MSTP Blog
Want to make an impact? The MSTP High School Mentoring Program is recruiting!
Jun. 29, 2021—By Thao Le (G4) This summer marks one year since the start of the Vanderbilt MSTP High School Mentoring Program, which aims to provide high school students from underprivileged backgrounds with exposure to careers in medicine and biomedical research as well as opportunities for mentorship that will affirm their potential for success. Piloted during a...
Meet the 2021 MSTP Summer Scholars!
Jun. 29, 2021—This summer the Vanderbilt MSTP is hosting 7 undergraduate MSTP Summer Scholars. This summer program is designed to expose students from diverse backgrounds to the career of a physician-scientist and help prepare them to apply to MD/PhD programs. These students are on campus for 9 weeks completing a research project and gaining clinical shadowing experience. In...
MSTPublications: June 2021
Jun. 25, 2021—Western-style diet consumption impairs maternal insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism during pregnancy in a Japanese macaque model. Elsakr JM, Zhao SK, Ricciardi V, Dean TA, Takahashi DL, Sullivan E, Wesolowski SR, McCurdy CE, Kievit P, Friedman JE, Aagaard KM, Edwards DRV, Gannon M. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 21;11(1):12977. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92464-w. The prevalence of maternal obesity...
Meet the Vanderbilt MSTP Incoming Class of 2021!
Jun. 25, 2021—The Vanderbilt MSTP is excited to introduce the incoming class of 2021, who started the program orientation on June 15th. They hail from all over the world, and we are delighted to have such a diverse group of people join our program. Welcome, new M1s! Adam Abdulrahman Hometown: Chapin, South Carolina College: Clemson University, Major: Bioengineering, 2021 Research...
Honors and Awards – June 2021
Jun. 25, 2021—Congratulations to Xavier Bledsoe (G2) for winning first place for the best junior graduate student Human Genetics talk for the 2020-21 academic year! Congratulations to Evonne McArthur (G3) for winning second place for the best senior graduate student Human Genetics talk for the 2020-21 academic year! Congratulations Thao Le (G4) for receiving the inaugural Graduate Leadership Anchor Award! These awards were designed by...
Congratulations to the MSTP students who recently completed their thesis defenses!
Jun. 23, 2021—Note: All individuals pictured without masks in the same photo are members of the same household or are vaccinated.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May. 24, 2021—1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease The suicide rate among male physicians is 1.41 times higher than the general male population. And among female physicians, the relative risk is even more pronounced...
Life in the MSTP – May 2021
May. 24, 2021—Congratulations to Jay Kang (G3) and Ben Fowler (G3) on their engagement! Congratulations to Joseph Ramsey (M1) and Annie on their engagement! The M1’s and M4’s had an inter-class meeting for some of the M4 students to share their wisdom and parting thoughts as they graduate (woo!) and go on to residency! Congratulations to the M4...
MSTPublications: May 2021
May. 24, 2021—Safety and efficacy of genetic MECP2 supplementation in the R294X mouse model of Rett syndrome. Collins BE, Merritt JK, Erickson KR, Neul JL. Genes Brain Behav. 2021 May 3:e12739. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12739. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33942492 Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused predominantly by loss-of-function mutations in MECP2, encoding transcriptional modulator methyl-CpG-binding protein...
Reflections on the 2020-2021 SAC and the MSTP Community
May. 24, 2021—by Maxwell Roeske (G3) During the final Student Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting of the 2019-2020 academic year, an MSTP student noted that it was bizarre to still be meeting virtually. Over one year later (and still meeting virtually…), it’s clear that nobody could have predicted how the last academic year would go. This past year...
Wisdom from the Graduating Class of 2021
May. 20, 2021—In order to honor and celebrate our 2021 graduating class, the Vanderbilt MSTP dedicated our last seminar series of the year to our graduates. Over Zoom, we shared memory videos and gave each graduate a few minutes to share some wisdom, words of advice, and gratitude with our program. Their invaluable advice to our younger...
Honors and Awards – May 2021
May. 19, 2021—Josh Thompson (’20) and family celebrate at the Vanderbilt 2020 Commencement Ceremony! Congratulations to Kelsey McNew (G4) for receiving the Vanderbilt LGBTQI Life Advocate of the Year Award. This award is given to someone who lives their commitment to justice and is a posture for service. This person centers intentionality, uses their position in the...
MSTPublications: April 2021
Apr. 30, 2021—Cytochrome bd promotes Escherichia coli biofilm antibiotic tolerance by regulating accumulation of noxious chemicals. Beebout CJ, Sominsky LA, Eberly AR, Van Horn GT, Hadjifrangiskou M. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2021 Apr 16;7(1):35. doi: 10.1038/s41522-021-00210-x. Nutrient gradients in biofilms cause bacteria to organize into metabolically versatile communities capable of withstanding threats from external agents including bacteriophages, phagocytes,...
MSTP Leadership Workshop I
Apr. 30, 2021—by Matt Madden (G4) On April 23, the G1 and G2 classes participated in Leadership Workshop I. The workshop is designed to equip junior graduate students with skills not ordinarily covered by medical and graduate school curricula. Originally scheduled for October 2020, the planning committee adjusted to COVID and held the event completely over Zoom....
A Quick Guide to Housing in Nashville
Apr. 30, 2021—The above map of Nashville highlights some of the areas where students commonly live. Read on for some information about a few of the more popular areas. The Nashville Guru (http://nashvilleguru.com/neighborhoods) is also an awesome website to get a more thorough look into each area! Walking distance from campus There are a number of neighborhoods...