Celebrating ten years of cultivating curiosity and creating cures
The mission of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences—fostering an environment where curiosity thrives and our community of scientists is empowered to create new knowledge about human biology, health, and disease—has driven everything we’ve done since our inception.
Although our school was established in 2016, our departments have existed for over 100 years each, and many of our faculty and staff have been with us since before the school split from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In our short time as an independent school, however, our community has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments.
To celebrate this milestone, join us on a five-week journey celebrating research and collaboration, key moments in our history, the people who have shaped our school, the trainees at the center of who we are, and the philanthropic gifts that help sustain our work.
Starting on April 27, 2026, we will be publishing an article each week highlighting feats within each of these categories. Come back each week to learn more and stay to celebrate with us the rest of the year!
Defining discoveries and research collaborations
From clinical trials of new drug compounds to pioneering a new class of antibiotics, this article highlights some of the significant discoveries that have come out of SOMBS research labs and collaborations that have pushed knowledge forward since the school was founded in 2016.
Key moments in our school’s history
Starting a new school has its challenges. Join us as we take a look back at the key moments—and our responses to those moments—that brought the School of Medicine Basic Sciences to where we are today.
Tune in on May 3, 2026, to read the second article in our 10-year anniversary series.
The people who have shaped our school
An institution is nothing without its people, and the SOMBS would be nothing without its community of staff and administrators, faculty members, and researchers of all levels.
Here, we reflect on the individual people and the groups who have played a hand in shaping both the structure and the culture of our school.
Tune in on May 10, 2026, to read the third article in our 10-year anniversary series.
Trainee success stories
Trainees are at the core of who we are. A critical part of our mission is to train the next generation of scientists and thinkers who will propel biomedical research and its impacts forward.
Who will they become? What discoveries will they make? What roles will they play across industries and fields? Only time will tell. In the meantime, join us in celebrating these ten alums who have graduated over the last ten years.
Tune in on May 17, 2026, to read the fourth article in our 10-year anniversary series.
The lasting impact of philanthropy
Funding scientific research is a complicated endeavor that relies on federal funding, foundation grants, institutional funding—and philanthropic gifts.
Gifts of all sizes benefit our school, but these 10 endowed grants exist thanks to the generosity of donors like you.
Tune in on May 24, 2026, to read the last article in our 10-year anniversary series.
