News
Erin Von Klein Honored by American Academy of Pediatrics
Oct. 8, 2024—Current Vanderbilt MPH student Erin Von Klein, M.D., was recently honored by the American Academy of Pediatrics with the 2024 Marshall Klaus Perinatal Research Award in Health Services Research for her project, “Employment Decision-Making Among Caregivers of Low Birthweight Infants.” Erin worked with mentors Gilbert Gonzales, Ph.D., Joseph Zickafoose, M.D., M.S., and Stephen Patrick, M.D.,...
Susannah Rose Explores the Concerns and Hopes Surrounding Health-related AI Chatbots
Oct. 4, 2024—The public’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for health care information continues to grow amid a welter of questions about their accuracy, safety and reliability and excitement over their potential to improve access to care. A team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will address the concerns and hopes surrounding health-related AI chatbots with the...
Hartert states, “This study demonstrates just how important the environment in which you grow up in is in determining your risk for developing diseases.”
Oct. 3, 2024—Children who were raised in areas negatively affected by a government housing policy from the 1930s known as ‘redlining’ are still paying a price in the form of higher risk of developing asthma, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. ‘Redlining’ once determined who was eligible to receive...
Self and Audet are Helping Move Genomics into the Clinic
Oct. 2, 2024—The genomic revolution is upon us. The question is, how can the explosion of new knowledge be used — now — to prevent and treat disease and improve health? Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center believe the answer may involve a “learning” network that, by assessing the impact of genomic data and clinical informatics on...
Spalluto and Lewis Recognized for Extending Veterans’ Lung Cancer Screening
Sep. 30, 2024—Two physician-scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars (VAQS) Fellowship program for implementing and evaluating innovative lung cancer screening programs for veterans. Lucy Spalluto, MD, MPH, professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, and Jennifer Lewis, MD, MS, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine, are the recipients...
Dr. Schaffner Discusses the Spike in Whooping Cough Cases in the U.S.
Sep. 27, 2024—The number of whooping cough cases have more than quadrupled in the U.S. since last year, according to data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Infectious diseases experts attribute the surge in cases of whooping cough — also known as pertussis — to a dip in vaccination rates that began...
Peek Into an MPH Practicum: A Q&A with a Health Policy Track Student
Sep. 25, 2024—By Kyra Letsinger Since as early as the ninth grade, second-year Master of Public Health (MPH) student Ishan Basu Ray has been working toward a career in health care. While peers spent summers relaxing, Basu Ray researched and shadowed in labs at some of his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana’s most renowned academic institutions, including...
Susannah Rose discusses the mission of ADVANCE AI at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Sep. 20, 2024—Vanderbilt University Medical Center was recently named a leading health system in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), according to Becker’s Healthcare. According to a list compiled by Becker’s Healthcare and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation at the University of California San Diego, VUMC was cited as one of 11 health systems...
Peek Into an MPH Practicum: A Q&A with an Epidemiology Track Student
Sep. 18, 2024—By Kyra Letsinger From a young age, second-year Master of Public Health (MPH) student Kaylee Ebner had a passion for health and science. It wasn’t until high school, however, that she came to find her dream career path in the most unlikely of places. In her junior year Intro to Healthcare class, she watched the...
Dr. Poehling Contributes to Advisory Committee Recommendation on Immunization Practices
Sep. 18, 2024—What is already known about this topic? Adults aged 19–64 years with risk conditions for pneumococcal disease and those aged ≥65 years are recommended to receive either 15- or 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) (PCV15 or PCV20, respectively). What is added by this report? On June 27, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended...
Katz says, Most children receive too many antibiotics for ear infections
Sep. 11, 2024—Most providers are still prescribing 10-day courses of antibiotics for acute otitis media despite recommendations calling for shorter durations of treatment, according to study findings. As Healio has previously reported, research has shown that shorter durations of antibiotics are better for some pediatric infections like acute otitis media (AOM), but this messaging has been slow to reach pediatricians. Acute...
RSV vaccine in older people cuts risk of hospitalization, says Grijalva, Self, and Zhu
Sep. 9, 2024—The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can be particularly dangerous for older people with chronic medical conditions. Each year in the United States, RSV infections in older adults result in up to 160,000 hospitalizations and as many as 10,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which in June 2023 recommended RSV...
Carolyn Audet, to Lead Implementation Science Center
Sep. 6, 2024—Two leaders in implementation science and quality improvement at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have been named co-directors of the Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research (CCQIR), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Carolyn Audet, PhD, and Amanda Mixon, MD, MSPH, recently succeeded founding CCQIR director Sunil Kripalani, MD, MSc, professor of Medicine and Health Policy, and...
Peek Into an MPH Practicum: A Q&A with a Global Health Track Student
Sep. 4, 2024—By Kyra Letsinger Before coming to Vanderbilt, second-year Master of Public Health (MPH) student Joshua Atura received his bachelor’s degree in development education from the University for Development in his hometown of Tamale, Ghana, and his master’s in development studies from the University of Ghana, Legon. While working on his master’s thesis on determinants of...
MPH Graduate Eiman Jahangir Heads to Space with Blue Origin Space Launch
Aug. 29, 2024—Eiman Jahangir’s lifelong dream to fly into space is scheduled to become a reality on Thursday, Aug. 29. Jahangir, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine and Radiology and director of Cardio-Oncology, is scheduled to lift off on the Blue Origin rocket New Shepard from a launch site in West Texas, Blue Origin announced. The launch...
Keipp Talbot: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Aug. 23, 2024—Summary What is already known about this topic? On June 21, 2023, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that adults aged ≥60 years may receive a single dose of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, using shared clinical decision-making. What is added by this report? On June 26, 2024, ACIP voted to update these...
MPH graduate Sophie Katz and colleagues urge practitioners to overcome “academic imprinting” and follow international trends
Aug. 14, 2024—Acute otitis media (AOM) is typically treated with 10 days of antibiotics, according to a new study in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (JPIDS).1 Notably, the investigators find the duration excessive, citing US and international guidelines advising 5 to 7 days, if antibiotics are indicated, but there is often no indication when the etiology is...
Zheng and Sudenga Study Finds Spending Too Much Time On The Couch Can Shorten Your Life
Aug. 9, 2024—It’s well known that spending too much time on the couch can shorten your life. Now, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have reported that moderate intensity, leisure-time physical activity can partially reduce the elevated risk of death from all causes due to prolonged sitting time. In a study of 8,337 predominantly low-income and Black...
Gastineau explains, approximately 3 million children witness a shooting each year in the US
Aug. 5, 2024—Hospitalization rates quintuple for youth who suffer nonfatal gun injuries. Health care costs are far higher for children suffering nonfatal firearm wounds when compared to their non-injured peers, even when the victim’s initial hospitalization is excluded from the tally, a recent study in Pediatrics reports. “Children with firearm-related injuries were more than five times as likely to require...
A healthy lifestyle may partially mitigate the effects of poverty on death rates says Zheng
Aug. 2, 2024—Study shows individuals from very low-income households have higher risk of early death. A new study illustrates the extent to which poverty impacts health: individuals in households with annual incomes below $15,000 are at three times the risk for early death compared to those in average-income families. The research, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center...
Dr Natasha Halasa Discusses New Vaccine Surveillance Network Projects
Aug. 1, 2024—Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), discusses the active population-based surveillance she helps to conduct as principal investigator (PI) of the Vanderbilt site of the New Vaccine Surveillance Network, which was established in 1999 by the CDC to predict the impact of potential new vaccines. She explained that this surveillance work...
Christianne Roumie to direct new Center of Innovation for Department of Veterans Affairs
Jul. 30, 2024—Christianne Roumie, MD, MPH, research health scientist at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System and professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named the director of a new Health Systems Research Center of Innovation (COIN) for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The COIN program supports...
Wesley Self named to leadership role in global clinical trials network
Jul. 22, 2024—Wesley Self, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President for Clinical Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named chair of the Scientific Steering Committee overseeing a global clinical trials network focused on acute infectious disease. The network, called Strategies and Treatments for Respiratory Infections and Viral Emergencies (STRIVE), is funded by the National Institutes of...
Staffing is the most important part of providing high-quality nursing home care says Stevenson
Jul. 19, 2024—During inspections since 2021, state regulators cited a third of California homes — more than 400 of them — for inadequate staffing. Regulators also granted waivers to 236 homes that said work force shortages prevented them from recruiting enough nurse aides to meet the state minimum, exempting them from fines as high as $50,000. In New York,...
Mary- Margaret Fill and William Schaffner: Notes from the field Illnesses After Administration
Jul. 16, 2024—Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) products are considered safe for cosmetic use when administered in clinical settings, although potential spread of BoNT around the injection site can result in local, transient neurological effects (e.g., ptosis or diplopia) (1). In March 2024, clinicians notified the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and Tennessee...
Drinking between 68 and 100 ounces of water per day is critical for optimal hydration, says Karpinos
Jul. 16, 2024—Record-setting high temperatures are dangerous not only for the planet, but also for human health. Whether you’re situated in the middle of a heat wave or you’re just trying to survive a scorching day, you’ll need strategies to cool off and stay well. One of the most crucial is to stay hydrated. But do eight eight-ounce glasses...
Dr. Schaffner discusses recent summer wave of COVID-19 cases
Jul. 9, 2024—COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S. with the CDC saying a new variant is growing or likely growing in 43 states. Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, joined CBS News to talk about the rise in cases.
Creech and Vanderbilt researchers launch new antibody trial to address Enterovirus threat
Jul. 3, 2024—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has launched a first-in-human clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of an experimental monoclonal antibody against enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), which can cause severe respiratory disease and — in rare cases — a debilitating, polio-like neurologic condition. Currently there are no approved, specific treatments in the United States for severe...
Talbot Discusses New Covid-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Jul. 2, 2024—All Americans ages 6 months and older should receive one of the new Covid-19 vaccines when they become available this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. The recommendation comes as the nation faces a summer wave of Covid, with the number of infections rising in at least 39 states and territories. Most...
Schaffner addresses rare drug-resistant flu variant identified in the US
Jun. 27, 2024—A rare flu variant that has shown some resistance to the most commonly used antiviral treatment has been detected in at least two people in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza viruses are constantly changing, but this variant has two concerning mutations in places that could lower...
Harris named Department of Medicine’s executive vice chair for Clinical Affairs
Jun. 25, 2024—Bryan Harris, MD, MPH, MMHC, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named executive vice chair for Clinical Affairs for the department, effective July 1. He succeeds Cecelia Theobald, MD, MPH, who is moving into new roles as VUMC’s Chief...
Ferrara amongst 2024 Graduate Certificate in Global Health Recipients
Jun. 24, 2024—This year five Vanderbilt students completed the Certificate in Global Health. The Certificate is an interdisciplinary graduate-level program that promotes joint training opportunities in global health between and across schools at Vanderbilt. The goal of the Certificate is to equip students with fundamental principles of research/planning, an international context, and problem-solving skills that can be...
Whooping cough cases double in the U.S., a potential legacy of the pandemic, says Creech
Jun. 21, 2024—Whooping cough cases have more than doubled so far in 2024, raising concerns for infants and older adults, the two groups at highest risk. Whooping cough, a bacterial illness that poses an especially significant threat to infants, is surging in the United States — another potential legacy of the coronavirus pandemic. Federal disease trackers report...
Audet selected for the 2024 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows
Jun. 20, 2024—Thirteen outstanding faculty members from across Vanderbilt University have been selected for the 2024 cohort of Chancellor Faculty Fellows. This group is composed of highly accomplished, recently tenured faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise. There are five fellows from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM). Each fellow holds the title...
Wester and Vanderbilt researchers establish biomedical informatics training program in Mozambique
Jun. 19, 2024—In collaboration with Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) located in Maputo, Mozambique, the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) has been awarded a five-year, $1.2 million training grant by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health to establish the first biomedical informatics (BMI) training program for scholars and fellows using computational and information sciences approaches, primarily...
Schaffner recommends renewed Covid-19 vaccinations in light of surge in Omicron FLiRT cases
Jun. 18, 2024—As the nation begins its second summer following the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, a new family of viral subvariants that virologists are calling FLiRT is on the rise. “This is not a surprise; this is always in the cards,” Edwin Michael, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida College...
Tsosie unpacks how data on Indigenous Peoples has been used and abused
Jun. 17, 2024—You might’ve heard this phrase before: data equals power. Because when you have data, you can decide how they’re used and who gets to use them. The history of research on Indigenous communities in the United States is full of stories of exploitation, power imbalances, and stolen knowledge. Be it through the iodine experiments of...
Patients with private insurance can face higher health costs at hospitals, says Dusetzina
Jun. 12, 2024—People with private health insurance might pay higher prices for procedures or tests at a hospital. A report published Monday by the research group Rand Corp. found that in 2022, the prices hospitals charged to private and employer-based insurance providers were, on average, 254% higher than what Medicare would have paid for the same services. “These very high payments ultimately result...
Ye selected as a fellow of the American Statistical Association
Jun. 10, 2024—Fei Ye, PhD, MSPH, professor of Biostatistics and Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been selected as a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). According to the ASA, Ye is being recognized for pioneering contributions to biomedical research, clinical trial design and analysis, and impactful collaborations and mentoring. She will be among 47...
Antibodies may aid effort to fight influenza B, says Creech
Jun. 10, 2024—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B, a significant public health threat that disproportionately affects children, the elderly and other immunocompromised individuals. Seasonal flu vaccines cover influenza B and the more common influenza A but do not stimulate the broadest possible range of immune responses against both viruses....
Vanderbilt research team awarded $1.8M from NINDS to conduct research on multiple sclerosis biomarkers using advanced imaging, says Reynolds
Jun. 7, 2024—Kristin Poole O’Grady, PhD, assistant professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received research support totaling more than $2.4 million for her investigations of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) using advanced imaging. MS is a potentially disabling disease caused by an attack by the body’s immune system on the myelin sheath...
Antoon discusses associations between immune health and social distancing in children
Jun. 6, 2024—The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced people’s in-person interactions with others as events were canceled and people limited their excursions, and many also practiced social distancing and masked up if they did go out. These moves were intended to control the spread of the disease and were shown to help flatten the curve. However, some concerns have been raised about...
Ely’s rehabilitation research honored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Jun. 5, 2024—Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, Grant W. Liddle Professor of Medicine, co-director of the Center for Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and associate director for research for the VA’s Tennessee Valley Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC), received the Paul B. Magnuson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rehabilitation Research and...
Wattacheril explains metabolic processes underlying liver disease and various strategies for diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease progression
Jun. 4, 2024—Julia Wattacheril is a physician scientist and director of the Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In this episode, Julia delves deep into the complex world of liver health, beginning with a foundational overview of liver physiology. She provides an in-depth look at how alcohol impacts liver...
DeBaun discusses efforts to raise awareness and improve health standards for incarcerated youth
Jun. 3, 2024—According to the Prison Policy Initiative’s “The Whole Pie 2023” report, more than 47,000 children under 18 years of age are incarcerated, with 1 in 16 in an adult prison or jail. This statistic underpins the American Pediatric Society’s Issue of the Year: increasing access to quality health care for children who are incarcerated. It’s...
Underrepresented low income populations at higher risk for severe RSV, says Schaffner
May. 31, 2024—Older adults from underrepresented populations and those with lower incomes were more likely to have risk factors for severe respiratory syncytial virus disease, a study showed. The findings suggest that targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination in at-risk populations could help address health disparities, according to researchers. In June 2023, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on...
Alex Diamond to chair national high school sports medicine advisory committee
May. 30, 2024—Alex Diamond, DO, MPH, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics and Neurological Surgery at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, was recently named the chair of the National Federation of State High School (NFHS) Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. His duties will begin immediately as he replaces the former chair, Greg Elkins, MD, who died in...
Aliyu and VIGH awarded $1.2M training grant to develop an ethics-based genetic and genomic research program in Nigeria
May. 29, 2024—The long-standing partnership between Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and collaborators Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and Bayero University (BUK) is poised to address the growing demand for research in precision medicine in Africa. This collaborative effort has been recognized with a five-year, $1.2 million training grant from the Fogarty International Center for an innovative research...
Zheng leads study on breast cancer risk variants for women of African ancestry
May. 28, 2024—A study led by researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center sheds light on some of the genetic variants that make breast cancer more deadly for women of African ancestry and significantly reduces the disparity in knowledge for assessing their genomic risk factors. The study, which was published May 13 in Nature Genetics, is the largest genome-wide association study ever...
New tool could pinpoint infants at highest risk for RSV, says Hartert
May. 21, 2024—A new tool could help pediatricians identify infants most at risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus, according to research published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. “We know that 50% of infant hospitalizations for RSV are among term healthy infants who are not considered high risk for RSV and have not qualified for RSV immunoprophylaxis in the...
Unintentional shootings involving children continues to be a public health crisis, says Gastineau
May. 17, 2024—Metro police have confirmed 25-year-old Elonshe Williams was shot and killed Sunday in a North Nashville apartment, possibly by a child. Police are looking into whether a 3-year-old may have fired a weapon belonging to Williams. The incident follows a separate shooting in Cheatham County that happened Monday, April 29 where investigators said a 3-year-old was shot in...
Spalluto and Lewis investigate military exposures on veterans’ lung cancer risk
May. 16, 2024—Recruitment has begun for a national, multisite Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study that seeks to expand lung cancer screening eligibility, reduce the time to lung cancer diagnosis, and increase veteran engagement. Jennifer A. Lewis, MD, MS, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine, is the principal investigator of the MAS-EXPAND study that is being conducted at...
