News
New Student Travel Guidelines
Aug. 26, 2016—In order to facilitate student travel, the BRET office has developed guidelines to help students navigate the process of planning a trip and getting reimbursed for the expenses associated with the travel. Students in all of our graduate programs are expected to follow these guidelines. By following these expectations and guidelines, students' needs will be met in the...
Marija Zanic Awarded NIH/NIGMS Grant
Aug. 24, 2016—Marija Zanic has been awarded an MIRA R35 grant from NIH/NIGMS to study ”Biophysical Principles of Microtubule Dynamics."
Tyne Miller-Fleming Reports Findings in the Journal eLife
Aug. 4, 2016—Tyne Miller-Fleming, a Neuroscience graduate student in the laboratory of David Miller, Ph.D., led a research team that explored the mechanism of synaptic remodeling in the nematode worm C. elegans. The investigators focused on a well-defined circuit in which GABA motor neuron synapses are eliminated and then relocated to new positions. The findings are reported...
Breast Cancer: Finding the Smoking Gun
Jul. 21, 2016—Many genes are associated with cancer. The trick is proving they actually promote tumor formation. One approach, detailed by Ian Macara, Ph.D., and colleagues last month in Cell Reports, is an in vivo “gain-of-function” screen. The researchers used a gene “library” (complementary DNA carried by lentivirus) to increase the expression of nearly 1000 different genes in mouse mammary glands, and asked...
Chiang Award 4 Year Grant to Study the Function of the Cerebellum
Jul. 21, 2016—Chin Chiang, Ph.D., professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in the School of Medicine, a four-year, $1.6 million grant to study the function of the cerebellum, the seat of motor coordination and learning, and the site of autism spectrum disorder. Read more.
Excellence in Cell Dynamics Awards
Jul. 8, 2016—Three awards were chosen among strong nominees who had made significant contributions to the field of cell dynamics: Nathan McDonald, Graduate Student in Kathy Gould’s Lab Hannah Worchel, Graduate Student in Mark Magnusons Lab Bhume Singh, Ph.D.,Post Doc in Bob Coffey’s Lab The honor included an opportunity to present at the symposium, dinner with the speakers...
Eric Bankaitis Recognized for High Impact Paper
Jun. 29, 2016—Eric Bankaitis was recognized by the VICC for his Genes and Development paper as a high impact publication: "Feedback control of growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis of pancreatic endocrine progenitors in an epithelial plexus niche," Bankaitis ED, Bechard ME, Wright CV. Genes Dev. 2015 Oct 15;29(20):2203-16. doi: 10.1101/gad.267914.115. PMID: 26494792
Casey Nielsen Receives “The Ubiquigent Young Scientist Award”
Jun. 20, 2016—Casey Nielsen (MacGurn Lab) received “The Ubiquigent Young Scientist Award” at the FASEB Ubiquitin meeting. The award was given for the “best student poster” out of 82 total posters across two sessions. This was in addition to the travel award they already gave Casey to cover a portion of her travel costs.
14th Annual CDB Retreat A Success
May. 6, 2016—The 14th Annual Cell and Developmental Biology Retreat was held May 4, 2016 at the Joe C. Davis YMCA Outdoor Center in Nashville. This annual event provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and lab members to meet and discuss their research in a relaxed environment. The agenda consisted of student presentations and poster sessions. Visit the CDB 2016 Retreat page to view an...
2016 CDB Graduate Student & Postdoc of the Year Announced
May. 6, 2016—Cell and Developmental Biology awards for outstanding research achievements by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are given in recognition of outstanding research achievements by a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. This year's recipients are Nathan McDonald (Gould Lab), Graduate Student of the Year, and Xiaoxi Wang (Page-McCaw Lab), Post Doc of the Year.
Marija Zanic Named 2016 Searle Scholar
Apr. 18, 2016—Marija Zanic is one of fifteen scientists in the chemical and biological sciences to be named a 2016 Searle Scholar. Each researcher is awarded $300,000 in flexible funding to support his or her work during the next three years. Searle Scholars are selected for their potential to make significant contributions to chemical and biological research over the course...
Ken Lau receives the Overall High Impact Award
Apr. 6, 2016—Ken Lau receives the Overall High Impact Award for 2016 from Vanderbilt Center for Quantitative Sciences for his paper “Cytometry-based single-cell analysis of intact epithelial signaling reveals MAPK activation divergent from TNF-a-induced apoptosis in vivo.”
CDB Rises to the #1 Spot in Cell Biology Funding!
Mar. 30, 2016—The Vanderbilt Department of Cell & Developmental Biology currently occupies the #1 rank among US medical schools in "Anatomy/Cell Biology" NIH funding, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. (http://www.brimr.org/NIH_Awards/NIH_Awards.htm).
April Weissmiller Awarded AACR Basic Science Cancer Research Fellowship
Mar. 23, 2016—April Weissmiller, Post Doc in the Tansey Lab, was awarded a one year AACR Basic Science Cancer Research Fellowship “ Probing a novel mechanism of MYC recruitment to chromatin." She will receive the award at the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA. The grant begins 7/1/2016. Congratulations, April!