partnerships in drug discovery
What makes these results exceptional isn’t just the compounds themselves, it’s what they represent: the value of translational research grounded in real-world therapeutic goals. The partners chose to release these best-in-class tool compounds to the scientific community to accelerate further discovery. Read MoreJun. 5, 2025
-
Craig Lindsley on Quantum Potential: Rewiring the Brain and Rethinking Pain
In this episode of Quantum Potential, Craig Lindsley, William K. Warren, Jr. Professor of Medicine, University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology and executive director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss transformative research exploring how subtle tweaks to brain chemistry could change the way we treat neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain. Lindsley shares how academic-industry collaborations drive innovation in drug discovery and highlights how Vanderbilt’s scientific workflow is enabling the broader research community to build on its breakthroughs. Read MoreMay. 29, 2025
-
New ketamine study promises extended relief for depression
For the nearly 30 percent of major depressive disorder patients who are resistant to treatment, ketamine provides some amount of normalcy, but it requires frequent treatment and can have side effects. Vanderbilt researchers now show in proof-of-concept experiments that it may be possible to extend ketamine’s antidepressant effect from about a week to up to two months. Read MoreMay. 22, 2025
-
Vanderbilt Brain Institute marks 25 years of discovery with 2025 Brain Blast celebration
The Vanderbilt Brain Institute’s annual Brain Blast event, held March 26 at the downtown Nashville Public Library, celebrated 25 years of discovery with a day of hands-on neuroscience activities for K–8 students and families. Read MoreMay. 5, 2025
-
Vanderbilt basic science alum Q&A: Anne Taylor
Anne Taylor, PhD'23, sat down with us to discuss her experience studying basic science at Vanderbilt and how it played a role in her career. Taylor is now a fellow at the Center for Opioid Research, Education & Outreach at the Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy. Read MoreMar. 25, 2025
-
Vanderbilt researchers find evidence that the hunger hormone leptin can direct neural development in a leptin receptor–independent manner
Researchers from the lab of Richard Simerly have uncovered the first example of activity-dependent development of hypothalamic neural circuitry. The work also suggests a novel role for the hunger hormone leptin in specifying the development of neural circuits involved in autonomic regulation and food intake. Read MoreNov. 25, 2024
-
Erin Calipari wins Society for Neuroscience 2024 Outstanding Career and Research award
Calipari wins award for transforming scientists’ understanding of how behavioral circuits are dysregulated by long-term drug use and for her commitment to train and support the next generation of addiction scientists. Read MoreOct. 1, 2024
-
Exploring the basics of neurological disorders: Calcium transport in receptors
Led by Terunaga Nakagawa, an international collaboration describes for the first time the fundamental mechanism underpinning cellular processes that lead to learning and memory. Read MoreFeb. 26, 2024
-
Neil Dani honored with prestigious 2023 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar award
In a landmark achievement, Neil Dani, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, has been named a 2023 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar. The prestigious grant program supports early-career biomedical scholars who adopt bold and innovative approaches to fundamental… Read MoreAug. 24, 2023
-
Mass spectrometry analysis reveals massive insight into neuronal signaling
Heidi Hamm, Yun Young Yim By Emily Overway Researchers in the lab of Heidi Hamm, a professor of pharmacology who also holds the Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair in Cardiovascular Research, recently published a paper exploring the G protein subunits that interact with the SNARE complex. The… Read MoreMar. 3, 2022