Poverty tops smoking as a major death risk, says Zheng
May. 14, 2024—During the past 40 years, the gap between rich and poor Americans has continued to widen in terms of health and mortality, as well as income. Now, in a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that Black and white people who earned less than $15,000 a year died, on average, more than...
Dusetzina weighs in on Senate investigations for pricing of popular diabetes and weight loss medications
May. 13, 2024—A Senate committee is investigating the prices that Novo Nordisk charges for its blockbuster medications, Ozempic and Wegovy, which are highly effective at treating diabetes and obesity but carry steep price tags. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said in an interview that the...
Prescribing fewer antibiotics can help curtail negative affects of antimicrobial resistance, expected to lower global life expectancy by an average 1.8 years by 2035, says Schaffner
May. 10, 2024—As one public health threat takes a bow, another takes center stage. Less than a year after the end of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, a group of international political, public health, and biomedical leaders warns of another menace to human life that could also trigger economic loss. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—which occurs when certain germs...
Bird flu has reached the commercial milk supply, says Margaret-Fill
May. 8, 2024—Dairy cows in the U.S. are coming down with bird flu. Federal officials started investigating last month, and they found infected cows in more than 30 herds across eight states. And this week the FDA said that fragments of the virus are showing up in the milk supply. NPR’s Pien Huang and Tennesee Department of...
Creech supports increased investigations into Covid-19 vaccine-injury compensation claims
May. 7, 2024—Within minutes of getting the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, Michelle Zimmerman felt pain racing from her left arm up to her ear and down to her fingertips. Within days, she was unbearably sensitive to light and struggled to remember simple facts. She was 37, with a Ph.D. in neuroscience, and until then could ride...
CDC investigating reported cases of illnesses in Tennessee attributable to counterfeit cosmetic botox injections, says Schaffner
May. 6, 2024—Cosmetic procedures are all the rage nowadays, but some counterfeit products have recently sent people in Tennessee to the hospital. The reason: Botulism. Now the state department of health and other agencies are investigating. The cost of beauty can come at a high price and that doesn’t necessarily include your wallet; it could mean your...
Cunningham-Erves explores use of culturally targeted health educational programs to promote participation in cancer clinical trials among underrepresented populations
May. 3, 2024—Health disparities in cancer still exist for African American and Latino communities, a problem that Jennifer Cunningham-Erves, Ph.D., has devoted much of her career to addressing. With approximately 4 percent of minorities participating in clinical trials, removing barriers to trial participation is both a key scientific and ethical imperative, said Cunningham-Erves, Associate Professor of Health Policy at Vanderbilt...
Mathew and colleagues develop global ranking system to encourage poverty reduction
May. 1, 2024—Nearly half of the world’s population, including one billion children, lives in poverty (defined as income of less than $2 U.S. per day). With an eye toward better understanding how the private sector can help reduce poverty, four students at Vanderbilt University Peabody College of education and human development collaborated with the Center on Business and Poverty,...
New study led by Ray supports a common atrial fibrillation drug linked to higher bleeding risk
Apr. 30, 2024—Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an increasingly common and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm abnormality that is treated with a combination of drugs to slow and normalize the heart rhythm and anticoagulants to prevent formation of blood clots. The calcium channel blocker diltiazem, sold under the brand name Cardizem among others, is a drug commonly used to slow the heart rate and reduce arrhythmia...
Diamond supports Smart Heart Act, a new legislation requiring that automated external defibrillators be available in Tennessee schools for cardiac-related medical emergencies
Apr. 29, 2024—New legislation requiring that automated external defibrillators (AED) be located within 1,000 feet of any high school athletic activity in Tennessee is a win-win for a team of physicians at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The Smart Heart Act, a sudden cardiac arrest prevention law, establishes various requirements for AEDs in schools serving grades 9-12...
Schaffner advocates for decennial TDap vaccinations as means to counteract increased whooping cough cases around the world
Apr. 26, 2024—Whooping cough outbreaks in Europe, Asia and parts of the U.S. should be a reminder to get vaccinated, experts say. Since January, cases of whooping cough have risen sharply in the U.K. and Europe, the largest surge since 2012. China logged more than 15,000 cases in January of this year, a 15-fold increase over the same time period last year. This...
Vanderbilt biostatisticians continue to revolutionize pragmatic clinical trials, says Self
Apr. 25, 2024—Progress across biomedicine and health is attended by a series of well-knit statistical inferences. Statistical inference tells you whether that obscure human trait that has seized your imagination is apt to be a blind alley or a useful (and publishable) biomarker of disease risk. It estimates how many willing patients you’ll need to test your...
Ajayi amongst recipients of Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award for promotion of women’s goals and gender equity
Apr. 24, 2024—This spring, the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center named five people from the Vanderbilt community as recipients of its annual awards. The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates leadership in activities that contribute to the achievements, interests and goals of women or that promote gender equity. This year, two students...
Intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment likely not associated with increased diabetes, but may be associated with elevated blood sugar, says Roumie
Apr. 23, 2024—Intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment is likely not associated with increased diabetes, but may be associated with more impaired fasting glucose, according to new findings published in Hypertension. Researchers arrived at their conclusion in a new analysis of data from The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). In the present analysis, the researchers compared the impact of...
Horst discusses value of patient-provider relationship in the management of inflammatory bowel disease
Apr. 22, 2024—Dr. Horst, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses the importance of establishing a good patient-provider relationship in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when a patient is hesitant to start therapy. “Every patient has different needs, but communication always plays a key role in treatment settings. When I connect with patients with IBD, I...
Rise in U.S. measles cases attributable to parents delaying and withholding routine MMR vaccines, says Schaffner
Apr. 18, 2024—Nearly a third of all U.S. measles cases in the past four years happened during a three-month stretch in 2024, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rise in measles, a highly infectious virus, is troubling, experts warned. Officials attribute it to the drop in the U.S. vaccination rate for the deadly...
Dusetzina unpacks variance of insulin costs for Medicare Part-D beneficiaries
Apr. 16, 2024—The cost of insulin in the United States has risen considerably in recent years, with some estimates finding that Americans have paid around 10 times more for the drug than people in other developed countries. But recent changes by the government and drug manufacturers have started to drive insulin prices down, something President Joe Biden often mentions...
Aliyu discusses future of Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Apr. 15, 2024—Muktar Aliyu, MD, DrPH, MPH, is director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and professor of Health Policy and Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He holds the Endowed Directorship in Global Health. VIGH facilitates the expansion and coordination of global health research, technical assistance and training initiatives at VUMC. What do you see as...
Horst introduces billable asynchronous eVisits as a care option at VUMC to facilitate telehealth communication efforts
Apr. 11, 2024—New program establishes eVisit protocol using asynchronous messaging that may address the concern or lead to a more in-depth telehealth or in-person appointment. Health care delivery and communications with patients through online portals has grown immensely in recent years — and in some ways has increased the complexity of interactions between clinicians and patients. To...
Talbot appointed as chair to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the CDC
Apr. 10, 2024—Infectious diseases researcher H. Keipp Talbot, MD, MPH, has been appointed chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP advises the CDC on adult and childhood immunization, including the age when a vaccine should be given, the number of doses needed, the amount of...
Schaffner weighs in on rise of bacterial meningitis cases
Apr. 8, 2024—An increase in cases of bacterial meningococcal disease has prompted federal health officials to issue a health alert, warning healthcare providers in the United States to be on the lookout for people with symptoms of the rare but potentially fatal illness. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 143 people in...
Gun manufacturers can’t avoid responsibility for their role in gun violence, says Rogers
Apr. 3, 2024—Do corporations have a responsibility to society if their products are being misused and causing extreme harm? We have faced this question before. In 1965, activist Ralph Nader wrote a book critiquing the auto industry’s safety record. In response, Congress passed a law that led to major improvements in car safety. Today, the same question...
NIH selects Dr. Kathleen Neuzil as director of the Fogarty International Center and NIH associate director for international research
Apr. 2, 2024—National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., has named Kathleen M. Neuzil, M.D., as the 13th director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and NIH associate director for international research. Dr. Neuzil will be the first woman to hold the permanent FIC directorship since the center’s founding in 1968. She is currently...
Fecal microbiota transplants have been highly successful in treating patients who are ill with Clostridioides difficile, says Nicholson
Apr. 1, 2024—Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has been highly successful in treating patients who are ill with Clostridioides difficile. However, research is just beginning to determine its potential for treating other inflammatory conditions. At Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, pediatric gastroenterologist Maribeth R. Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., was the senior author on a Cochrane Review article that synthesized the findings of 12...
Talbot, principal investigator of the Emerging Infections Program, expands disease surveillance research with new grant from the CDC
Mar. 28, 2024—The Tennessee Emerging Infections Program has been awarded a new five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue infectious disease surveillance research that has been conducted since 1999, and has expanded to include COVID, Mpox and HPV surveillance into oropharyngeal cancers. The EIP program, which includes more than 20 faculty...
Survey results from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy reveal over 40% of Tennessee families with children say they are food insecure; 70% have changed spending on food, says Fritz
Mar. 27, 2024—This year’s Vanderbilt Child Health Poll shows that over 40% of Tennessee families report they are food insecure ― a similar proportion from last year. Most families (71%) say they have continued to change food spending habits due to high prices. The annual poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy asked more than 1,000 Tennessee parents a...
Roumie discusses risks associated with low-level LDL cholesterol
Mar. 26, 2024—You probably know that having high cholesterol—more specifically, a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—isn’t a good thing. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other problems. That’s why it’s important to lower LDL cholesterol to a healthy level if yours is elevated. But with so much emphasis on low LDL, it’s natural...
Fill continues to lead disease surveillance efforts at the Tennessee Department of Health as deputy state epidemiologist
Mar. 25, 2024—On March 13, 2020, the Department of Health Policy established an ad-hoc committee of researchers, clinicians, and others who shifted their daily focus to advising and informing local, state, and federal leaders on the response to the global pandemic. A novel coronavirus was sweeping the globe, shutting down businesses, schools, and transforming how health and...
High costs and extensive application processes are obstructing patient access to Paxlovid, Pfizer’s new medication for COVID-19, says Schaffner
Mar. 18, 2024—Evangelical minister Eddie Hyatt believes in the healing power of prayer but “also the medical approach.” So on a February evening a week before scheduled prostate surgery, he had his sore throat checked out at an emergency room near his home in Grapevine, Texas. A doctor confirmed that Hyatt had covid-19 and sent him to...
Rosenbloom to chair scientific review committee at National Library of Medicine
Mar. 11, 2024—Trent Rosenbloom, MD, MPH, professor of Biomedical Informatics, Medicine, and Pediatrics, on July 1 will begin a one-year term as chair of the Biomedical Informatics, Library and Data Sciences Review Committee of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Founded in 1836 and incorporated into the National Institutes of Health in 1968, the NLM is a research award-making...
Schaffner provides key facts about norovirus infections
Mar. 5, 2024—Cases of norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that spreads easily, are climbing in the Northeastern U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. Nationwide, about 12% of most recent norovirus tests sent to the CDC were positive, but the proportion was about 16% in the Northeast, the agency said. That compares with nearly 10%...
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary of Global Affairs Loyce Pace delivers 15th annual Satcher Lecture
Mar. 4, 2024—Loyce Pace, assistant secretary for global affairs within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, delivered the 2024 Satcher Lecture on Feb. 28 at Light Hall. Introduced by Dr. Adriana Bialostozky, associate professor of pediatrics, and second-year M.P.H. candidate Stacey Riddick, Pace spoke on global health diplomacy and equity followed by an audience...
Graves weighs in on impacts 2024 election may have on healthcare coverage for Americans
Feb. 26, 2024—The outcome of the presidential election in November could jeopardize coverage for millions, experts warn, even as a record number of people in the United States are signing up for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Former President Donald Trump has renewed his threat to get rid of the health law...
Godfrey and colleagues refine machine learning model for lung-cancer prediction
Feb. 23, 2024—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have built and refined a machine learning-based model for lung cancer prediction to support lung specialists in diagnosing and evaluating indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs). The team developed the model for more accurate disease prediction in higher-risk populations evaluated in pulmonology and surgical specialty clinics. The team’s data and findings, recently published...
Talbot reappointed to the Department of Health and Human Services committee as chair
Feb. 21, 2024—The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it is filling eight vacancies, including the chairmanship, on an important advisory panel on vaccine policy that was down to less than half of its normal roster for months. It’s still not clear why so many positions were left unfilled on the Advisory Committee on...
Schaffner supports CDC’s proposed elimination of Covid-19 isolation protocols
Feb. 19, 2024—The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to shift its Covid-19 isolation guidance this spring to say that people no longer need to isolate once they have been fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are mild or improving, according to the Washington Post. The Post cited four unnamed agency officials and said...
Debate over proposed nursing home staff minimums is particularly unproductive, says Stevenson
Feb. 15, 2024—The Biden administration’s proposed minimum staffing standard is likely the most important nursing home reform measure in decades. If finalized, the rule would establish detailed federal nursing home staffing standards for the first time, requiring facilities to always have a registered nurse onsite and to meet explicit levels for RN and nurse aide staffing. Following the release...
Tennessee parents rank education and school quality as leading concerns for children for third consecutive year, says Gastineau
Feb. 14, 2024—The latest results from an annual poll of Tennessee parents from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy again show education and school quality is the leading concern parents have for their children for the third consecutive year. Statewide, parents listed their top concerns as 1) education and school quality (43%), 2) bullying, including cyberbullying (39%), 3) mental health...
Halasa discusses new vaccine surveillance network projects her team is pursuing
Feb. 12, 2024—Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), discusses the active population-based surveillance she helps to conduct as principal investigator (PI) of the Vanderbilt site of the New Vaccine Surveillance Network, which was established in 1999 by the CDC to predict the impact of potential new vaccines. She explained that this surveillance work...
Single-dose typhoid vaccine proven to protect children long-term, says Neuzil
Feb. 9, 2024—The research team enrolled more than 28,000 healthy children in Malawi and randomly assigned about half the group to receive TCV and the other half to receive a meningococcal capsular group A conjugate (MenA) control vaccine. During the more than four years of follow-up, 24 children in the TCV group and 110 in the MenA...
Creech discusses current challanges around RSV immunizations
Feb. 7, 2024—Let’s Talk ID is joining forces with the Curbsiders and the Cribsiders to discuss RSV immunizations! In this crossover episode, host Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, shares the latest on RSV immunizations, including mechanisms of action, eligibility criteria, and challenges surrounding finding doses this season.
APOL1 gene variant tied to higher COVID-19 mortality, says Hung
Feb. 6, 2024—Nationwide analysis finds variants may confer more than elevated risk of kidney disease. A sweeping analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine found people harboring apolipoprotein 1 (APOL1) gene variants were at increased risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) and dying following hospitalization for COVID-19. The APOL1 variants protect against a parasitic infection native to Africa but are associated...
Al Hussein investigates side effects of treatments for prostate cancer treatments
Feb. 5, 2024—A 10-year follow up study of nearly 2,500 U.S. men who received prostate cancer treatment will help inform decision making in terms of treatments and side effects for a diverse population. The CEASAR (Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation for Localized Prostate Cancer) study, coordinated by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), is a multisite...
Bird flu vaccine more effective with potent adjuvant, says Creech
Jan. 22, 2024—The avian (bird) influenza vaccine creates a more robust immune response when paired with a potent ingredient known as an adjuvant, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) research published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Adjuvants are used to help some vaccines work better by creating a stronger immune response for people receiving the vaccine. Avian...
VUMC to launch Program for Health Equity Researh; Umeukeje to serve as Co-Director
Jan. 10, 2024—Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s new Program for Health Equity Research (PHER), which will kick off next year, aims to become the nation’s leader in health equity research that’s inclusive, supportive and diverse by creating a rigorous environment for application-driven research with rapid response to policies and practices. The mission of PHER is to establish a community of scholars...
Collegiate golfers and tennis players reportedly underuse sunscreen; habits may be attributable to increase in melanoma cases, says Karpinos
Jan. 9, 2024—Collegiate tennis players aren’t using enough sunscreen, a new survey finds. And collegiate golfers aren’t either. As reported in Clinics in Dermatology, Georgina Sellyn, MA, Ashley Karpinos, MD, MPH, and research partners surveyed members of tennis and golf teams in five National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conferences. Spending up to four hours per day outside practicing their sport,...
Gastineau and colleagues find youth who suffer nonfatal firearm injuries experience greater likelihood for future health issues
Jan. 8, 2024—According to a recent study released in Pediatrics, youth who suffer nonfatal firearm injuries have a significantly increased risk of hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, outpatient visits and costs in the 12 months following injury compared to youth without a firearm injury. “We’ve seen firearm injuries in youth dramatically climb over the last few years, wreaking...
Nirsevimab Reduced Hospitalizations for Infants With RSV, says Halasa
Jan. 3, 2024—The monoclonal antibody nirsevimab (Beyfortus) reduced hospitalizations among infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated lower respiratory tract infection, the randomized, pragmatic HARMONIE trial showed. In over 8,000 infants included in the study, 0.3% who received nirsevimab were hospitalized for RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection compared with 1.5% of those who received standard care, which corresponded...
