Meet the New PSTP Associate College Advisor for Stahlman-Thomas: Dr. Robert Corty, MD, PhD
by Yash Pershad (G2)
Robert Corty, MD, PhD, is a rheumatology fellow in the Harrison Society and a new PSTP advisor for Stahlman-Thomas college.
Dr. Corty grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida and completed MD-PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020. His doctoral research focused on novel statistical approaches for genetic linkage studies in model organisms, establishing his foundation in statistical genetics and computational modeling.
After graduating from UNC, Corty came to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for his internal medicine internship in 2020 and residency in 2021. It was here that his clinical and research interests evolved toward autoimmunity, leading him to pursue a rheumatology fellowship and join Dr. Alex Bick’s lab. His current research investigates how somatic mutations can trigger autoimmunity and autoinflammation, with a particular focus on VEXAS syndrome—an autoimmune condition caused by somatic mutations in UBA1.
When asked about what advice he would give MSTP students, Robert said, “You can’t lose sight of how special it is to work on the front lines taking care of sick people, seeing where our current approaches succeed and fail, and then have the time and resources to investigate how we can do better.” His career demonstrates how foundational skills—especially quantitative ones—can be applied across different scientific domains to make discoveries that impact patients.
When not in the lab or clinic, Dr. Corty enjoys running at Shelby Bottoms Park in East Nashville and appreciating all coffee, both great and mediocre. In the evenings, you might find him engaged in a chess game on Lichess.org or unwinding with satirical comedy shows like “I Think You Should Leave.” He and his wife Maithri recently welcomed their daughter Suhana.
Dr. Corty often reflects on how some of his closest friendships were formed during his MSTP training. “These are people who understand exactly what you’re going through, and many become lifelong friends and collaborators… don’t ever take that for granted.”
As both researcher and clinician, Dr. Corty embodies the physician-scientist ideal—someone who moves effectively between computational approaches and clinical insights while maintaining the human connections that make medicine meaningful. For Vanderbilt MSTP students seeking a mentor who balances scientific excellence with life beyond the lab, Dr. Robert Corty offers an inspiring example to follow. Robert made sure to add, “Don’t be a stranger. Feel free to reach out if I can be of help to you!”