VUMC News and Communications

Do dyslexia, ADHD and speech and language disorders occur jointly in some children because of a shared genetic cause? Bruce Pennington, Ph.D., a world-renowned geneticist, will address this question in a lecture in the series on development and developmental disabilities on Thursday, April 8, at 4 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.

Vaccines, drugs, diagnostic devices and medical surveillance are all crucial tools in the fight against bioterrorism and emerging infectious disease, but experts say they are not enough, and Congress has asked a group of national experts in the field, which includes the National Center for Emergency Preparedness (NCEP), housed at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, to target new ways to increase the level of personnel preparedness.

Vanderbilt Medical Center will expand its LifeFlight helicopter air ambulance program by adding a base in Lebanon, Tennessee, and purchasing three new state-of-the-art helicopters at a cost of $5.4 million each.

Soccer World sporting goods specialty shop has chosen Vanderbilt Children's Hospital as a beneficiary of Soccer World Super Clasico (SWSC), the first major international soccer match to be held in Tennessee. Vanderbilt Children's CEO, Jim Shmerling, joined representatives of Soccer World, the two participants, the LA Galaxy and the UAG Tecos, and Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell Tuesday at the Coliseum to make the announcement.

The new Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Clinic is now open for business in Franklin, Tenn. Developed by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the new clinic provides orthopaedic care in hand, spine, shoulder and sports medicine, in addition to on-site physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Bill Turner never knew that drinking a popular soda could adversely affect his recovery from a double-lung transplant. What ensued was a true medical mystery, leading to the identification of a new food and drug interaction.