JN.1 Now Accounts for Nearly Half of U.S. Covid Cases, says Schaffner
Jan. 2, 2024—As the holiday season winds down and Covid-19 cases start to pick up, a variant called JN.1 has now become the most common strain of the virus spreading across the United States. JN.1, which emerged from the variant BA.2.86 and was first detected in the United States in September, accounted for 44 percent of Covid cases nationwide...
Halasa and colleagues find infants in intensive care for RSV did not have preexisting conditions
Dec. 22, 2023—New study findings from JAMA Network Open announced that most infants that were admitted to the intensive care or high acuity unit during fall of 2022 due to infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were healthy and born at term prior to infection. The study results aid preventative interactions to protect infants from being infected with RSV,...
Acknowledging traditional definitions of health care-associated influenza can lead to gross undercounting of patient cases, says Talbot
Dec. 21, 2023—The traditional definition of health care-associated influenza leads to gross undercounting, a recent study suggests. As reported in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, Erin Gettler, MD, Thomas Talbot, MD, MPH, and colleagues analyzed data on 5,904 patients from eight counties in Middle Tennessee who were hospitalized with influenza from 2012 to 2019. Only 147 cases, or 2.5%, met the...
DeBaun discusses exa-cel, a gene editing treatment recently approved by the FDA for sickle cell disease
Dec. 20, 2023—Most people with sickle cell disease who received a new gene editing treatment saw their pain resolve for at least one year, but longer follow up is needed. CRISPR, the gene-editing technology that has revolutionized biological research, is finally available as a medical treatment with regulatory approval. On December 8 the U.S. Food and Drug...
NIH awards Tsosie and colleagues $9M for Indigenous-led tribal data repository to improve community health
Dec. 15, 2023—In an effort to improve the health of tribal communities and Indigenous people, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $9 million in funding for Native scientists at Arizona State University and elsewhere to create the first Indigenous-led tribal data repository. Since the SARS-CoV-2 worldwide pandemic began, global Indigenous communities have been particularly hard hit,...
Schaffner addresses status of RSV vaccine distribution and usage for older adults
Dec. 14, 2023—This year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first two vaccines that can protect older adults from respiratory syncytial virus, which leads to at least 6,000 deaths and 60,000 hospitalizations among adults 65 and older each year. This winter marks the first opportunity to see how the R.S.V. vaccines work for older adults in the real...
Belcher and colleagues advocate for more in-depth audiology screenings in infants with cleft palates to minimize risks of hearing loss
Dec. 13, 2023—Newborn screening alone cannot fully predict hearing loss in children born with a cleft palate. Hazards faced by children born with cleft palate include the risk of temporary or permanent hearing loss, particularly before their palate is repaired between 9 and 12 months. During this time, these babies are vulnerable to repeated bouts of otitis media...
Cooper named interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics
Dec. 12, 2023—William Cooper, MD, MPH, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) has been named Interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He will assume this role Feb. 1, 2024. Cooper succeeds Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP, James C. Overall Professor and Chair,...
Hung and colleagues challenge NOSTONE trial and reaffirm positive attributes of thiazide diuretics for kidney stone protection
Dec. 11, 2023—A new Vanderbilt University Medical Center genetic association study of more than 1 million adults supports the use of thiazide diuretics for kidney stone prevention. Kidney stones affect nearly 10% of the global population. For more than three decades, thiazide diuretics, a common medication used for high blood pressure, have been the standard of care...
VUMC receives $10 million research award; Heerman to lead study on childhood obesity interventions in rural and minority communities in Tennessee and Louisiana
Dec. 6, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $10 million, five-year research funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the ideal “dose” of behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity in rural and minority communities across Tennessee and Louisiana. Bill Heerman, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics a Vanderbilt, will...
Study finds many patients don’t seek more health services after receiving genetic screening results, says Wilmayani and colleagues
Nov. 24, 2023—If you sequence the DNA of adult research participants with respect to pathologic variants that, if found, could be expected to prompt diagnostic tests and perhaps also preventive measures, and you return that information to participants and their doctors along with preventive care recommendations, many of those found at risk will seek the relevant diagnostic...
Iron storage “spheres” inside the bacterium C. diff may offer targets for drug therapy, says Nicholson and colleagues
Nov. 22, 2023—Iron storage “spheres” inside the bacterium C. diff — the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections — could offer new targets for antibacterial drugs to combat the pathogen. A team of Vanderbilt researchers discovered that C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) produces the spheres, called ferrosomes, and that these structures are important for infection in an animal model....
Schaffner address rising influenza cases in the U.S.
Nov. 21, 2023—The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,...
Halasa discusses diarrheal illness challenges and successful strategies physicians can use to reduce patient discomfort
Nov. 17, 2023—Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), lists the most pressing diarrheal illness challenges and successful treatment methods to reduce the disease burden in patients. Halasa is a professor of pediatrics at VUMC, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Her research focuses on determining the burden of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses in pediatric and specialized...
Antiviral treatment, when used early, improves health outcomes in children with influenza, says Antoon
Nov. 16, 2023—Despite national medical guidelines supporting the use of antiviral medications in young children diagnosed with influenza, a recent study reports an underuse of the treatment. “Trends in Outpatient Influenza Antiviral Use Among Children and Adolescents in the United States” was published in Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Antiviral treatment, when used...
Erves joins VUMC as director of Community Engaged Research
Nov. 14, 2023—Jennifer Cunningham Erves, PhD, MPH, MAEd, MS, CHES, has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as associate professor of Health Policy, director of Community Engaged Research, Office of Health Equity, and scholar, Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research. Erves is a public health oncology researcher focused on cancer prevention behaviors and lowering cancer disparities. Her current research...
Flu season starting late but expected to increase for the holidays, says Schaffner
Nov. 13, 2023—Flu season is ramping up, and it’s important for everyone, especially health care professionals, to not only get the flu vaccine but also educate patients about what to expect. The current flu season has started later and more gradually than last year, according to William Schaffner, MD, professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical...
Talbot and Grijalva investigate association of Acute Respiratory Illness with work attendance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Nov. 8, 2023—COVID-19 cases in the United States, first reported on January 22, 2020, began to increase in March 2020 (1). The pandemic resulted in a substantial number of employed persons being laid off or furloughed, especially during spring 2020, and increased prevalence of teleworking (2–4). Employers were advised to actively encourage employees with symptoms of any...
Beyfortus, an antibody drug approved by the CDC as an RSV vaccine alternate for infants, may be facing supply shortages, says Creech
Oct. 30, 2023—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors nationwide Monday about a limited availability of certain doses of a newly approved antibody drug given to infants to prevent RSV infection. Cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, have started to rise as cold and flu season begins. “RSV season is here,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a...
Antoon investigates association of antiviral medications with neuropsychiatric complications among children with influenza
Oct. 24, 2023—Neuropsychiatric complications among children and adolescents with influenza are poorly studied and often attributed to antiviral medication, or a combination of antivirals and influenza. But a better understanding these events and their causes is important for determining risk stratification and prevention strategies, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, who have conducted the first in-depth study...
Halasa weighs in on new maternal RSV vaccine and clinical impacts on reducing respiratory tract disease in pregnant women
Oct. 23, 2023—The newly approved respiratory syncytial virus vaccine administered during pregnancy substantially reduces the clinical and economic burden of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV, according to research presented at Infectious Disease Week (IDWeek) 2023 Annual Meeting. “With RSV maternal vaccination that is associated with clinical efficacy of 69% against severe RSV disease at 6...
Second-year MPH Students Use Shared Passion to Make a Global Impact
Oct. 17, 2023—By: Kyra Letsinger When applying to Vanderbilt’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program, prospective students immediately face a pivotal choice: Do they want to follow the Epidemiology, Global Health, or Health Policy track? For those who choose the Global Health track, there is a passion for education, an interest in diverse perspectives, and a belief that all...
Stevenson named chair of Department of Health Policy
Oct. 16, 2023—David Stevenson, PhD, MS, professor of Health Policy, has been named chair of the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, effective Oct. 1. Stevenson began serving as interim chair in July, succeeding former chair Melinda Buntin, PhD. He has been a member of the Department of Health Policy since it was established in...
Creech reflects on Covid-19 vaccine development journey and the value of scientific research
Oct. 4, 2023—The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded Monday to two scientists whose work led to the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. As countries prepared to roll out those shots, The Associated Press took a look at how the vaccines were developed so quickly. Below follows the original story, first published on Dec. 7, 2020. How could scientists race out...
Mariam Saad (VUSM MPH ‘24) explores new methods to reduce VUMC’s carbon footprint through silicone recycling pathway
Oct. 3, 2023—Research fellow and MPH candidate Saad combines passions for sustainability and plastic surgery to reconstruct approaches to medical waste. By: David Cohen Since collaborating with Climate Vault in 2021, an award-winning non-profit organization focused on reducing emissions, Vanderbilt University has achieved carbon neutrality decades ahead of its original goal. The university continues to seek opportunities...
Rogers reflects on how hospitals can improve racial inclusivity
Oct. 2, 2023—This week the Lown Institute brought together health equity experts and hospital leaders to discuss segregation in hospital markets and strategies for improving inclusivity. Watch the full recording of the event and see our key takeaways below. Guest panelists were: Dr. Uché Blackstock, founder of Advancing Health Equity, which partners with healthcare organizations. Her forthcoming book,...
Talbot supports monoclonal antibody treatment for RSV and disagrees with CDC recommendation for Pfizer vaccine seasonal use
Sep. 29, 2023—Pfizer’s new shot to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus by vaccinating their mothers late in pregnancy won a limited recommendation Friday from an expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clearing the way for a second product to protect babies against RSV to soon hit the market. The recommendation was...
Gastineau honored by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Sep. 28, 2023—The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (TNAAP) has awarded top honors to three physicians in the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics. TNAAP is a statewide professional membership and child advocacy organization dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children and adolescents. Each year, the organization’s annual awards recognize and honor pediatricians...
Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center to offer online CPR and AED emergency training courses, says Diamond
Sep. 21, 2023—The Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center recently collaborated with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to offer an online CPR and AED training course to help schools be more prepared for emergencies that arise. There are more than 8 million high school athletes in the United States, and NFHS is the national...
Creech assesses nasal decongestant options following FDA report on phenylephrine, a common ingredient in allergy medications, as ineffective
Sep. 20, 2023—Walk down the cold and flu aisle in any drugstore and you’ll spot dozens of over-the-counter drugs that contain the decongestant phenylephrine, the ingredient that a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Tuesday said does not work. Phenylephrine is found in a wide range of cold and flu medications, including Sudafed PE, Benadryl Allergy D Plus...
Buntin analyzes Medicare spending trajectories and the future of american healthcare
Sep. 13, 2023—For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Now, flat Medicare spending might be a bigger one. Something strange has been happening in this giant federal program. Instead of growing and growing, as it always had before, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade. The...
Talbot urges for more diverse demographics in RSV vaccine clinical trial populations
Sep. 11, 2023—The recently approved RSV vaccines have been celebrated as key public health tools, but some vaccine experts have lamented one aspect of the trials that led to their approval — namely, that older adults were largely left out of them. Among adults, RSV poses the biggest threat to the oldest seniors and people with certain preexisting health conditions. But...
New BA.2.86 Covid-19 strain with 30+ mutations now spread into 5 U.S. states, increasing hospitalizations by 18.8%, says Schaffner
Sep. 7, 2023—More health officials across the U.S. are reporting new cases of the COVID variant BA.2.86. On Thursday, a genome sequencing team at Houston Methodist Hospital said it had identified the first case in Texas, a member of team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. On the same day, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce...
Belcher and colleagues develop PTeye, a novel probe technology that helps identify and preserve the parathyroid during pediatric surgical procedures
Sep. 6, 2023—Researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have developed a probe technology using near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) that helps identify and preserve parathyroid glands during pediatric endocrine surgery. Damage or removal of calcium-regulating parathyroids during endocrine surgery is especially damaging for children because it can put them at risk for poor growth and slow...
Leech finds combination drug treatment of mifepristone and misoprostol most effective for miscarriage management
Sep. 5, 2023—Since November 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended a combination of two drugs for pregnant women who have a miscarriage before 13 weeks of gestation. According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in JAMA, only 1% of 22,116 commercially insured women ages 15-49 with medically managed miscarriages received the recommended...
Schaffner recommends COVID booster shot for adults over 65 to target the XBB.1.5 strain
Aug. 30, 2023—While the FDA and CDC have yet to weigh in on fall COVID boosters opens in a new tab or window, experts in infectious disease and public health are already discussing who should get them, and who may not need to. High-risk groups get a resounding “yes” — but when it comes to younger, healthy adults, the...
Creech supports ongoing vaccinations for Covid-19, RSV, and the flu in preparation for upcoming winter season
Aug. 24, 2023—Last year’s respiratory virus season in the US was a bad one. After two years of extraordinarily light flu seasons, which infectious disease experts attributed to Covid-19 pandemic precautions like social distancing and masking, influenza came roaring back, hitting early and hard. Then respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which had been showing up at odd...
Godfrey investigates racial and ethnic disparities in kidney transplantation processes
Aug. 23, 2023—The National Academy of Sciences, concerned about equity in the transplantation process, has called for transplant programs in the United States to investigate and make every effort to address disparities by 2027. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, researchers began the work by examining five years of retrospective kidney transplantation data – about 11,000 referrals to the Vanderbilt...
Halasa finds most infants receiving ICU-level care for RSV had no underlying medical condition
Aug. 21, 2023—Most infants admitted to the intensive care or high acuity unit for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections during fall 2022 were previously healthy and born at term, according to a new study reported in JAMA Network Open. The findings from this study support the use of preventative interventions in all infants to protect them from RSV,...
Grogan and Barocas named as leaders for Vanderbilt-Ingram research programs
Aug. 18, 2023—Seven new leaders have been appointed to guide Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s research programs. “The researchers who have been appointed to lead these programs are committed to continuing the record of excellence established by their predecessors,” said Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, Benjamin F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology and director of Vanderbilt-Ingram. “These programs are...
Young supports new lactation consultation services through TennCare for breastfeeding mothers
Aug. 17, 2023—For mom Angela Slaven, breastfeeding didn’t come easy. “I wanted to breastfeed really bad and when I had him I wasn’t able to,” she said. After struggling with her first child, she decided to use the help of a lactation consultant for her second. “And I just had a lot more support there in the...
VUMC receives $51 million in NIH grants to improve efficiency of conducting clinical trials across the U.S., says Self
Aug. 16, 2023—Researchers in the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) have been awarded two five-year federal grants totaling $51 million to harness new and existing approaches for boosting recruitment and removing roadblocks to the efficiency of conducting clinical trials throughout the country. The grants, from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of...
Effective medications for opioid use disorder rarely used, says Leech
Aug. 15, 2023—Most individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder are not on recommended medications and even fewer remain in care, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Internal Medicine by lead author Ashley Leech, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). In 2021, there were more than 100,000 overdose...
EG.5 Omicron variant Covid-19 strain now dominates U.S. infections, says Schaffner
Aug. 14, 2023—A new variant now makes up a plurality of COVID-19 cases in the United States, federal data shows. EG.5, an offshoot of the omicron variant and descendant of the XBB strain, has been circulating in the country since at least April. However, as of Aug. 5, it accounts for 17.3% of COVID infections, according to...
Poehling discusses concerns over new RSV vaccine costs
Aug. 11, 2023—It’s still summer, but doctors are already thinking about this coming RSV season. That virus is the leading cause of hospitalization in babies. But there is good news. The FDA approved a new drug for preventing RSV. And just yesterday, the CDC OK’d giving this new therapeutic to babies in their first RSV seasons. But...
VUMC receives $28 million to lead national study on COVID-diabetes link; Rothman to serve as principal investigator
Aug. 10, 2023—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have received a four-year, $28 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study the relationship between COVID-19 and diabetes. Several studies have found that infection with SARS-CoV-2 and a COVID-19 diagnosis are associated with a...
Several logistics need sorting before CDC-endorsed RSV vaccine for infants can be safely distributed, says Talbot
Aug. 9, 2023—The Centers for Disease Control on Thursday adopted an expert panel’s recommendation to administer an antibody shot to protect infants against respiratory syncytial virus. Why it matters: The $495 shot becomes the first in the U.S. to protect all infants from RSV, the most common cause of hospitalization of children under the age of 1 in the U.S. Details: The...
Antoon investigates how often children diagnosed with flu experience serious neuropsychiatric side effects
Jul. 31, 2023—While the incidence of influenza-associated neuropsychiatric events in children in the United States is unknown, the controversy over the use of a common antiviral medication typically administered to treat flu in children has sparked concern among parents and medical professionals alike. The dilemma about whether the treatment causes neuropsychiatric events or if the infection itself...
Self to pursue director of clinical and translational research position at VUMC and continue Vanderbilt’s drug repurposing program
Jul. 28, 2023—The odds of bringing a new, safe and effective drug to market are very low. Even for drug candidates that make it to human testing in clinical trials, 90% ultimately fail, often because they cause unexpected and serious side effects. The gauntlet of testing has thwarted so many promising therapies that it has been dubbed...
Gillaspie discusses intersection of engineering and surgery at VUMC and continued expansion of medical technology
Jul. 27, 2023—The past few decades have seen a great improvement in surgical technology and instruments, but the future holds limitless opportunities for advancements that will lead to safer, more precise surgeries with better outcomes for patients. Many of those improvements — both small and large — are being designed and tested at Vanderbilt University Medical Center,...
