News
Schaffner addresses status of RSV vaccine distribution and usage for older adults
Dec. 14, 2023—This year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first two vaccines that can protect older adults from respiratory syncytial virus, which leads to at least 6,000 deaths and 60,000 hospitalizations among adults 65 and older each year. This winter marks the first opportunity to see how the R.S.V. vaccines work for older adults in the real...
Belcher and colleagues advocate for more in-depth audiology screenings in infants with cleft palates to minimize risks of hearing loss
Dec. 13, 2023—Newborn screening alone cannot fully predict hearing loss in children born with a cleft palate. Hazards faced by children born with cleft palate include the risk of temporary or permanent hearing loss, particularly before their palate is repaired between 9 and 12 months. During this time, these babies are vulnerable to repeated bouts of otitis media...
Cooper named interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics
Dec. 12, 2023—William Cooper, MD, MPH, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) has been named Interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He will assume this role Feb. 1, 2024. Cooper succeeds Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP, James C. Overall Professor and Chair,...
Hung and colleagues challenge NOSTONE trial and reaffirm positive attributes of thiazide diuretics for kidney stone protection
Dec. 11, 2023—A new Vanderbilt University Medical Center genetic association study of more than 1 million adults supports the use of thiazide diuretics for kidney stone prevention. Kidney stones affect nearly 10% of the global population. For more than three decades, thiazide diuretics, a common medication used for high blood pressure, have been the standard of care...
VUMC receives $10 million research award; Heerman to lead study on childhood obesity interventions in rural and minority communities in Tennessee and Louisiana
Dec. 6, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $10 million, five-year research funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the ideal “dose” of behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity in rural and minority communities across Tennessee and Louisiana. Bill Heerman, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics a Vanderbilt, will...
Study finds many patients don’t seek more health services after receiving genetic screening results, says Wilmayani and colleagues
Nov. 24, 2023—If you sequence the DNA of adult research participants with respect to pathologic variants that, if found, could be expected to prompt diagnostic tests and perhaps also preventive measures, and you return that information to participants and their doctors along with preventive care recommendations, many of those found at risk will seek the relevant diagnostic...
Iron storage “spheres” inside the bacterium C. diff may offer targets for drug therapy, says Nicholson and colleagues
Nov. 22, 2023—Iron storage “spheres” inside the bacterium C. diff — the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections — could offer new targets for antibacterial drugs to combat the pathogen. A team of Vanderbilt researchers discovered that C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) produces the spheres, called ferrosomes, and that these structures are important for infection in an animal model....
Schaffner address rising influenza cases in the U.S.
Nov. 21, 2023—The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,...
Halasa discusses diarrheal illness challenges and successful strategies physicians can use to reduce patient discomfort
Nov. 17, 2023—Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), lists the most pressing diarrheal illness challenges and successful treatment methods to reduce the disease burden in patients. Halasa is a professor of pediatrics at VUMC, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Her research focuses on determining the burden of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses in pediatric and specialized...
Antiviral treatment, when used early, improves health outcomes in children with influenza, says Antoon
Nov. 16, 2023—Despite national medical guidelines supporting the use of antiviral medications in young children diagnosed with influenza, a recent study reports an underuse of the treatment. “Trends in Outpatient Influenza Antiviral Use Among Children and Adolescents in the United States” was published in Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Antiviral treatment, when used...
Erves joins VUMC as director of Community Engaged Research
Nov. 14, 2023—Jennifer Cunningham Erves, PhD, MPH, MAEd, MS, CHES, has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as associate professor of Health Policy, director of Community Engaged Research, Office of Health Equity, and scholar, Vanderbilt Center for Health Services Research. Erves is a public health oncology researcher focused on cancer prevention behaviors and lowering cancer disparities. Her current research...
Flu season starting late but expected to increase for the holidays, says Schaffner
Nov. 13, 2023—Flu season is ramping up, and it’s important for everyone, especially health care professionals, to not only get the flu vaccine but also educate patients about what to expect. The current flu season has started later and more gradually than last year, according to William Schaffner, MD, professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical...
Talbot and Grijalva investigate association of Acute Respiratory Illness with work attendance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Nov. 8, 2023—COVID-19 cases in the United States, first reported on January 22, 2020, began to increase in March 2020 (1). The pandemic resulted in a substantial number of employed persons being laid off or furloughed, especially during spring 2020, and increased prevalence of teleworking (2–4). Employers were advised to actively encourage employees with symptoms of any...
Riddick, MPH’24, and Bialostozky, win Graduate Student Award and Faculty Award for efforts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Nov. 2, 2023—The 22nd annual Levi Watkins Jr. MD Lecture was held on Oct. 24, honoring Watkins, who was the first African American to graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (Class of 1970), and recognizing the contributions of several Vanderbilt faculty, trainees and students who have made contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. “Dr. Watkins’ legacy is...
Beyfortus, an antibody drug approved by the CDC as an RSV vaccine alternate for infants, may be facing supply shortages, says Creech
Oct. 30, 2023—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors nationwide Monday about a limited availability of certain doses of a newly approved antibody drug given to infants to prevent RSV infection. Cases of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, have started to rise as cold and flu season begins. “RSV season is here,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a...