VUMC News and Communications

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center led by Billy Hudson, Elliot V. Newman Professor of Medicine, Pathology and Biochemistry and Director, Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology, have discovered a new chemical bond in biological tissue, a fundamental discovery that helps explain evolutionary adaptation in the animal kingdom and may shed light on human disease.

Vanderbilt chemist David Cliffel has received a grant from the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation to assess the potential of an advanced cell monitoring system for reducing the use of animals in toxicity testing.

New research indicates that decreased cravings for pleasure may be at the root of a core symptom of major depressive disorder. The research is in contrast to the long-held notion that those suffering from depression lack the ability to enjoy rewards, rather than the desire to seek them.

Jason Martin, a fellow in allergy, pulmonary and critical care medicine, is part of an interdisciplinary team at Vanderbilt University that has come up with a high-tech approach to combat this deadly illness, which is one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States and kills more than half a million people worldwide every year.

Vanderbilt University announced today that it has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support an innovative global health research project conducted by Senior Research Associate Guirong Wang, titled "Targeting TRP Channel Heat Receptors to Disrupt Anopheles gambiae Host Seeking."

Current issues surrounding the national HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on the Nashville community will be explored at an April 25 conference at the Edgehill United Methodist Church.