News
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...