VUMC News and Communications

The first word that Jessica Meyer thought of was “hope.” She and her friend, Alexandra, had just sat down with some paper and a box of crayons to spend an hour or so drawing holiday cards in between appointments at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Using the same mechanism that causes evaporating coffee to leave a ring behind, an interdisciplinary team of Vanderbilt researchers is designing a simple blood test to diagnose malaria in the developing world without electricity or special training.

Vanderbilt biologists played an important supporting role in a major genetic study of malaria-carrying mosquitoes published this week in the journal "Science."

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a new target for the prevention of atherosclerotic plaque development and cardiovascular disease.

A particular gene is associated with a specific type of inflammatory response in people with asthma – a finding that could suggest new therapeutic targets for treating asthma.