School Of Medicine Basic Sciences

Lung Disease Worldwide, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) affect hundreds of millions, with COPD and asthma being major burdens, causing millions of deaths annually, driven largely by smoking and air pollution, though age-standardized rates for many CRDs have dropped, absolute numbers rise due to population growth, and pneumonia remains a leading… Read More

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

Millions of Americans struggle with cocaine use, yet research tools don’t yet reflect real-world drug use. Vanderbilt scientists have developed a new approach that more accurately models how people use cocaine, strengthening efforts to understand addiction and develop better therapies Read More

Kavya Sharman, BS’16, PhD’22, channeled dual expertise in science and business into launching Phase Capital, a Nashville-based venture capital firm focused on tech bio. Today, she supports founders working to transform scientific discoveries into scalable applications across the U.S., all while maintaining close ties to her Vanderbilt alma mater and home. Read More

Breast Cancer Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast mutate and grow uncontrollably, forming tumors in ducts or lobules. It is the second most common cancer in U.S. women, with a 90% five-year survival rate due to advances in treatment.  .story-list .story-list__topper { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;… Read More

Stomach Disorders Vanderbilt School of Medicine basic science researchers study stomach (gastric) cancer by uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive tumor initiation, progression, and treatment resistance. Work spans cancer genetics and epigenetics, oncogenic signaling, metabolism, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment and immune system. Many labs use patient-derived… Read More

Spinal cord research Spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries impact millions of people worldwide. These injuries cause neuronal loss and the formation of scar tissue, which is believed to block the regrowth of axons-thin nerve fibers that carry electrical signals. As a result, recovery is limited, often leading to lasting… Read More

Lung Disease Worldwide, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) affect hundreds of millions, with COPD and asthma being major burdens, causing millions of deaths annually, driven largely by smoking and air pollution, though age-standardized rates for many CRDs have dropped, absolute numbers rise due to population growth, and pneumonia remains a leading… Read More

  Spinal cord research Spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries impact millions of people worldwide. These injuries cause neuronal loss and the formation of scar tissue, which is believed to block the regrowth of axons-thin nerve fibers that carry electrical signals. As a result, recovery is limited, often leading to… Read More

Kidney Disease Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s Basic Sciences investigators study kidney cancer and kidney disease from molecules to patients. Teams link genomics, epigenetics, and metabolism to clear cell renal cell carcinoma initiation, therapy resistance, and tumor-immune microenvironment. Researchers build organoid, CRISPR, and mouse models to test pathways and identify drug… Read More