MPH faculty receive renewed funding to support patient-centered outcomes research training program
Jul. 20, 2023—The federal government has renewed its support of a learning healthcare system (LHS) T32 training program headed by two Vanderbilt MPH program graduates and faculty. The grant prepares investigators to discover, evaluate and implement strategies for improving patient outcomes and, ultimately, the overall health of the community.
Grijalva to serve on leadership team for Peru-Vanderbilt Prevention through Vaccination Training (PREVENT) program
Jul. 18, 2023—In partnership with the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) and the Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional (IIN), the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) has received $1.2 million for a five-year training grant funded by the Fogarty International Center to establish the Peru-Vanderbilt Prevention through Vaccination Training (PREVENT) program. The PREVENT program trains researchers and scientists...
New study finds female health care workers more likely to have left their profession during the Covid-19 pandemic, says Apple
Jul. 17, 2023—Female health care workers were more likely to leave or intend to leave the profession compared to male health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report published recently in the journal PLOS ONE. The study analyzed survey data from the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) registry, a national registry with more...
Stevenson to serve as interim chair of Health Policy
Jul. 14, 2023—David Stevenson Jr., PhD, MS, professor of Health Policy, has been named interim chair of the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He succeeds Melinda Buntin, PhD, Mike Curb Professor and founding chair of the department, who has joined Johns Hopkins University to establish a Center for Health Systems and Policy Modeling....
Second-year student Joshua Woods earns prestigious David A. Winston Scholarship
Jul. 14, 2023—Second-year Vanderbilt Master of Public Health student Joshua Woods has earned a 2023 David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship. The program recognizes students’ outstanding early-career contributions to health policy. Awardees demonstrated deep interest in and commitment to health policy in addition to academic achievement. Woods, a first-generation student from Bolivar, Tennessee, came to the Health...
Schaffner analyzes U.S. Covid-19 seroprevalence data among adult and teenage populations
Jul. 11, 2023—By the end of 2022, about one in four American adults and older teenagers still hadn’t contracted COVID-19, according to new federal data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking seroprevalence — antibodies in the blood — by collecting samples nationwide from blood donors between January and December 2022 The data suggests 77.5%...
Vanderbilt alumna Tsosie reflects on career journey in human biology as Arizona State University’s first Indigenous geneticist
Jul. 5, 2023—Krystal Tsosie, MPH, PhD, is a historical figure of sorts. She is Arizona State University’s first Indigenous geneticist in human biology and is one of the top quoted professors by the media at the university, receiving coverage by outlets as The New York Times, PBS NOVA, Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, Forbes and The Boston Globe, among others....
Safe Stars sports safety rating system to expand into private schools and community youth organizations, says Diamond
Jul. 4, 2023—The Safe Stars youth sports safety rating system is expanding to include private schools and community youth sports organizations participating on public property. Safe Stars is a collaboration between the Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center and the Tennessee Department of Health and was originally aimed at public schools statewide when it debuted in 2021. “The...
Optimizing air filtration systems can reduce exposure to airborne viruses in schools, says Antoon
Jun. 29, 2023—As summer break releases students from schools across the country, we have an opportunity to fit classrooms with a simple and cost-effective solution to reduce skyrocketing absenteeism and address tanking American productivity. So, what’s stopping schools from implementing this safe, effective and free countermeasure to combat airborne infections, reduce classroom pollution and even improve academic performance? The answer is simple:...
Implementing family-based treatment paradigms in primary care settings may prevent obese children from gaining excess weight, says Heerman
Jun. 27, 2023—Family-based treatment (FBT) in primary care settings prevented children with overweight and obesity from gaining more excess weight over time, the randomized PLAN trial found. In kids ages 6 to 12 years, there was a significant 6.21% (95% CI -10.14 to -2.29) difference in percentage above median body mass index (BMI) that favored FBT versus...
CDC to provide cost-effective models for GSK and Pfizer RSV vaccines, says Talbot
Jun. 26, 2023—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will vote this afternoon on recommendations for the use of new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shots from GSK and Pfizer. Both GSK’s Arexvy and Pfizer’s Abrysvo won approvals last month, becoming the first vaccines ever for the condition, which typically leads to...
Schaffner discusses RSV symptoms in adults
Jun. 22, 2023—Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a respiratory infection that is commonly known for affecting young children, but research in recent years has shed light on its impact on adults. RSV is not only a concern for older adults, but also for individuals with underlying chronic medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease. With the potential to...
Novel probe technology helps positively identify and preserve the parathyroids during endocrine surgery, says Belcher
Jun. 14, 2023—Damage or removal of calcium-regulating parathyroid glands during endocrine surgery can put children at risk for poor growth and slow mental development. Preserving the often rice-sized organ in children is vital, but not always easy. In a first-of-its-kind study in children, researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center...
Nicholson discusses pediatric treatments for Clostridioides difficile infection
Jun. 12, 2023—Aptly named, the Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) bacteria is hard to kill and hard to cleanse from the hospital environment. Recent stewardship efforts have driven a small but significant decline in cases. Pediatric gastroenterologist Maribeth Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., has focused much of her career on finding ways to help children win the fight against C. difficile infection (CDI). Her research has led to...
Patel named Chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery
Jun. 9, 2023—Mayur Patel, MD, MPH, associate professor of Surgery and Ingram Chair in Surgical Sciences, has been named chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. An internationally renowned trauma surgeon-scientist, Patel has been a member of the VUMC faculty since 2012. He has secondary appointments...
Dupont finds tumor mutation burden a fundamental predictor of cancer survival outcomes
Jun. 8, 2023—The expected course of a patient’s cancer prognosis has traditionally been judged by its type, stage and microscopic aggressiveness, but patients with the same presentation can still have widely divergent outcomes. Researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have discovered that differences in tumor mutation burden are a major reason for this divergence. The study, published June...
Schaffner discusses recent surge in human metapneumovirus (hMPV) cases
Jun. 6, 2023—It seems like every other week there is another virus or ominous-sounding acronym making headlines. This week, it’s human metapneumovirus or hMPV. Fortunately, hMPV is not a new pathogen. It’s a pretty common respiratory virus in the United States — but if you’ve never heard of hMPV before, you aren’t alone. While the country’s attention...
Spalluto and colleagues named to Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program
Jun. 5, 2023—Four faculty members from Vanderbilt University Medical Center have been selected to participate in the highly competitive 2023-2024 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program, with two on the ELAM track now celebrating its 28th year, and two on the Executive Leadership in Academic Health Care (ELH) track launched in 2022. Their...
Creech reflects on Spring Donor Celebration and advancements in clinical research
Jun. 1, 2023—Members of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Canby Robinson Society recently joined CEO and President Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, and his wife, Melinda, at Cheekwood Botanic Hall for the Spring Donor Celebration, an annual event honoring donors for their loyal support. In addition to members of the Canby Robinson Society, those in attendance included members of...
Nationwide analysis on men with low-risk prostate cancer diagnoses finds increasing trend toward staving off definitive treatment, says Al Hussein
May. 30, 2023—Nearly 60 percent of men who receive a low-risk prostate cancer diagnosis now opt for a “wait-and-see” approach, up from just 16 percent less than a decade ago, according to the latest numbers published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The climb suggests urologists are adopting clinical guidelines that recommend active surveillance for low- and some intermediate-risk cases, said first...
Creech discusses Covid-19 vaccine hesitancies
May. 26, 2023—Divisive views on the Covid-19 vaccines haven’t shaken the broadly favorable views of routine childhood vaccines, a new survey suggests. Nearly nine out of 10 adults in the US say that the benefits of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines outweigh the risks – a share that’s remained unchanged since before the Covid-19 pandemic,...
Octaria reflects on Vanderbilt experience during commencement ceremony
May. 25, 2023—Rany Octaria, MD, PhD, MPH, and Mafe Senosain, PhD, two graduates who participated in the Graduate School commencement held May 12 on Magnolia Lawn, praised the varied experiences and opportunities they had during their years of graduate school. Octaria, who came to Vanderbilt after practicing medicine in Indonesia, received her PhD in epidemiology. She worked...
Acosta analyzes case report of traumatic brain injury patient who developed synesthesia
May. 24, 2023—After a musician suffered a head injury in a motorcycle accident, something unusual happened: He began to “see” music and developed heightened creativity for a few months, according to a new report of the case. The man’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) apparently caused him to develop synesthesia, a rare neurological condition that results in a...
Targeting biomarkers for antibody-producing cells may help scientists develop longer-lasting vaccines, says Creech
May. 23, 2023—Not all vaccines are created equal. Some vaccines can provide immunity for multiple years and sometimes a lifetime. However, other vaccines only last several months. New research has found a clue about why some cells within the body create long-lasting immunity to vaccines. Researchers from Monash University’s Central Clinical School in Melbourne, Australia are looking...
Buntin receives $3.2 Million NIH grant to investigate school-based interventions and their effects on children’s mental health and education outcomes
May. 22, 2023—A four-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will support the research of Carolyn Heinrich, University Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, and Melinda Buntin, University Distinguished Professor of Health Policy, into how school-based health interventions affect children’s mental health and education outcomes. Schools are serving children with ever-increasing mental health needs, which were...
Tsosie provides ethical considerations regarding the human ‘pangenome’ project and its aims to catalogue genetic diversity
May. 19, 2023—More than 20 years after the first draft genome from the landmark Human Genome Project was released, researchers have published a draft human ‘pangenome’ — a snapshot of what is poised to become a new reference for genetic research that captures more of human diversity than has been previously available. Geneticists have welcomed the milestone,...
Erves co-develops ‘PoRT’ scale to gauge perception of trust and distrust in biomedical research among minority populations
May. 18, 2023—A Vanderbilt University Medical Center-led team has developed a scale to measure trustworthiness in biomedical research among minority populations — a landmark tool for researchers to use to improve their own trustworthiness, and thus participation in research. The Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness (PoRT), described in an original investigation published in JAMA Network Open, is a groundbreaking tool designed...
Harris named Department of Medicine’s Executive Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
May. 17, 2023—Bryan Harris, MD, MPH, MMHC, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named executive vice chair for Clinical Affairs for the department, effective July 1. He succeeds Cecelia Theobald, MD, MPH, who is moving into new roles as VUMC’s Chief...
Self and colleagues awarded $31.6 million federal grant to pursue phenotyping research on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia and sepsis
May. 16, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a six-year, $31.6 million federal grant to lead a national effort to better understand acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia and sepsis, which together kill hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year. Grant HL168478 is jointly funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,...
GLP1 receptor agonists are more effective than DPP4 inhibitors in reducing adverse cardiovascular events in veterans with diabetes, says Roumie
May. 15, 2023—GLP1 receptor agonists — a class of diabetes medications — are associated with fewer major adverse cardiovascular events than another type of diabetes drug (DPP4 inhibitors) in older veterans with no prior heart disease. The findings, reported May 9 in Annals of Internal Medicine, will aid clinicians in choosing a diabetes drug regimen for older patients....
Pettit and Vanderbilt colleagues discuss the dangers of misinformation regarding the HIV epidemic
May. 12, 2023—We write as infectious diseases specialists who live and work as HIV physicians and researchers in Tennessee to correct the record regarding numerous falsehoods in the guest opinion column on April 25 entitled: “Why Tennessee’s decision to reject federal AIDS funding was the right move”. The effectiveness of HIV antiretroviral treatment is unequivocal. As a result...
Antoon investigates psychiatric comorbidities in adolescents and children to better understand self-harm risks
May. 10, 2023—The United States is in the midst of a mental health crisis with rising rates of hospitalization for suicide and self-harm events among children and adolescents. A recent study, “Characteristics Associated with Serious Self-Harm Events in Children and Adolescents,” set to be published in the June issue of Pediatrics, looked at how best to determine which children...
Heerman named Chief of General Pediatrics
May. 9, 2023—Bill Heerman, MD, MPH, associate professor of Pediatrics, has been named chief of the Division of General Pediatrics, effective May 1. Heerman, who has spent his entire career at Vanderbilt, was selected following a national search led by Kathryn Edwards, MD, who retired at the end of 2022, and S. Todd Callahan, MD, MPH, professor...
Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases can alter upper respiratory tract microbiota for several weeks, says Rosas-Salazar
May. 8, 2023—The microbes that live in our upper respiratory tract (URT microbiota) play a role in respiratory health. Disturbances of the URT microbiota during respiratory infections can impact disease severity, immune response, and even development of chronic lung diseases such as asthma. Justin Turner, MD, PhD, Suman Das, PhD, and colleagues used ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to...
Rise in pinkeye cases may be associated with Covid-19, says Schaffner
May. 5, 2023—Pinkeye — an inflamed, itchy and painful eye — is common during allergy season. But now some doctors are concerned the ailment may also be associated with a new coronavirus subvariant. Health experts say they have not conclusively linked the condition, formally called conjunctivitis, to the subvariant Arcturus. But anecdotal reports suggest the subvariant may produce fever and conjunctivitis,...
Fritz discusses risks associated with increased food insecurity in Tennessee
May. 4, 2023—A rising number of Tennessee families are choosing to skip meals or change their spending habits as food costs continue to increase. In a Fall 2022 poll of more than 1,000 Tennessee parents, the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that over 40% of families reported low or very low food security — a 10% increase...
Imdad finds stool transplants more effective than antibiotics for treating recurring, life-threatening gut infections
May. 3, 2023—A new Cochrane Review has found that, compared with standard antibiotic treatment, stool transplantation can increase the number of people recovering from Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection, a condition which causes potentially life-threatening diarrhea. 77 percent of people who received a stool transplant did not experience reinfection within eight weeks, compared to 40 percent of those...
Theobald appointed Chief of Staff for Corporate Clinical Affairs and SVP for Clinical Affairs
May. 2, 2023—Cecelia Theobald, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine and executive vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine, has been appointed as Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Chief of Staff for Corporate Clinical Affairs and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs. Theobald’s appointment is effective July 1. Theobald will assume a number of responsibilities...
Cooper investigates professionalism and interpersonal communication skills among physicians-in-training and likelihood of patient complaints
May. 1, 2023—The first study to examine evaluation scores for professionalism and interpersonal communication skills among physicians-in-training and what happens afterward as these doctors begin their practice was reported April 11 in JAMA Network Open. The study tracked 9,340 early-career physicians from across the country. The study finds a strong association between lower ratings for these competencies among residents in...
Hartert finds early RSV infection linked to significantly increased risk of asthma in children
Apr. 28, 2023—Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has long been associated with the onset of childhood wheezing diseases, but the relationship between RSV infection during infancy and the development of childhood asthma has remained unclear. A new observational study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers has found that RSV infection in the first year of life...
Marmor finds adding biomarkers to predictive model algorithms for Indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) helpful in expedition of cancer diagnoses and less invasive than current screening methods
Apr. 27, 2023—Indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) are a common finding on CT imaging of the lungs and often require costly and invasive testing to diagnose. IPN diagnosis is especially difficult in regions like Middle Tennessee where fungal diseases such as histoplasmosis are endemic. Hannah Marmor, MD, MPH, and colleagues combined imaging and blood biomarkers with the Mayo...
Anxiety can impact hypersensitivities in women, contributing to an overactive bladder, says Reynolds
Apr. 26, 2023—A common feature associated with an overactive bladder is elevated anxiety. While this link has been demonstrated in animal studies, no human studies have been conducted to evaluate the link between hypersensitivity symptoms in women with overactive bladder and anxiety. W. Stuart Reynolds, MD, MPH, and colleagues assessed 120 women with overactive bladder for associations...
Vanderbilt Interdisciplinary Care Program likely to incorporate shared medical appointments into their care delivery model, says Liu
Apr. 25, 2023—A patient recently looked around a conference room full of other patients and their health care providers and shared how this group had helped her open up and feel supported about her health concerns: “Y’all know us. It’s kind of like family here.” The Vanderbilt Interdisciplinary Care Program (VICP) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is...
MPH student Layan Ibrahim named 2023-2024 Luce Scholar
Apr. 24, 2023—Layan Ibrahim, Master of Public Health Class of 2023, was named to the 2023–24 class of Luce Scholars. The Luce Scholars Program is a nationally competitive fellowship program launched by the Henry Luce Foundation to enhance the understanding of Asia among potential leaders in American society. The Luce Scholars Program aims to provide young scholars who have...
Roughly 300 Covid-19 deaths still occur daily nationwide; Public compliance with booster vaccine recommendations is critical, says Schaffner
Apr. 24, 2023—Many people in the U.S. who are fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID have been waiting—eagerly in some cases—to receive another layer of protection as they pass the six-month mark after their last booster in fall 2022. But most will have to continue to wait. Late last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upheld...
Rosenbloom investigates new algorithms for improving electronic health records: Intervention enhanced patient problem list but had no effect on clinical quality measures
Apr. 21, 2023—In a multisite randomized trial reported in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, completeness of the patient problem list, a pivotal section of the electronic health record (EHR), was improved with automated disease surveillance and suggestions for clinicians to consider adding specific problems that appeared to be missing from the list. Adam Wright, PhD, Dean Sittig,...
Van der Heijden discusses implementing shorter treatment regimens for Tuberculosis patients in South Africa
Apr. 20, 2023—A global infectious disease killer existed long before COVID-19 and continues to wreak havoc on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which was responsible for the deaths of 1.6 million people in 2021. Unlike many bacterial infections that can be treated with several days of...
