News
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,...