News
Gillaspie is hopeful about newly expanded lung cancer screening guidelines
Apr. 7, 2021—Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Tennessee, according to CDC data. Dr. Erin Gillaspie, a thoracic surgeon at Vanderbilt, is a passionate advocate for regular lung screening. She said the CT scan only has a minimal amount of radiation and that technological and research advances only increase the odds of successfully detecting and...
Schaffner discusses double mutant COVID variant
Apr. 7, 2021—The CDC has a special list of variants that the organization is keeping an eye on, with labeling to indicate how concerned the CDC is about any particular variant. Right now the CDC lists variants like B.1.1.7, P.1 and B.1.351 as “variants of concern,” which means they have evidence of being more contagious and causing more severe...
Kumah-Crystal redefines telehealth
Apr. 7, 2021—Avatars, virtual waiting rooms, virtual scribes, in-home testing devices, “syndromatic” facial analysis using AI and machine learning, screen-sharing, and sentiment analysis… There are many exciting innovation possibilities on the horizon that will make telemedicine even more productive, informative, helpful and dare I say fun and personable, than current, in-person doctor visits. Several weeks ago I...
Chung: Codeine metabolizer status in clinical practice
Apr. 7, 2021—Codeine — widely prescribed for pain — is inactive until it is metabolized to morphine by the enzyme CYP2D6. CYP2D6 activity is affected by genetic variation with “poor metabolizers” (PMs) producing almost no morphine from codeine and “intermediate metabolizers” (IMs) having reduced benefit. Most patients receive codeine without CYP2D6 genotyping, and the utility of testing for...
McPheeters discusses why TN seniors are still dying from COVID-19
Apr. 6, 2021—Older Tennesseans were prioritized in the vaccine rollout, but many have yet to receive their first shot. That’s because most elderly residents who live at home weren’t part of Tennessee’s vigorous effort to vaccinate nursing home residents. Because immunity is not immediate after a shot and because vaccine demand outweighs supply, people are still dying at...
Aliyu elected to ASCI
Apr. 1, 2021—Two faculty members of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine are among 80 physician-scientists who will be inducted this year into 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: Muktar Aliyu, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, professor of Health Policy and Medicine;...
Neuzil discusses lessons learned from COVID-19
Apr. 1, 2021—Vanderbilt’s role in shaping each step of the medical response to the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 began three decades ago and is grounded in the determination of a small group of scientists to understand coronaviruses. The research, and the faculty and alumni who helped lead it, was the topic of the March 23 Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Lecture...
Schaffner concerned about vaccine hesitancy
Apr. 1, 2021—Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Professor William Schaffner of Bloomberg’s Guy Johnson and Alix Steel about his concerns about vaccine hesitancy despite the rate of vaccinations being on pace to soon overtake the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases on “Bloomberg Markets”.
Creech getting ready to recruit kids For COVID vaccine trials
Apr. 1, 2021—Clinical trials testing the COVID vaccine in children are recruiting kids in the Nashville area. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is specifically experimenting with dosages of the Moderna vaccine to determine the amount that works best for different age groups. The first phase of Vanderbilt’s pediatric study will look at children ages 6 to 11, then...
Mitchell continues to help her community in need amid a global pandemic
Apr. 1, 2021—Despite the limitations and fears associated with COVID-19, members of Vanderbilt’s MPH class of 2021 engaged in innovative public health practicum experiences this summer and ventured into countless community health organizations to understand and improve the health of the community during the COVID pandemic. Lauren Mitchell, interned for the Sycamore Institute in Nashville, TN. Mitchell...
Patrick: Preterm births in Tennessee decreased during pandemic
Mar. 26, 2021—Statewide stay-at-home orders put in place as Tennessee fought to control the spread of coronavirus last March were associated with a 14% lower rate of preterm birth, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Pediatrics. Preterm infants have higher morbidity and mortality risks than babies born at term. Senior author Stephen Patrick, MD, director...
Banerdt discusses improving care for COVID-19 in low income areas
Mar. 24, 2021—Recent alumnus, Justin Banerdt ’20 who graduated from the Global Health track of Vanderbilt’s M.P.H. program, reflected on his culminating practicum experiences and professional outlooks in a recent interview. Banerdt completed his practicum in February and March 2020 for Ethiopia Act. Ethiopia Act is a community based public health organization that addresses the needs of...
MPH faculty, alumna recognized for exemplary teaching, research and leadership
Mar. 23, 2021—Two Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty and a 2017 alumna of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Master of Public Health program have recently been recognized for their global health accomplishments from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). Marie Martin, PhD, MEd, Carolyn Audet, PhD, MSci, and Grace Umutesi, MPH, were each recently recognized by...
MPH Alumni and Students Publish a Toolkit to End Racialized Medicine
Mar. 22, 2021—This month five Vanderbilt M2s published an online toolkit sharing how med students led the charge for a VUMC-wide elimination of race-adjustment in a key measure of renal function. The resource, entitled “CAR Toolkit to End Racialized Medicine: eGFR Edition,” breaks their process down into manageable steps so that med students at other institutions can...
ABC News turns to Schaffner to discuss COVID-19 reinfections
Mar. 21, 2021—“It’s absolutely imperative that people age 65 and older get vaccinated, even if they have had previous COVID infection,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who was not involved in the research. Experts caution that reinfection isn’t necessarily something to be alarmed about. A...