Vanderbilt Basic Sciences

In the final step of cell division, cytokinesis, one cell becomes two. Without complete separation, abnormal cells can accumulate and set the stage for tumor formation. One of the main controllers of cytokinesis is the protein Cdc15, which localizes to the dividing cell membrane — linking it to the cytokinetic… Read More

Dr. Conrad Wagner passed away on March 13, 2023. Connie joined the Department of Biochemistry as an Assistant Professor in 1961 and maintained an active laboratory studying one-carbon metabolism and folic acid until becoming emeritus Professor of Biochemistry in 2015. His research was part of an internationally recognized division of… Read More

Tadashi Inagami, PhD, DSc, Vanderbilt University Professor of Biochemistry, emeritus, who helped characterize the biochemical basis for hypertension, heart failure and vascular disease, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 13 after a brief illness. He was 92. “Tad was an exceptional scientist in the hypertension research field and brought international recognition… Read More

Scientists from Vanderbilt University, the Universidad de la República in Uruguay, and other research centers have achieved a scientific tour de force — resurrecting a “dead antibody” to reveal the mysteries of cytochrome c, a versatile protein that is an essential part of the cell’s energy-generating capacity, and of life… Read More

By Leah Mann Wenbiao Chen, Ph.D. The lab of Wenbiao Chen, associate professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, identified a signaling pathway for hyperaminoacidemia-induced alpha cell proliferation. Hyperaminoacidemia, or an excess of amino acids in the bloodstream, occurs when the function of glucagon, a pancreatic hormone that raises glucose levels… Read More

A chemical biology research lab fit for an academic medical center is being installed at Wynne High School (WHS) in Wynne, Arkansas, as part of a pilot project of Aspirnaut STEM pipeline at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Aspirnaut, a K-20 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Pipeline for Diversity and… Read More

Photoperiod, or length of day, influences seasonal changes in disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, with these changes being more prevalent in females. Not incidentally, there are known sex differences in the brain’s reward pathway, where release of dopamine into the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in mood… Read More

Vanderbilt University leaders hosted visitors from the health care investment firm Deerfield Management, including its president and managing partner, James Flynn, on Feb. 23 for a series of events celebrating the ongoing collaboration between Vanderbilt and Deerfield to rapidly advance new therapeutics from the research bench… Read More

By Leah Mann Professor Chuck Sanders Chuck Sanders, Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor of biochemistry and medicine, has recently been promoted from associate dean for research to vice dean of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Sanders received his Ph.D. in… Read More

By Chuck Sanders One of the benefits of going to Washington D.C. for work, such as NIH Study Section service, is that it provides an opportunity to visit the National Mall, whose spiritual center is the temple-like Lincoln Memorial. There, Lincoln sits deep in his chair and gazes out… Read More