Self finds renin-angiotensin system (RAS) drugs ineffective in treating Covid-19
Apr. 19, 2023—Despite the success of vaccines for preventing COVID-19, and of drugs for treating the disease, outcomes for severely ill patients admitted to the hospital remains poor. Identifying new therapies for severe COVID-19 remains a high priority and one in which Vanderbilt University Medical Center is taking a leading role. A study published April 11 in...
Buntin reflects on 75th Anniversary of the World Health Organization
Apr. 17, 2023—Engraved into a wall on a campus building at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health. Melinda Buntin, PhD, would pass this engraving every day on her way to her graduate courses. Years later, she recites the 21-word definition, verbatim, in an interview with HCPLive—not missing a...
Creech and colleagues awarded $7.85 Million from NIH to launch the Vanderbilt Antibody and Antigen Discovery for Clostridioides difficile Vaccines
Apr. 14, 2023—The National Institutes of Health awarded a five-year, $7.85 million grant to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to launch the Vanderbilt Antibody and Antigen Discovery for Clostridioides difficile Vaccines, or VANDy-CdV. The grant will support a team of over 25 VU and VUMC multidisciplinary researchers to discover novel Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) antigens through genetic and...
Hartert to co-lead two environmental research projects on adoption of electric vehicles and corresponding public health benefits
Apr. 13, 2023—Michael Vandenbergh, co-director of the Energy, Environment, and Land Use Program at Vanderbilt Law School and director of the Vanderbilt Climate Change Research Network, and Tina Hartert, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center will lead two research projects that aim to identify the barriers to and potential health benefits of adoption of electric vehicles in...
U.S. prostate cancer patients with low to intermediate-risk diagnoses are more likely to prefer active surveillance over surgery or radiation treatment, says Al Hussein
Apr. 11, 2023—The number of prostate cancer patients in the U.S. choosing active surveillance over surgery or radiation has rapidly increased since 2010, rising from 16% to 60% for low-risk patients and from 8% to 22% for patients with favorable intermediate-risk cancers, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. Active surveillance includes actively monitoring prostate...
Policies that disclose real estate investment trusts and private equity data can improve nursing home operations, says Stevenson
Apr. 10, 2023—Greater insight into potential buyers is just one possible benefit of rules that would make publicly available more information about private equity and real estate investment trust ownership of nursing homes. That was the take Monday from two academics who have spent the last several years researching investment activity in nursing homes and other aging...
Richardson discusses Copiktra, a PI3K inhibitor for leukemia treatment, and its effects on patient health outcomes
Apr. 6, 2023—Secura Bio says it has no plans to change the marketing status of its PI3K inhibitor Copiktra (duvelisib), which won full approval in September 2018 as a third-line treatment for relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. Updated pivotal trial results raised fresh safety questions about that approval, and the FDA’s outside...
Rogers discusses increased gun violence among adolescents
Apr. 4, 2023—The devastating toll of gun violence shows up in emergency rooms every day. At the UChicago Medicine trauma center, the number of gunshot wounds in children under 16 has doubled in the past six years, said Dr. Selwyn Rogers, MD, MPH, the center’s founding director. The youngest victim was 2. “You hear the mother wail,...
Diamond co-authors online course for adolescents on opioid use
Apr. 3, 2023—Addressing opioid overdose deaths among adolescents, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Health, is providing a short online course for educators via QuizTime, VUMC’s innovative on-demand learning platform. The course, “Preparing Educators to Help Save Lives: What You Should Know about Opioid Use and Adolescents,” arrives in three- to five-minute installments via...
Murry investigates Tennessee parents’ perspectives regarding school firearm safety measures
Mar. 31, 2023—School-based gun violence was among the top five concerns identified by Tennessee parents in the 2022 Vanderbilt Child Health Poll, and the highest majority of parents, 83%, agree that schools are safer if one or more school resource officers work in the school. Generally, a majority of Tennessee parents agree on several firearm-related school safety measures....
Bala awarded NYC Hayes Innovation Prize for development of Public Health Partners Connect, a data visualization platform that helped facilitate COVID-19 and Monkeypox vaccine distribution
Mar. 30, 2023—New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser, and Jonathan Weiner, president of the Frederick O’Reilly Hayes Prize Foundation, last night presented 15 city employees with the first NYC Hayes Innovation Prize of his administration during an awards ceremony at Gracie Mansion. The winning projects — originating from 10 city...
Serious pneumococcal infections increase the risk of heart attack, says Wiese
Mar. 29, 2023—Patients with serious pneumococcal infections, including pneumonia and sepsis, are at a substantially increased risk of heart attack after the onset of infection according to a Vanderbilt study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Prior work has demonstrated that infections can potentially lead to systemic inflammatory responses that can trigger the development of major cardiovascular events, including...
Increasing intensity of physical and occupation therapy treatment can shorten delirium duration in medical patients, says Vasilevskis
Mar. 28, 2023—Delirium — a form of acute brain failure — affects 8-17% of older adults who present to the emergency department (ED). It is associated with adverse outcomes including higher health care use, accelerated functional decline, and increased mortality. James Jordano, Jin Han, MD, MSc, and colleagues evaluated the impact of physical and/or occupational therapy (PT/OT) on...
Hatch investigates association of medical supply shortages with increased invasive lung treatment in critically ill infants
Mar. 27, 2023—A three-year shortage of a common cannula used in young infants needing lung support forced hospitals across the United States to switch to a more invasive form of lung support, according to researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Published March 3 in the journal Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, the study evaluated the changes during...
Halasa finds high-dose flu vaccines most effective for pediatric stem cell transplant patients
Mar. 24, 2023—Vanderbilt was the lead site for an NIH-funded, phase 2, multicenter influenza vaccine study in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients that may lead to a change in the current flu vaccine recommendations in this vulnerable population. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and the authors found that two...
Pfizer should reconsider RSV vaccine effectiveness after two reported cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, says Griffin
Mar. 23, 2023—The Food and Drug Administration’s independent advisors on Tuesday recommended what would be the world’s first RSV vaccine, a shot from Pfizer for adults ages 60 and older, despite safety concerns after two trial participants developed a rare neurological disorder. A majority of the FDA committee members backed the vaccine, but they wrestled with separate votes...
Was the COVID-19 pandemic an occurrence of natural phenomena or an unfortunate lab accident? Schaffner weighs in.
Mar. 21, 2023—The Department of Energy’s recent conclusion that COVID-19 likely originated from a Chinese research lab has reignited debate over whether the pandemic occurred naturally or was the result of a human error. Republican backers of the “lab leak” theory have claimed vindication, yet the intelligence and scientific communities remain torn over the question. The origins...
McKernan discusses using hypnosis in clinical psychology practice
Mar. 20, 2023—In the 1770s, a German physician named Franz Mesmer made a splash when he said he could cure physical and mental ailments by putting people in a trance to realign their magnetic fields. “Mesmerism” was popular for about a decade until it was publicly discredited in 1784, but some elements of the practice persisted. In...
Self elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation: 1 of 66 VUMC faculty members to be inducted since 1974
Mar. 16, 2023—Four Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty members have been elected this year to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the organization has announced. Four others from VUMC have received ASCI Council Young Physician Scientist Awards this year, and two have received ASCI Emerging Generation Awards. Founded in 1908, the ASCI is one of the...
Tennessee parents reportedly trust their children’s health care providers the most for information about vaccines, says Williams
Mar. 15, 2023—New analyses of the latest annual Tennessee Child Health Poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy in late 2022 has found parents across the state reporting their children’s health care providers as the most trusted source for information about vaccines. The analysis is the latest in an ongoing study of annual poll results of more than...
Vasilevskis develops Shed-MEDS protocol to limit unnecessary medications for overprescribed patients
Mar. 14, 2023—An estimated one in six older adults in the United States who take multiple prescription drugs risk major drug-drug interactions and other adverse drug effects that can worsen their medical conditions, increase the likelihood of cognitive impairment and falls, and lead to hospitalization or death. Deprescribing is a systematic effort to identify, reduce the dose...
Ahonkhai discusses decreased HIV control funding and community impacts in Tennessee
Mar. 13, 2023—A 67-year-old grandmother arrived at an emergency room in Nashville recently with a broken toe. But she left with a life-saving diagnosis. In this ER, the nonprofit Nashville Cares offers free HIV testing, funded by a long-running grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “She must have been living with HIV for around...
Self leads study on sepsis interventions for blood pressure management
Mar. 10, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center had a leading role in a large national study designed to compare two early interventions in the treatment of patients with sepsis, the body’s severe response to an uncontrolled infection. Sepsis can cause dangerously low blood pressure, which is typically treated with intravenous (IV) fluids and/or a vasopressor, a drug that...
MYO5B genetic mutations disrupt maturation of intestinal epithelial cells, says Acra and colleagues
Mar. 9, 2023—Mutations in the gene MYO5B cause microvillus inclusion disease (MVID), which prevents nutrient absorption in the intestines and is characterized by severe watery diarrhea that typically starts in the first hours after birth. People with MVID usually require lifelong intravenous feedings (parenteral nutrition) or small bowel transplantation. Izumi Kaji, PhD, and colleagues developed a mouse...
Davis leads research team in developing machine learning algorithms for a quality improvement implementation trial on acute kidney injury
Mar. 8, 2023—Acute kidney injury, or AKI, is a common complication of cardiac catheterization, posing higher costs, longer hospital stays and increased short-term and long-term mortality risk. In a large, randomized trial conducted over a period of 18 months at 19 medical centers of the Veterans Health Administration, a quality improvement implementation trial found a 46% reduction...
Influenza cases continue to surge following COVID-19, says Grijalva
Mar. 6, 2023—New research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators found that the household spread of flu during the 2021-2022 season was more than twice as high as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that season, 50% of household contacts of someone with flu were infected within seven days after the first person became sick,...
Talbot, Self, and other Vanderbilt Health Policy Researchers continue to progress CDC vaccine effectiveness research efforts
Feb. 20, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s participation in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine effectiveness research continues to grow, with the Medical Center playing critical roles in several networks focused on surveillance of vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases. Here’s a list of networks and projects, in reverse chronological order based on the year of VUMC’s first participation....
Grijalva to lead new study investigating COVID’s impact on non-health care essential workers
Feb. 16, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are inviting non-health care essential workers to participate in a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded study to better understand how they continue to be impacted by COVID-19 and to guide efforts to keep them and their families safe as new variants emerge. “Early in the pandemic, essential...
Schaffner and Emerging Infections Program land National Award for COVID response
Jan. 25, 2023—The Tennessee Emerging Infections Program (EIP) was recently recognized with the Toby Merlin Award for Excellence in Emergency Response, presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The award was given for the EIP team’s collaboration with partners across 14 states and agencies for...
Murry appointed to national advisory board for mental health
Jan. 23, 2023—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently appointed Velma McBride Murry to the National Advisory Mental Health Council. The council advises the current U.S. secretary of health and human services and the director of the National Institute for Mental Health. McBride Murry, University Distinguished Professor of Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt Peabody...
Bivalent Boosters Can Help Protect Against Newest COVID-19 Variant, says Talbot
Jan. 20, 2023—Infectious disease expert Kimberly Okafor, MD, joined Tom Talbot, MD, MPH, VUMC’s Chief Hospital Epidemiologist, to chat about XBB.1.5, a new COVID1-9 variant that is currently circulating in our area. They discuss how the bivalent booster vaccine can be a valuable tool in protecting you and your loved ones. Visit the link to hear their...
Black conducts genetic study on the metabolic enzyme CYP2D6 and its effect on controlling postoperative symptoms in children following tonsillectomy
Jan. 18, 2023—Ondansetron is commonly used in children and adults to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Variation in the gene for the metabolic enzyme CYP2D6 can affect response to ondansetron, and it is recommended that alternative anti-emetic therapy be considered for adults who are ultrarapid metabolizers. However, data from pediatric populations are limited. Sara Van Driest,...
Gastineau discusses treating childrens’ firearm injuries
Jan. 17, 2023—After yet another deadly weekend in Nashville thanks to gun violence, some doctors are calling the issue a public health crisis. Since Saturday, three teens were shot dead in Nashville, and one 17-year-old was seriously hurt by gunfire, according to Metro police. So far, the city has had eight homicides in 2023. Dr. Kelsey Gastineau, MD, MPH...
Self oversees ACTIV-4 Host Tissue Clinical Trial for Covid-19 Therapy Analysis
Jan. 10, 2023—COVID-19 hospitalizations are again increasing this winter, and researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are redoubling their efforts to aid the recovery of patients hospitalized with severe disease from the viral infection. VUMC’s Sean Collins, MD, MSc, Wesley Self, MD, MPH, and Matt Shotwell, PhD, oversee the nationwide ACTIV-4 Host Tissue clinical trial platform, which is designed to investigate therapies...
Cooper investigates workplace behavior outcomes following training via a peer messaging tool
Jan. 9, 2023—A tool developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to address disrespectful workplace behaviors through trained peer-to-peer messaging can be successfully implemented in the nursing workforce with the appropriate support, according to a new study published in the January 2023 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. The first author of the article,...
“Eliminating Health Disparities”: Creech discusses issues affecting pediatric infectious diseases in new supplement issue
Dec. 22, 2022—The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (JPIDS) has published ‘Eliminating Health Disparities,‘ a supplement issue featuring five articles on past, current and future diversity and inclusion issues affecting pediatric infectious diseases (ID). The collection focuses the spotlight on both the makeup of the pediatric ID workforce and the diverse populations the specialty serves. In...
Rogers to co-direct Recovery Legal Care program at the University of Chicago Medical Center
Dec. 20, 2022—Newswise — The University of Chicago Medicine has launched a novel program with Legal Aid Chicago, embedding two full-time lawyers within the health system’s Level 1 trauma center. The initiative, called Recovery Legal Care, will provide bedside civil legal help for patients and families recovering from violent injuries. The teams hope that by offering both trauma-informed and justice-informed...
Medical specialists need cultural competence to successfully address healthcare disparities in vulnerable populations, says Spalluto
Dec. 19, 2022—It’s important to think outside of the box and step outside of the hospital to address the healthcare disparities in vulnerable populations, experts stressed during this week’s RSNA annual meeting. Radiologists who work with low-income populations in cities and rural areas spoke about the challenges faced by safety net hospitals, which provide care to a...
Shroder uses clinical tool to assess surgical outcomes and survival in colorectal cancer patients
Dec. 15, 2022—Surgeons introduce a nomogram to more accurately quantify risk of positive circumferential resection margins. Nomograms are commonly used in oncology for risk assessment and to predict a patient’s surgical outcomes and survival. However, colorectal cancer surgeons have lacked such a tool. Instead, they have relied on their own risk calculations after considering MRI images and...
Reid discusses genetic predispositions to breast cancer and medical outcome disparities in Black women
Dec. 14, 2022—Damaris Olagundoye, MD, grew up knowing that her maternal grandmother was a breast cancer survivor. She would listen as her mother talked with cousins who had also been diagnosed with the disease, but her family didn’t learn until decades later that they carried a mutation in the BRCA2 gene. Her mother’s heritage was Afro Panamanian,...
Household income and maternal health status may be tied to craniofacial cleft defects in infants, says Belcher
Dec. 12, 2022—In a first of its type, a Tennessee study offers a model for better understanding factors present in regions of higher risk. Craniofacial clefts – primarily cleft lip and cleft palate – are among the most common congenital abnormalities encountered today. Maternal nutrition, obesity, race, ethnicity, heredity, environment, and healthcare access all can have a significant impact on...
Ahonkhai explains consequences of reducing HIV public health efforts and rising Nashville cases
Dec. 9, 2022—The South represents more than half of all new HIV cases in the U.S., and the region is making slower progress than the rest of the nation, according to the latest HIV/AIDS figures kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After years of steady numbers, new HIV cases jumped in Nashville in 2019...
Fritz discusses food insecurity resources for Middle Tennessee residents
Dec. 7, 2022—As we head into the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to some delicious traditional dishes. But inflation means that preparing those meals could be significantly more expensive. To learn more about how this issue is impacting our communities, we are joined by local resident, farmer and restaurant owner. Then, we’ll hear from...
Phibbs and VUMC’s Parkinson’s Disease Quality Improvement Committee receive national certification for patient care
Dec. 6, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently became the nation’s second health care organization to receive The Joint Commission’s (TJC) Gold Seal of Approval for Parkinson’s Disease Certification. A nonprofit organization better known for accrediting hospitals and other health care organizations, TJC, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, also offers more than 100 specialized certification programs based on...
Starnes investigates Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and likelihood for early age mortality
Nov. 30, 2022—by Kelsey Pinckard Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder affecting boys and characterized by progressive muscle loss and weakness. This muscle deterioration eventually involves the heart, culminating in cardiac-related death. While some DMD patients survive into their 40s, others have accelerated disease onset and die before adulthood. Joseph Starnes, MD, MPH, and colleagues sought...
Reid investigates high risk breast cancer genes and needs for surgical treatment
Nov. 25, 2022—Women with inherited mutations in breast cancer genes have lifetime varying breast cancer risks, ranging from high (e.g., 40% or more for BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2) to moderate (e.g., 20% or higher for ATM, CHEK2) risk genes. Per national practice guidelines, risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy is a consideration for patients with inherited mutations in high- but not...
Umeukeje and Koonce discuss removing racial metrics from functional kidney assessments
Nov. 23, 2022—An in-depth analysis of published research studies supports removing race from the calculation of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) — an assessment of kidney function. Although measured GFR (mGFR) is the gold standard for evaluating kidney function, it requires infusing chemicals into the blood and quantifying them in urine. Estimated GFR is calculated from the...
