News
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...