News
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...