McKernan finds meditation and medication are both notably effective in reducing symptoms in anxiety patients
Nov. 22, 2022—The first study ever to directly compare medication to meditation for anxiety finds the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. The finding, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, suggests that people struggling with anxiety could be helped either by a daily pill (which could come with side effects) or a daily practice of mindfulness (which...
Hartet discusses vehicle fossil fuel emissions and impacts on population health
Nov. 21, 2022—Vanderbilt Health’s DNA: Discoveries in Action released a new episode, “How To… Fill In The Knowledge Gap.” This series explores the various facets of nature to build a blueprint that showcases how the current environment impacts health. During this episode, a new set of Vanderbilt Health experts dive deeper into how vehicle fossil fuel emissions...
Tsosie to be ASU’s first Indigenous human geneticist
Nov. 17, 2022—Krystal Tsosie, MPH (Diné/Navajo Nation) is an advocate for Indigenous genomic and data sovereignty. She is a co-founder of the first U.S. Indigenous-led biobank, a 501(c)3 nonprofit research institution called the Native BioData Consortium. Her current research at Arizona State University centers on ethical engagement with Indigenous communities to ensure Indigenous peoples equitably benefit from precision...
Medical director Young discusses Firefly, a program directed towards aiding pregnant women with substance use disorders
Nov. 16, 2022—Last month, the Biden administration released a new report announcing that they will use federal courts and health programs to expand the use of medication to treat substance use disorders in pregnant women — and one of those health programs, Firefly, is in Nashville. Today, we’re joined by a mother and a current recovery coach to learn more about...
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine proves save for young children from 6 months to 5 years, says Creech
Nov. 15, 2022—Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in children 6 months to 5 years of age, a clinical trial co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center vaccine expert C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, has found. Results of the two-part KidCOVE study of nearly 13,000 children conducted last year at 87 sites in the United States and Canada...
Hypotension, abdominal pain, rashes, and low sodium levels may be indicators of MIS-C (Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children), says Katz
Nov. 13, 2022—Hospitals in New York and overseas began seeing a small number of children who developed severe multisystem inflammation, with cases occurring one week to two months following an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, in early 2021. The symptoms overlapped considerably with those of acute COVID. Yet, as they began appearing in other states reaching COVID-19 peaks, researchers from...
Nicholson studies adverse events in hospitalized children from Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) bacterial infections
Nov. 10, 2022—Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), labeled an urgent threat by federal health officials, is a bacterium that can be associated with severe gastrointestinal events and is frequently hospital-acquired. While the incidence of C. diff infections increased from the 1990s to the early 2000s, studies looking at the rate of infections more recently in a pediatric population...
Antoon discussed children’s vulnerability to RSV amid rising cases
Nov. 9, 2022—You may have seen respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., in the news recently, as rates of the virus have ticked up across the United States. R.S.V. usually circulates from late December to mid-February. But this year, an early spike in cases is resulting in markedly higher numbers of infections and hospitalizations. As rising R.S.V. rates...
Hung uses the Million Veteran Program, a genetic biobank, to investigate associations of COVID and acute kidney failure in Black patients
Nov. 8, 2022—Early in the pandemic in 2020, Adriana Hung, MD, MPH, an associate professor of nephrology who treats patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, noticed that a disproportionate number of Black patients hospitalized with the coronavirus were dying of acute kidney failure. To test her theory that the virus might be activating two mutations of the APOL1...
Schaffner discusses rise in RSV cases and hospitalization influx
Nov. 4, 2022—A surge in respiratory illnesses among children is beginning to put a strain on hospitals. In particular, hospitals are seeing a rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common cold virus that can be associated with severe disease in young children and older adults. Cases are rising in multiple US regions, with...
Horst takes on new roles in advancing digital health
Nov. 2, 2022—Sara Horst, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine, has been named associate vice chair for Digital Health Operations for the Department of Medicine and assistant chief for Clinical Informatics for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The appointments recognize Horst’s expertise in advancing digital health technologies, including telehealth in the inpatient and outpatient arenas,...
McKernan discusses mental health and negative impacts of excessive news exposure
Nov. 1, 2022—A constant influx of bad news — pandemic, shootings, inflation, natural disasters, political turmoil — can feel, at best, soul-crushing. Now, a new study from Spain confirms the negative toll constantly being plugged into the news cycle can take. The researchers looked at how people were best able to manage feelings of anxiety and depression...
VUMC recognized as a level-two Age-Friendly Health System for adherence to the highest standards of care for older adults.
Oct. 31, 2022—Systems-wide updates aid in implementation of the 4Ms, a framework for providing high-quality care for older patients. Vanderbilt University Medical Center was recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in March 2022 as a level-two Age-Friendly Health System, adhering to the highest standards of care for older adults. The Age-Friendly Health System standards require participating institutions...
McKernan investigates gender differences in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients
Oct. 12, 2022—Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic condition that causes bladder pressure, pain and lower urinary tract symptoms. It affects 3-8 million women and 1-4 million men in the U.S. Lindsey McKernan, PhD, MPH, and colleagues assessed gender differences in IC/BPS using validated patient-reported outcome measures and qualitative analysis of focus group discussions. They...
Clayton to co-lead ethics core for NIH Bridge to Artificial Intelligence Program
Oct. 11, 2022—Faculty members at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will have a central role in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) program called Bridge to Artificial Intelligence, or Bridge2AI. The four-year, $104 million program is designed to accelerate use of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in biomedical and behavioral research. VUMC researchers will lead and comprise...
Self named co-principal investigator of Vanderbilt’s Clinical and Translational Science Award
Oct. 10, 2022—Wesley Self, MD, MPH, a physician-scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named co-principal investigator (co-PI) of Vanderbilt’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Nationally known for designing and conducting clinical research and advancing the treatment of patients with severe infections, Self is VUMC Vice President for Clinical Research Networks & Strategy, and Vice...
Buntin discusses incarceration, community resources, and substance use disorders in health policy panel
Sep. 27, 2022—A panel of experts on opioid use disorder (OUD) discussed the importance of building recovery ecosystems or networks of resources to respond to the opioid epidemic during the recent Department of Health Policy’s Research into Policy & Practice Lecture at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The panel included Ernie Fletcher, MD, former governor of Kentucky and...
Belcher investigates racial disparities in pediatric thyroid cancer diagnoses
Sep. 26, 2022—A team of investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has identified health disparities in diagnosis of pediatric thyroid cancer, with young Black and Hispanic patients presenting with larger tumors and an increased likelihood of having distant disease. The findings, presented at the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) 2022 Annual Meeting, highlight the need to...
Creech leads VUMC trial for monkeypox vaccine administration strategies
Sep. 15, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking about 30 healthy adults of diverse backgrounds to participate in a national clinical trial to evaluate alternative strategies for administering the monkeypox vaccine to increase the number of available doses. “We have a limited supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine, which is authorized for the prevention of monkeypox,” said C. Buddy...
Gastineau supported by Dr. William R. Long Fund to pursue research in pediatric injury prevention
Sep. 14, 2022—The legacy left behind by the late William (Bill) Long, MD, goes far beyond his many years as a beloved Nashville pediatrician. He was a quintessential clinician-educator, always helping advance the mission of Vanderbilt’s Department of Pediatrics and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The family of the longtime pediatrician at Old Harding Pediatric...
Taking two supplements in pregnancy could lower a baby’s odds for Croup, says Antoon
Sep. 7, 2022—Many new parents have been jarred awake in the dead of night when they hear their baby let out that telltale barky cough that signals a bout of croup. Until now, nothing was thought to stave off the disease in babies who are prone to it, but a new study has discovered that when women took...
Alumnus Rogers nominated for Dean and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Carver College of Medicine
Sep. 1, 2022—The third finalist candidate for the University of Iowa vice president of medical affairs and Carver College of Medicine dean, Selwyn Rogers Jr., MPH, focused on equity in health care during his open forum in the Medical Education Research Facility on Monday. “We’re all striving to achieve equity in the spaces in which we work,...
Barocas investigates treatment decision regrets in prostate cancer patients
Aug. 26, 2022—Patient regret over choices related to treatment of localized prostate cancer has been the focus of a recent subanalysis of data from CEASAR (Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation for Localized Prostate Cancer), which contains the survey results from more than 3,600 men in the United States treated between 2010 and 2012. The latest research – led by Daniel Barocas, M.D.,...
Schaffner debunks use of ivermectin and fluvoxamine as possible Covid-19 drug treatment alternatives
Aug. 24, 2022—Two drugs touted as potential COVID-19 treatments, ivermectin and fluvoxamine, don’t do a thing to improve patients’ oxygen levels and keep them out of the hospital or the morgue, a new clinical trial has shown. Neither of the two repurposed drugs proved effective against COVID among overweight or obese patients who received them within seven...
Neurologic complications are relatively common in children hospitalized for Covid-19, says Antoon
Aug. 22, 2022—Although severe Covid-19 requiring hospitalization is generally rarer in children than in adults, a new study has shown that in children who are hospitalized with the virus, a significant number experience complications affecting the brain. “We determined that neurologic complications are relatively common, occurring in about 8% of children hospitalized with Covid-19,” said James Antoon,...
Schaffner discusses rise in Lyme disease cases and Pfizer vaccines trial
Aug. 18, 2022—Pfizer has started a late-stage clinical trial to test a vaccine that aims to protect against Lyme disease, the drugmaker announced Monday. There are currently no vaccines approved in the United States for the tick-borne illness, which infects an estimated 476,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Diamond to serve as Director for Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital
Aug. 16, 2022—Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt recently launched an innovative program geared to treat pediatric and adolescent athletes. The Vanderbilt Youth Sports Health Center, the only one of its kind in the region, opened through a partnership between Vanderbilt Sports Medicine and Children’s Hospital. “The same specialists who care for our elite sports teams...
Horst investigates effects of video versus audio based telehealth communication on health literacy
Aug. 15, 2022—Video telehealth visits are an increasingly important part of health care, and increasingly video connection during such visits is required for insurance coverage. Yet many patients do not achieve a video connection and convert to audio-only visits, which are not as effective in communicating important health information. Sarah H. Brown, MD, Michelle L. Griffith, MD, Sunil...
Tsosie supports using Blockchain to protect genomic data and mitigate exploitation of Indigenous populations’ DNA for research endeavors
Aug. 3, 2022—You wouldn’t know that Keolu Fox was a genomic scientist at the University of California, San Diego by just looking at him. His long hair, beard, and easy going personality seems more fitting for a beach in Los Angeles or a smoke circle at a party than a stuffy lab—and indeed, he’ll tell you that...
Hartert conducts study on respiratory syncytial virus in asthma development
Aug. 2, 2022—When a team of Vanderbilt scientists in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine received a $4.5 million grant to study the role of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in asthma development, they had no idea that a global pandemic would not only interfere with and delay their initial project, but also introduce an...
Fill receives 2022 Nashville Emerging Leader Award in Government and Public Affairs
Aug. 1, 2022—NELA finalists will be recognized and the winner of each industry category announced during the 15th Annual NELA Ceremony at Lipscomb University on July 19, 2022. Presenting Sponsor: Pfeffer Graduate School of Business at Lipscomb University Government and Public Affairs Mary-Margaret Fill, deputy state epidemiologist, Tennessee Department of Health Bishakha Van Voris, fiscal director, Tennessee...
Continued COVID booster shots may be necessary for fall season as new variants arise and immunity falls, says Creech
Jul. 29, 2022—Facing yet another COVID-19 variant, this one said to be faster and stealthier than those before it, health officials say the calculus has changed and are urging booster shots even more strongly to buck up the country’s armor. There is a renewed push for everyone over 5 to go out and get a first booster...
Cooper investigates trauma surgery patient outcomes and physician unprofessionalism in new study
Jul. 28, 2022—William Cooper, MD, MPH, and colleagues previously reported that patients of surgeons with higher numbers of reports from co-workers about unprofessional behavior are more likely to experience complications, and that patient and family reports about rude and disrespectful behavior can identify surgeons with higher rates of surgical site infections and other avoidable adverse outcomes. In...
Heimburger to co-lead Vanderbilt-Zambia Cancer Research Training Program
Jul. 27, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Zambia (UNZA) are partnering on a program to develop a cadre of researchers and educators to lead cancer epidemiology research and training in Zambia and to encourage U.S.-based researchers to engage in cancer research in low- and middle-income countries. In partnership with UNZA and the Zambia Cancer...
Self investigates effects of convalescent plasma transfusion on improving clinical outcomes in COVID patients
Jul. 26, 2022—Convalescent plasma, widely given to severely ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic, does not improve their ability to survive or recover, according to a national clinical trial led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and published in the journal CHEST. The multicenter blinded, randomized placebo-controlled, Passive Immunity Trial for our Nation (PassITON), looked at the...
COVID vaccinations during pregnancy reduce likelihood for viral infection in newborns, says Halasa
Jul. 25, 2022—Infants younger than 6 months were better protected from COVID-19 complications when mothers received two doses of the vaccine while pregnant, according to researchers. Mothers who received COVID-19 vaccinations during pregnancy reduced the risk of hospitalization for this age group by 80% during the delta wave and nearly 40% during the omicron wave, according to...
Apple and Fiske elected to Vanderbilt Academy for Excellence in Education
Jul. 23, 2022—The Academy for Excellence in Education was established in November 2006. The founding membership was comprised of 44 distinguished medical educators. The Academy provides a forum to foster higher levels of participation and promote excellence and scholarship in the delivery of education to health professionals. The Academy is a collective of outstanding faculty educators in...
Celebrating a legacy: Raffanti discusses journey into medicine and combatting AIDS
Jul. 19, 2022—On June 29 Stephen Raffanti, MD, MPH, hung up his scrubs at the Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic for the last time. It was a bittersweet moment for the man who helped lead Nashville out of the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic 30 years ago. “I’ll miss you,” Raffanti told colleagues who gathered to honor...
Antoon analyzes triple threat of summer viruses: Covid-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and the Flu
Jul. 8, 2022—This summer, parents will want to watch out for three different viruses in kids: COVID-19, RSV and the flu. According to pediatricians, they’re all going around and spiking. “They all cause fever, they can all cause runny nose and cough. They can all go from the upper respiratory tract to the lower respiratory tract and...
Horn leads study on opioid use after childbirth and associated death risks
Jul. 6, 2022—In a new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, women who filled two or more prescriptions for opioids after childbirth faced a 46% greater risk of death than women who did not. The study, led by the late Arlyn Horn, PharmD, MPH and Margaret Adgent, MSPH, PhD, research assistant professor in the Division...
Schaffner discusses omicron variant covid booster shots for fall season
Jul. 5, 2022—Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended a change in the design of COVID-19 booster shots this fall in order to combat more recently circulating variants of the coronavirus. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 19-2 that the next wave of COVID booster shots should include a...
Talbot discusses safety of Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for children and adolescents after CDC approval
Jul. 4, 2022—US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a recommendation of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for people ages 6 to 17, the agency announced Friday. The move clears the way for the vaccine to be administered to this age group. The recommendation comes after the CDC’s vaccine advisers, the Advisory...
Children with chronic medical conditions may benefit from hospital and community based interventions, says Fritz
Jul. 1, 2022—Children with medical complexity (CMC) — children with one or more complex chronic conditions — who live in low opportunity areas utilize more acute care than those who live in higher opportunity areas, according to a new study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Cristin Fritz, MD, MPH, and colleagues used the Pediatric Health Information Systems database to...
Aliyu named Director of Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Jun. 30, 2022—Renowned physician-epidemiologist Muktar Aliyu, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, who is the associate director for Research with the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), has been named the new director of the institute, beginning July 1. Aliyu, who joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2009, is professor of Health Policy and Medicine at Vanderbilt and professor of Family and...
Clayton unpacks effects Roe v. Wade overturn will have on communities in Tennessee
Jun. 29, 2022—The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health this morning, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to abortion. In Tennessee, this means a nearly total ban on abortion will likely go into effect in 30 days as a result of a so-called “trigger law,” designed to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. More...
Fiske leads fellowship program in Joint Infectious Diseases and Epidemic Intelligence Service at VUMC
Jun. 28, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center is among 11 centers that will pilot a new federally sponsored training program, the Joint Infectious Diseases/Epidemic Intelligence Service (ID/EIS) Fellowship. Established in 1951 and housed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EIS is a two-year hands-on training program with a focus on epidemiological field work. Post-doctoral trainees, called EIS officers,...
Food allergy linked to lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, says Hartert
Jun. 27, 2022—People with food allergies are surprisingly less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, than people without them, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Tina Hartert, MD, MPH, has found. In addition, the Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 (HEROS) study...
Novavax protein vaccine may prove reliable as alternative to traditional mRNA covid vaccines, says Neuzil
Jun. 27, 2022—Novavax hitched its wagon to the global coronavirus pandemic. Before most Americans truly grasped the scope of the danger, the small Maryland biotech startup had secured $1.6 billion in U.S. funding for its covid vaccine. Its moonshot goal: delivering 2 billion shots to the world by mid-2021. Although the U.S. commitment eventually expanded to $1.8 billion,...
Horst honored with Physician Builder Award
Jun. 23, 2022—In recognition of significant hands-on contributions to health information technology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Sara Horst, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine, and Barron Patterson, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics, have received 2022 Physician Builder Awards. The eStar Physician Builder Program supports VUMC physicians and other employees in devising and implementing new content and tools for...
