As the weather finally begins to warm across Middle Tennessee, families may be looking for some outdoor diversions, such as visiting a local park. The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is offering tips to keep playground visits safe and injury-free.

Vanderbilt will hold a free head and neck cancer screening day, Friday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Odess Head and Neck Surgery Clinic, 7209 Medical Center East, South Tower. The Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences is located at 1215 21st Ave. S. and parking is available in the East Garage.

Travis Clark, Ph.D., technical director of Sequencing in the VANTAGE core laboratories, shows a tour group how DNA fragments are loaded onto “flow cells” for reading by “next-generation” sequencing machines.

Eric Gehrie, M.D., a Pathology resident, discusses his group’s poster with Amaris Keiser, M.D., left, and Digna Velez Edwards, Ph.D., during the 31st Annual Research Forum last week.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center continues to gain national recognition as a leading employer dedicated to the health of employees.

During Cardiovascular Research Day, keynote speaker Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., second from left, associate professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, visits with Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute’s Sergio Fazio, M.D., Ph.D., left, MacRae Linton, M.D., Thomas Wang, M.D., David Harrison, M.D., and Dan Roden, M.D.