Young leads clinical recovery program to assist postpartum women facing substance abuse
Jun. 21, 2022—Ninety-eight Tennessee women died in 2020 during or shortly after pregnancy. More than a quarter of those deaths were tied to substance abuse. Numbers like that are why Firefly — a rigorous program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center — is helping mothers in recovery have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum experience. Firefly launched in September...
Gillaspie discusses life as a female surgeon alongside sister
Jun. 20, 2022—Erin Gillaspie, MD, MPH, has a number stuck in her head that she’s not likely to ever forget: 289. That’s because the Vanderbilt University Medical Center thoracic surgeon is only the 289th female surgeon in her specialty in the United States. “There aren’t a lot of women in my field in particular – so few, that...
Peetz and Patel run clinical trial to investigate resuscitation techniques for trauma patients
Jun. 17, 2022—Emergency Medicine and Trauma Surgery researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are joining Vanderbilt LifeFlight in a Department of Defense (DOD)-funded clinical trial aimed at improving survival with resuscitation techniques used to keep patients alive after a traumatic injury. Emergency medicine services (EMS) personnel currently use one of two common strategies to treat a trauma patient who...
Aliyu helps train Nigerian biostatisticians for HIV research in West Africa
Jun. 16, 2022—The Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt Department of Biostatistics, and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) have partnered on a new program to train a cohort of highly skilled Nigerian biostatisticians to lead and supervise high-level biostatistics activities for HIV research studies in West Africa. Biomedical HIV research is growing in West Africa, but biostatistics...
Tilden honored with Oscar B. Crofford Scholar Award for Diabetes Research
Jun. 14, 2022—Vanderbilt Diabetes Day, an annual event that showcases the work of outstanding scientists and researchers in the fields of diabetes, obesity and metabolism was held this month, and it marked the first time many investigators working under the auspices of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC) had gathered in one space since the...
González Peña receives Excellence in Public Health award from VUSM; March receives the Geoffrey David Chazen Award
May. 19, 2022—Each spring, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine recognizes members of the graduating MD class for outstanding academic achievement, service, research, and leadership. VUSM faculty and fellow students celebrated the following recipients of school and departmental awards at the MD Class Day ceremony on Thursday, May 12, 2022: Excellence in Public Health The Excellence in Public...
Medicare Part D plans need to be reformed, says Dusetzina
May. 18, 2022—A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights how some older Americans diagnosed with cancer can face unlimited out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs under the current structure of the Medicare Part D benefit. The analysis, authored by Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, Ingram associate professor of Cancer Research and associate professor of Health Policy, illustrates how...
Horst named Medical Director for Telehealth at VUMC
May. 17, 2022—During the COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient telehealth appointments at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reached a peak of 2,700 in one day as clinicians worked to ensure patients received uninterrupted care as the public health crisis continued. In response to the pandemic, Tennessee legislators passed a law in August 2020 requiring health insurers to cover telehealth the...
Rosenbloom discusses adolescent confidentiality policies for health care services
May. 16, 2022—When it comes to health care for adolescents, patient autonomy and parental responsibility are at times forced into opposition, and when adolescent patients in the U.S. seek care for sensitive issues — sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, drug use, contraception, etc. — the health care team’s ability to render treatment without involving a parent...
Moderna COVID-19 vaccines prove safe for young children, says Creech
May. 16, 2022—Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and generates robust immune responses in children ages 6 to 11 years, a national clinical trial co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center vaccine expert C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, has found. The two-dose vaccine (given approximately one month apart) led to antibody responses in more than 99% of the 4,000 children...
Antoon receives career development award to investigate neurological and psychiatric side effects of flu treatment
Mar. 8, 2022—For more than a decade, a rare side effect reported by patients with influenza has puzzled clinicians and researchers. In some cases, patients with flu have experienced neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as behavior changes, hallucinations and even attempted suicide. The question: Are these neurologic or psychiatric complications due to the infection or are they related to...
Halasa honored with Craig-Weaver Chair in Pediatrics
Mar. 3, 2022—Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver honored faculty from across the university at an endowed chair investiture ceremony on campus Feb. 24, conferring the university’s highest scholastic rank on those who had received the designation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. “As a milestone...
McNaughton analyzes digital health interventions and their associations with patient engagement and clinical outcomes
Feb. 25, 2022—Digital health interventions — delivered via technologies including text messages, apps and websites — are increasingly common for supporting chronic disease self-care. Although studies have focused on improving patient engagement with these interventions, limited research has addressed the association between engagement and clinical outcomes. Lyndsay Nelson, PhD, Andrew Spieker, PhD, and colleagues evaluated multiple statistical approaches...
Halasa elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation
Feb. 25, 2022—Three faculty members of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have been elected this year to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), an elite honor society of physician-scientists from the upper ranks of academic medicine and industry. They are: Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, Craig Weaver Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric...
Imdad discusses probiotics and their effects on children’s growth
Feb. 22, 2022—The use of probiotics during a child’s key growth period of between birth and 59 months has little effect on the promotion of growth in apparently healthy children from high income countries (HIC), such as the United States, according to researchers at Upstate Medical University. However, probiotics taken by apparently healthy children between the ages...
Ahonkhai leads team in developing problem-solving therapy game for children with HIV
Feb. 15, 2022—Aima Ahonkhai has heard the story many times: young people with HIV, feeling at a dead end. As an infectious disease clinician who works with many young people living with HIV in both the US and Nigeria, Ahonkhai, MD, MPH, has seen the toll the disease takes on young people’s mental health—often to the detriment...
Gibas discusses direct-care workers and staff shortages in assisted living facilities
Feb. 4, 2022— As the U.S. population continues to age, the demand for direct-care workers who provide care, services and support to the elderly and the disabled is expected to rise dramatically. A recent survey by the National Center for Assisted Living found 99% of nursing homes and 96% of assisted living facilities are experiencing staffing shortages. An additional...
Were designs smartphone app to support health care in low and middle income countries
Feb. 3, 2022—To assist health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), Martin Were, MD, MS, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a member of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, devised a smartphone application called mUzima. Uzima is Swahili for life and mUzima’s slogan is “mobile for life.” Running on Google’s Android smartphone operating system, the open-source...
Williams leads Flu Vaccine Project to assist underserved populations in Middle Tennessee
Feb. 1, 2022—Before the current rise in flu cases in Middle Tennessee, a group of doctors and nurses at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt set out in the fall to protect children from flu before it ever arrived. The team, led by pediatrician Elizabeth Williams, MD, MPH, dubbed its project “The Mobile Flu Fighter!” The...
Williams elected to American Pediatric Society
Jan. 18, 2022—Three pediatric faculty members, Kevin Ess, MD, PhD, Zachary Warren, PhD, and Derek Williams, MD, MPH, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS), one of the nation’s oldest and most renowned academic societies. The APS, founded in 1888, was the first North American honorary society for academic pediatricians. Members are recognized for leadership,...
Talbot and VUMC team awarded by CDC to continue Bacterial Resistance Project in International Hospitals
Jan. 17, 2022—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat the crisis of antimicrobial resistance and other healthcare threats through a newly created Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN). GAIHN is one of two global networks funded by $22 million in CDC grants that pairs nearly 30 organizations...
Guillamondegui receives the Carol Ann Gavin directorship in trauma and surgical critical care
Dec. 22, 2021—Ten leaders from across the enterprise in clinical care, research, education and administration have been named as holders of endowed directorships. “Endowed directorships are an investment in high-quality leadership, allowing us to honor individuals from across our organization who are making significant contributions to the Medical Center and advancing their fields of expertise,” said Jeff...
Creech discusses Moderna pediatric trials and child immunity to Covid
Dec. 21, 2021—When I showed my 3 year old my Covid booster-shot bandage a couple of weeks ago, he asked me, “Why is it on your arm?” He’s used to getting vaccinations in the thigh and then plied with treats afterward. When it comes to getting a Covid shot to defend against the prospect of an Omicron...
Talbot and Creech offer ways to stay safe from Covid during the holidays
Dec. 20, 2021—Just as the winter holiday season is arriving, so is the new COVID-19 variant omicron, leaving many uncertain about the safest way to gather with family and friends during the ongoing pandemic. Last year’s festivities were largely either virtual or canceled altogether, but this year declining COVID-19 cases, rising vaccination rates and the rollout of...
Schaffner discusses Omicron COVID vaccines and their effectiveness
Dec. 6, 2021—Lab studies show that the mutations found in COVID-19’s Delta variant make the virus more resistant to existing vaccines, a potentially ominous development as the new Omicron variant starts to wend its way around the world. Full vaccination with the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines still produces enough antibodies to neutralize Delta, British researchers found. But...
Staub and Katz discuss expanding outpatient services for antibiotics in Vanderbilt’s hospitals
Nov. 29, 2021—Members of the Vanderbilt Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (VASP) have a motto: The right drug for the right bug at the right time for the right duration. Milner Staub, MD, MPH, and Sophie Katz, MD, MPH, are taking the motto, traditionally used in the inpatient setting, and the program a step further to optimize the appropriate...
COVID vaccines more likely to prevent death, says Self
Nov. 29, 2021—Even if they get a breakthrough infection, vaccinated people don’t get as sick with Covid-19, two different teams of researchers reported Thursday. Both studies show the vaccines strongly protect against severe disease and death, even months after people were first vaccinated and as the more transmissible Delta variant renewed the spread of the virus. One...
Luu helps endow new scholarship for aspiring Master’s of Public Health students
Nov. 8, 2021—Whether they are practicing health care, starting a new venture or making philanthropic decisions, Alexandria Luu, MPH’20, and Cherry Chen, MD, are driven by values. “Giving others opportunity and supporting what is important to us is really at the heart of it all,” said Luu. In February 2021, the couple endowed the Luu Chen Scholarship...
Talbot supports Pfizer’s new COVID vaccine for children aged 5-11
Nov. 8, 2021—U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount...
Reid receives NRG Oncology early-stage investigator award
Nov. 2, 2021—Sonya Reid, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine, is a recipient of an NRG Oncology Underserved Minority Scholars Award. Reid is one of three inaugural recipients of the award, which was established by NRG Oncology this year to address cancer equity by intensively training early-stage investigators about clinical trials through the National Cancer Institute Community...
Dusetzina analyzes problems with drug costs
Oct. 29, 2021—For patients with certain cancers, out-of-pocket spending can exceed $15,000 a year. Legislation could take aim at prices and the amounts Medicare patients are charged. Many Democrats in Congress ran on a promise to lower prescription drug prices, and their big social policy bill may offer their best chance to do it. As they struggle...
Issacs discusses growing prevalence of functional tics and the impacts of TikTok
Oct. 29, 2021—An international phenomenon of involuntary movements and vocalizations in adolescent girls, similar to the tics seen in Tourette syndrome, is now believed to be a functional movement disorder. The causes of this epidemic are unclear, but TikTok and other social medial platforms may be important contributors. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt typically sees...
Dusetzina discusses pharmaceutical companies and prescription drug marketing
Oct. 25, 2021—Congress’s ambitious plans to expand health coverage are crashing up against one of the great questions in health policy: Can they force the pharmaceutical industry to hold down prescription drug prices without sacrificing the medical innovation that could lead to new treatments and cures in the future? Two things help determine how much a pharmaceutical company makes from a...
Indigenous communities deserve consent too, says Tsosie
Oct. 22, 2021—In 2017, a team of scientists successfully extracted the DNA of members of a Pueblo community who were buried starting around 1,300 years ago in what is now Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. The DNA suggested that these people had lived in a matrilineal society, with power passed down through generations of mothers. The paper was a...
Halasa questions the relationship between COVID and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
Oct. 22, 2021—Like most other kids with covid, Dante and Michael DeMaino seemed to have no serious symptoms. Infected in mid-February, both lost their senses of taste and smell. Dante, 9, had a low-grade fever for a day or so. Michael, 13, had a “tickle in his throat,” said their mother, Michele DeMaino, of Danvers, Massachusetts. Hospital staffers...
Schaffner shares future hopes for COVID vaccines and elderly populations
Oct. 22, 2021—Fatal breakthrough Covid-19 infections among people who have been fully vaccinated, like former Secretary of State Colin Powell, are rare. But experts say such deaths show the need for society as a whole to protect its most vulnerable: those of advanced age and those with compromised immune systems. Powell, who died Monday of Covid complications, met both...
Creech explains challenges with pediatric vaccine trials
Oct. 15, 2021—Research to develop successful vaccines to help slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has taken place very publicly and at a historically fast pace. More recently, as the delta variant caused a surge in cases and threatened the safety of children returning to school, researchers have labored to finish pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trials and companies have...
Clayton discusses religious exemptions with COVID-19 vaccines
Oct. 13, 2021—With COVID-19 vaccine mandates proliferating across the country in the public and private sectors as well as some school districts, the pushback from those unwilling or hesitant to get their shots is heating up. The vaccination effort has raised new questions about exemptions because mandates for adults are generally rare outside of settings like healthcare...
Katz sees increase in children with MIS-C after latest COVID surge
Oct. 7, 2021—More than 195 cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have been reported statewide since May 2020, according to Tennessee Department of Health data. The number of cases has more than tripled since early February when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed about 51 cases in Tennessee. Pediatricians at Monroe Carell...
Schaffner comments on quadrivalent flu vaccines
Oct. 7, 2021—William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center: The entire influenza vaccine manufacturing industry has been moving toward quadrivalent vaccines for a decade. And this year, everybody is there in all their formulations. That’s great since every vaccine will protect against four strains of the influenza virus. Quad is associated with about...
Kids’ colds didn’t take a break during the pandemic, says Halasa
Oct. 4, 2021—As cases of influenza and other respiratory viruses plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic for kids and adults alike, rhinovirus and enterovirus continued to infect children at typical rates, a multicenter study suggested. In a surveillance analysis involving more than 35,000 children who presented to emergency departments or were hospitalized for acute respiratory illness, 29.6% tested...
Tsosie uses biomedical research to seek genomic justice
Oct. 1, 2021—Krystal Tsosie, M.P.H., says there’s a word for the gathering of genetic samples and data from underrepresented populations, including Indigenous people. “It’s just colonialism,” Tsosie said. “If we really want to talk about justice and genomic justice, then we really have to talk about data equity. And also empowering data decisions from Indigenous communities like...
Talbot discusses CDC’s plan for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots
Oct. 1, 2021—The Covid-19 vaccine booster shot’s side effects appear to largely mirror how people felt after their second dose, according to a study published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot, an associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said she was not surprised by the apparent...
Schaffner discusses possible side effects of the COVID-19 booster shot
Sep. 30, 2021—COVID-19 booster shots have been authorized for a select group of people in the U.S. who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. And, if you’re one of them, you probably have some questions about what potential side effects you could experience after getting your third dose. Now, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) breaks down...
Talbot comments on health care workers and COVID booster shots
Sep. 27, 2021—The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger adults with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore...
Schaffner discusses offering Pfizer booster vaccines to those who qualify
Sep. 27, 2021—Starting Friday, Metro Nashville Public Health began offering Pfizer booster vaccines to those who qualify. “If you have a series of underlying illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and the like. You’re also eligible,” explained Dr. William Schaffner, a global infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Schaffner says boosters are a new,...
Schaffner talks to The Washington Post about COVID-19 vaccine boosters
Sep. 23, 2021—A second shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosts protection against symptomatic and severe covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the drug company announced early Tuesday. Those booster shots also generated additional antibodies, molecules churned out by the immune system to help fight off infections. “It’s very exciting news,” said Vanderbilt University Medical...
Fill named Top 40 Under 40 in Public Health
Sep. 21, 2021—As the deputy state epidemiologist, Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill has played an important role in helping Tennessee combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Serving as a liaison between the on-the-ground public health teams and senior leadership at the Tennessee Department of Health and the Governor’s Office, Mary Margaret has helped officials explain the intricacies of the underlying data...
Creech is looking to determine the right dose amount for the COVID-19 vaccine in children
Sep. 21, 2021—Researchers said children under 12 could be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine in time for the holidays. The FDA could give emergency approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in the next few weeks, and researchers said now is the time for parents to talk to their child’s pediatrician. “I would suggest to parents, now is...
Chung receives early investigator award from ASCPT
Sep. 20, 2021—Cecilia Chung, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine, has received the 2022 Leon I. Goldberg Early Investigator Award from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (ASCPT). The award was established in 1986 to honor scientists for accomplishments in the field of clinical pharmacology within 10 years of completing an advanced degree, residency program...
Antoon looks at severe COVID disease in children
Sep. 20, 2021—Over the course of the pandemic, researchers nationwide noticed differences in COVID-19 disease between children and adults. While risk factors for hospitalization and poor outcomes are well documented in adults, less is known about the clinical factors associated with COVID disease severity in children. In an effort to aid mitigation strategies for children who are...
Schaffner suggests masks in crowds regardless of vaccination status
Sep. 20, 2021—Concerts, festivals and sporting events are back and people are coming out in huge numbers to attend. Some of these events are requiring guests to have a negative COVID-19 test or prove they’re vaccinated. Health experts warn even with these precautions, there’s still a chance you could get infected with the virus. There have been...
Neuzil comments a large-scale COVID-19 vaccine booster rollout
Sep. 20, 2021—At the center of the COVID-19 vaccine debate are concerns about waning immunity. Though there is evidence that vaccine efficacy against infection is diminishing over time, efficacy against severe illnesses remains strong. One study found that vaccine efficacy dipped from 91 to 84 percent after six months, while efficacy against severe illness remained at 97 percent. And...
Moore and Schaffner explain the importance of both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines
Sep. 17, 2021—With flu season swiftly approaching in a country already battling a resurgence of the coronavirus, experts are urging Americans to avail themselves of any and all vaccines they are eligible for — whether it’s their first coronavirus vaccination, a booster vaccine dose to combat waning immunity or a flu shot. “It’s terribly important” to get...
Jameson discusses her child policy research on ACEs and community action
Sep. 16, 2021—Rachael Jameson, Master of Public Health ’22, conducted a practicum with the Tennessee Department of Health in the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI) with Vanderbilt MPH alumnus JW Randolph, (MPH ’18) who serves as the Assistant director. Jameson’s practicum work evaluated Tennessee’s policies around adverse childhood events (ACEs). She developed a toolkit for county health...
Schaffner comments on fake COVID-19 cures
Sep. 15, 2021—Iodine was once a popular treatment for your typical cut and scratch, and now anti-vaxx circles are claiming that gargling or snorting it works as a preventive for Covid-19. “Iodine is a disinfectant,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Its use has [slowed down] because even on scratches and cuts, its effectiveness...
Schaffner discusses recent COVID-19 testing challenges
Sep. 14, 2021—Some people have said its harder to get a COVID testing appointment, especially for rapid tests for people who need to go back to work or school. “With so much emphasis on COVID vaccinations, we haven’t thought quite as much about testing,” Vanderbilt University Dr. William Schaffner said. As we head into the fall season,...
Edwards discusses tracking COVID vaccine safety with v-safe
Sep. 9, 2021—Of the 203 million people who have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine, more than 9 million have enrolled in a program to share information about their health since getting the shot. The initiative was created for the covid-19 vaccines to complement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety monitoring...
Schaffner urges travelers to stay home if unvaccinated
Sep. 7, 2021—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a simple message for Labor Day weekend — if you’re unvaccinated, stay home. Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist, told CNBC at the time that the weekend was an “accelerator weekend” that would set the stage for the fall. “This is another holiday and we will see what the...
It’s time to curb expectations for the COVID-19 vaccine says Edwards
Sep. 7, 2021—When COVID-19 vaccines were reported last fall to be roughly 95 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections, the world rejoiced — and even veteran scientists were blown away. The vaccines are wondrous weapons, but they aren’t impenetrable armor. “We all wish that that this would be gone. That we would get a vaccine and … we would...
Clayton comments as mask debates moves to courtrooms
Aug. 31, 2021—Mask rules in public schools vary widely. Some states require them; others ban mandates. Many more leave it up to individual districts. Public health experts say masks are a key coronavirus-prevention tool that does not pose health risks for children older than toddler age, and truly effective when worn by a large number of people....
Talbot encourages parents to get the COVID-19 vaccine
Aug. 31, 2021—An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday unanimously recommended the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older, an important step that could help accelerate vaccine mandates in the United States. Some panel members said increasing vaccinations before the fall season was critical...
Griffin honored for her contributions to diversity, inclusion
Aug. 31, 2021—Marie Griffin, M.D., M.P.H., and John Sergent, M.D., were recognized for their contributions to diversity and inclusion during a portrait unveiling ceremony in Langford Auditorium on Aug. 16, sponsored by the Office of Diversity Affairs. “This is a unique day for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Our heritage of greatness...
Schaffner comments on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
Aug. 30, 2021—For many months, vaccine skeptics and critics of vaccination mandates have pointed to the fact that the coronavirus vaccines were available only under emergency-use authorizations. So when the Food and Drug Administration this week fully authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, these folks had some accounting to do. Increasingly, some of them have landed on a rather...
Creech hopes FDA approval will encourage people to get vaccinated
Aug. 27, 2021—By granting full regulatory approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, scientists say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has provided a critical tool to help the nation stem a worrisome rise in new infections driven by the Delta variant. Public health experts hope the FDA’s decision will convince people who have been wary of COVID-19 vaccines...
Children are highly contagious for Covid-19 says Hartert
Aug. 27, 2021—A new study by Public Health Ontario, published in JAMA Pediatrics finds that infants and toddlers (0-3 years) are less likely to bring SARS-CoV-2 into the home but are more likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 compared with older children (14-17 years). This study reinforces the urgent need to protect children and those they live with as they return in person to...
Schaffner comments on TN COVID-19 infections amid delta surge
Aug. 27, 2021—Tennessee surpassed 1 million coronavirus infections on Tuesday as the virus conquers the state again, filling hospitals and spreading rapidly among the unvaccinated and school-age children. Dr. William Schaffner, an expert on infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said he never initially expected Tennessee to reach 1 million infections. But coronavirus has proven a “nasty, resistant virus,” and he...
Gastineau discusses the increase in pediatric firearm encounters during the pandemic
Aug. 26, 2021—Researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt discovered an alarming finding during the height of the pandemic — a marked increase in firearm encounters among children. “A lot of pediatricians were seeing this really odd downturn trend in overall hospital encounters (in 2020),” said Kelsey Gastineau, M.D., M.P.H. candidate, a clinical fellow of...
Wiese finds no safe Opioid dose for postpartum
Aug. 26, 2021—According to a recent report published in Women’s Health Issues, filling an opioid prescription after a vaginal delivery is associated with an increased risk of serious opioid-related events, regardless of dose. The finding could significantly impact prescribing guidelines. “What this study shows is that because there is no ‘safe’ opioid dose, we recommend against routine or...
ABC News talks to Schaffner about when to get the COVID-19 booster
Aug. 25, 2021—In the next month, millions of Americans will get ready to roll up their sleeves for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But when it comes to booster shots, it’s not as simple as ‘more is more’ — it’s also a matter of when. For severely immunocompromised people, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available...
Talbot discusses the third dose option of the COVID-19 vaccine
Aug. 25, 2021—Thomas Talbot, professor of medicine and chief hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, shares information about the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, applicable to people with moderate to severe immunocompromise.
Creech is honored with a NBJ Health Care Innovation award
Aug. 19, 2021—Three leaders of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center community are among the winners of the Nashville Business Journal’s 2021 Health Care Innovation awards. The Health Care Innovation awards “honor those who pushed the region’s signature industry forward and who helped protect their communities in uncertain times.” Honorees will be featured in a special edition on Sept. 10....
CNN talks to Schaffner about new vaccination policies
Aug. 18, 2021—Some states, health care organizations and New York City say they’ll require proof of vaccination — a copy of an employee’s vaccination certificate or a version uploaded into an app on a person’s phone. But other employers say they will allow workers to self-attest that they’ve had the vaccine. “There will be some folks who...
Schaffner discusses flu during the COVID-19 pandemic
Aug. 16, 2021—It’s not a surprise viruses other than COVID started to circulate as restrictions were lifted and people started to gather. But, one in particular, called RSV has caught the eye of Dr. William Schaffner a Professor of Infectious Disease at Vanderbilt. “That’s been out there in a very unseasonal fashion. That shouldn’t be here now....
NBC News talks to Talbot about approved COVID-19 vaccine booster
Aug. 16, 2021—An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Friday to recommend that certain patients with weakened immune systems receive an extra dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot, a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville,...
Self looks at vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalization
Aug. 12, 2021—In early 2020, clinical trial data showed that the current SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine effectiveness worked in preventing infections and severe illness from COVID-19 in the clinical trial setting. Now, an ongoing, multicenter study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its first data on the...
Dusetzina comments on novel solutions to produce cheaper medicines
Aug. 11, 2021—Impatient with years of inaction in Washington on prescription drug costs, U.S. hospital groups, startups and nonprofits have started making their own medicines in a bid to combat stubbornly high prices and persistent shortages of drugs with little competition. The efforts are at varying stages, but some have already made and shipped millions of doses....
Talbot discusses when the COVID vaccines will be approved for children
Aug. 11, 2021—Thomas Talbot, professor of medicine and chief hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, shares the latest available information on when COVID-19 vaccines will be approved for children under age 12.
New Clinician Spotlight: Sonya Reid
Aug. 10, 2021—Sonya Reid, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology Oncology, is a member of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Breast Cancer Research Program and sees patients at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks. Reid’s research focuses primarily on health disparities in breast cancer, young-onset breast cancer and hereditary breast cancer with a particular...
Talbot and Schaffner discuss the Delta Variant and Latest on COVID-19
Aug. 10, 2021—Listen in as Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s chief epidemiologist, Dr. Tom Talbot, and infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner, talk about the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and the most common questions about the delta variant.
Drugmakers to reduce waste under new Senate deal says Dusetzina
Aug. 6, 2021—Lawmakers who want drugmakers to repay Medicare for wasted drugs say manufacturers intentionally over-package containers to reap more revenue from the government. Without a profit motive, these companies are likely to find ways to reduce waste, said Stacie Dusetzina, a professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “If the industry knows that every...
Schaffner: Full vaccination is necessary for optimal protection against Covid-19
Aug. 6, 2021—Full vaccination is necessary for optimal protection against Covid-19 — especially the highly contagious Delta variant, which accounted for an estimated 93.4% of all cases in the US in the two weeks ending July 31. Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, echoed Walensky’s take on how vaccination lowers the intensity of Covid-19 symptoms...
Delta variant breakthrough risk is low when vaccinated says Creech
Aug. 6, 2021—While the delta variant is more contagious and may be more severe, studies show the vaccines are still effective at preventing severe illness and death, despite the small chance of breakthrough infections with them. “We don’t hear all the stories of people that came into contact with someone who had Covid and didn’t get sick,” said Dr. Buddy Creech,...
Patrick comments on pediatric COVID-19 vaccine study
Aug. 6, 2021—The number of U.S. adolescents and young adults who screened positive for depression and suicide risk increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study suggests. Researchers examined electronic health records from 68,699 people ages 12 to 21, who received primary care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The proportion of youth screening positive for depressive...
VUMC prepared to handle mass casualty events says Guillamondegui
Aug. 4, 2021—According to Dr. Oscar Guillamondegui, any trauma where three or more people are hurt is considered a mass casualty event. And Tuesday morning, as ambulances and police descended on Smile Direct Club and news of a mass casualty shooting broke in Antioch and across the nation, Dr. Guillamondegui and his staff of level 1 trauma...
Edwards comments on possible COVID-19 vaccine side effects
Aug. 4, 2021—Over half of eligible Americans have received a COVID-19 vaccine, and many have experienced common side effects – things like sore arms, maybe a fever. But some people say they have also had changes to their menstrual cycles. NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel investigates. This is just a small fraction of the many tens of millions of...
Schaffner talks to CNN about COVID-19 protocols in schools
Aug. 4, 2021—Covid-19 protocols vary across the country, but when children go back to school, districts will need to know how to respond to outbreaks quickly. Districts need to be prepared to enact contact tracing, testing, the quarantining of people who were exposed to the virus and the isolation of people with infections, Dr. William Schaffner, a...
Neuzil comments on new vaccine protection data
Aug. 2, 2021—Executives of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer predicted Wednesday that vaccine boosters would soon be needed, a declaration that came on the same day the company published data showing that its coronavirus shots remained robustly protective six months after vaccination, providing nearly complete protection against severe disease. Hours later, Israeli health officials moved toward making boosters available for older residents....
WSJ talks to Schaffner about breakthrough Covid-19 cases
Aug. 2, 2021—As the highly transmissible Delta variant spreads, more vaccinated Americans are reporting they have tested positive for Covid-19. A breakthrough infection is when someone who received a Covid-19 vaccine contracts the virus more than 14 days after they have been fully vaccinated. Breakthrough infections are rare and generally mild. Most don’t require hospitalization, according to Dr. William Schaffner, a...
Mansilla and Vaidya discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in public health
Jul. 30, 2021—Vanderbilt Master of Public Health Students Kristyne Mansilla ’22 and Avi Vaidya ’22 recently reflected on their experience in the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Virtual Student Leadership Institute (SLI). The two students were nominated by the Program to join the two-day training session during National Public Health Week in April. They joined...
Talbot discusses the delta variant
Jul. 30, 2021—Dr. Thomas Talbot, chief hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, explains what we already know about the delta variant.
ABC News talks to Schaffner about updated CDC mask guidelines
Jul. 29, 2021—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday cited new science on the transmissibility of the delta variant in revising its mask guidance to now recommend that everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission — vaccinated or not — wear a mask in public, indoor settings. The agency also called for universal masking in schools....
Dusetzina comments on federal court ruling that could legalize Medicare copays
Jul. 29, 2021—Three years ago, pharma giant Pfizer paid $24 million to settle federal allegations that it was paying kickbacks and inflating sales by reimbursing Medicare patients for out-of-pocket medication costs. By making prohibitively expensive medicine essentially free for patients, the company induced them to use Pfizer drugs even as the price of one of those medicines, covered by Medicare and Medicaid,...
Talbot’s Influenza network sizes up COVID
Jul. 26, 2021—Compared to adults hospitalized with influenza, adults hospitalized with COVID-19 during the initial months of the pandemic had 15 times the risk of admission to intensive care, 16 times the risk of being placed on a ventilator, and 20 times the risk of death during hospitalization. That’s according to a report in Clinical Infectious Diseases by H. Keipp Talbot, MD, MPH, and fellow investigators in the Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network,...
Schaffner comments on COVID-19 boosters and vaccine safety
Jul. 23, 2021—Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Thursday to make recommendations on how to address new safety issues concerning the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and to review preliminary data on whether Covid-19 vaccine boosters will be needed in the future — especially for people with compromised immune systems. Dr. William...
Current MPH student Antoon talks to Time Magazine about why RSV Is having an off-season surge
Jul. 23, 2021—Dr. James Antoon, an assistant professor of pediatrics at VanderbiltUniversity Medical Center, often goes an entire summer without diagnosing a single case of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The common illness, which typically results in mild, cold-like symptoms but can be severe in infants and elderly adults, usually goes along with the winter flu season. But...
Edwards talks to the NYT about summer viruses
Jul. 23, 2021—Yes, the summer cold and cough season really is worse than usual. Months of pandemic restrictions aimed at Covid-19 had the unintended but welcome effect of stopping flu, cold and other viruses from spreading. But now that masks are off and social gatherings, hugs and handshakes are back, the run-of-the-mill viruses that cause drippy noses,...
Viruses are landing kids in the ICU this summer says Creech
Jul. 21, 2021—An unseasonal surge of winter viruses is landing children in the hospital in the middle of summer. The illnesses include severe colds, croup, which causes a severe cough, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, saw a similar rise in...
Dusetzina discusses drug spending as part of new infrastructure deal
Jul. 21, 2021—Blocked from boosting revenues through enhanced Internal Revenue Service enforcement, congressional Democrats are turning to reducing drug spending as a possible way to salvage their $600 billion bipartisan infrastructure deal. The Biden administration agreed in February to push back the implementation of the rule until 2023, instead of 2022. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which represents pharmacy benefit...
NBC News talks to Creech about COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 12
Jul. 19, 2021—A report from NBC News says emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccines in children under 12 could come in early to midwinter, a Food and Drug Administration official said Thursday, a move that could bring relief to many parents who have been unable to vaccinate their children. The agency hopes to then move quickly to full approval of...
Schaffner discusses travel restrictions during COVID-19
Jul. 19, 2021—“I have for a long time regarded the travel restrictions with some skepticism,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University. “I thought it was akin to preventing people from pouring a bucket of water into a swimming pool. We have rampant Covid in our country.” While officials had initially hoped to lift...
COVID has made rehab harder for pregnant women says Patrick
Jul. 19, 2021—With the rise of the opioid epidemic, there has been a growing movement among health care professionals and state social workers to help mothers get sober rather than punish their drug use by taking away their babies, which can have lifelong effects. But such programs are a rarity in the world of rehab, and experts...
Drug importation isn’t a sustainable fix for U.S. drug prices says Dusetzina
Jul. 13, 2021—Drug importation isn’t a sustainable fix for high U.S. drug prices, policy analysts warn, even if the new administration has a better relationship with Canada. “While it is possible that the relationship between Canada and U.S. has improved with the change in leadership, it still isn’t clear that Canada would be willing to or capable...
Schaffner comments on possible COVID booster shot as Delta variant spreads
Jul. 12, 2021—Pfizer and partner BioNTech plan to ask U.S. and European regulators within weeks to authorize a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, based on evidence of greater risk of infection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control...
Williams Assistant Director for Educator Development Program
Jul. 8, 2021—Elizabeth Williams, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics has begun a new role as the Assistant Director for the Educator Development Program (EDP). Williams started her path in EDP four years ago when she researched the worldwide resources for educator training and published the article titled, “Identification of Training Opportunities...
Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories says Schaffner
Jul. 8, 2021—Delta poses the most risks to the unvaccinated. A recent Associated Press analysis found almost all of the COVID-19 deaths in the US are among those who are unvaccinated. Experts have warned that unvaccinated people are not only risking their own health but risk allowing for more variants. “Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor...
Neuzil answers questions about face masks as Delta variant spreads
Jul. 7, 2021—There is mounting confusion in the U.S. over face masks after the W.H.O. recommended coverings regardless of vaccination status, but the CDC said it’s not changing its guidance. David Begnaud shows us how states are responding amid a rise in cases of the Delta variant. Then, Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a professor in vaccinology and the...