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For a special issue of the Trends in Chemistry journal focused on nucleic acid chemistry, the artist created a cover which depicts RNA folding itself into “origami.” Using this concept, the artist Rana Barua interposed a well-known origami shape, the crane, and transitioned it into RNA. (art by Rana Barua/VI4 Artist-in-Residence program supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund)

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Tech & Health

Research that reaches patients: A conversation with Wesley Self and Jill Pulley

Research and art both approach the world with a fresh perspective. This art gallery features work by undergraduate student artists who participated in the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation Artist-in-Residence (VI4-AiR) program. Supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the VI4-AiR program brings together scientists and artists to create and promote art as a visual science communication tool.
Features

Paging Dr. AI?

 By Paul Govern
Transplant

Unlocking diabetes’ secrets: Pediatric organ donors help map a path to a cure and prevention

 By Jill Clendening
Cancer

Q&A: Translational scientists aim to improve cellular therapies

 By Tom Wilemon
(iStock)
Women’s Health

Liquid biopsy predicts response to breast cancer immunotherapy

 By Bill Snyder

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What's old might be new again

Features

Old drugs, new uses

Patient Spotlight

Drug lifts ‘brain fog’ from lupus patients: Clinical trial

An estimated 200,000 people in the United States have lupus. About 80% of them experience “brain fog,” cognitive problems that impair learning, memory and attention. The EG501 study was the inaugural project of Vanderbilt Health’s Drug Repurposing program.

Cancer

New research: Heart drug may also limit the spread of cancer

For the past 20 years, Vanderbilt Health researchers have been studying ifetroban for its potential to treat conditions ranging from fibrotic lung disease to heart failure in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Common asthma drugs may help guide new treatments for Parkinson’s disease

New research findings suggest that drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for other conditions might be repurposed to restore normal cell function in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Tech & Health

Study finds a role for AI in drug repurposing pipeline

Vanderbilt researchers are using artificial intelligence to search for existing drugs used for other problems that might help patients Alzheimer’s Disease.

Where curiosity takes shape

Cover of the VI4 AiR (Artist-in-Residence) 2022 annual report: B cells, antibodies and strands of free-flowing DNA represent B cell genome modification and the formation of unique antibodies. Illustration by Nadia Kafil, a UT-Austin biochemistry major who participated in the nationwide AiR program in the lab of Columbia University professor Uttiya Basu, PhD.

Vanderbilt Vaccine Center to begin artist-in-residence program this fall

The six-month-long “Visualizing Virology” residency is an extension of the VI4 Artist-in-Residence Program established in 2019 by the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation (VI4), and supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

‘Molecular Muse’ exhibit features Artist-in-Residence program’s science-inspired art

The “Molecular Muse” art exhibit on display in Light Hall is a sampling of pieces from the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation Artist-in-Residence (VI4-AiR) program, which brings together scientists and artists to create and promote art as a visual science communication tool.

Artist Anjali Kumari, an undergraduate student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, worked with Vanderbilt PhD student Kelsey Pilewski on this piece that depicts co-infection by two viruses, HIV (blue) and HCV (red), and the evolution of antibodies to combat virus infection.

Grant helps expand VI4’s Artist-in-Residence program

An innovative Vanderbilt program that brings together scientists and artists with the shared goal of scientific communication is set to expand with support from a three-year grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

T cells (orange) engage with cancer cells (blue). Halle Borowski, an artist and senior at the College of William and Mary, worked with Drs. Mary Philip and Jess Roetman to create this oil painting, inspired by their research, as part of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation (VI4) Artist-in-Residence program (https://www.artlab-air.com/).
Cancer

Tumor antigens key to improving cancer immunotherapy: study

An undergraduate artist worked with the Vanderbilt researchers to create this oil painting, inspired the research. They are working to better design immune therapies that attack tumors without also attacking healthy normal tissue in patients.

Portraits from the lab

From the Archive: For vaccine researcher Crowe, every hour counts

Howard Price’s decades-old notebook of diagnostic recipes came in handy when VUMC ran short of a component crucial to COVID-19 testing efforts.
COVID

Price’s old laboratory recipe book proves to be invaluable

Howard Price has a decades-old green notebook he keeps in his office at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and when a shortage of a critical laboratory supply nearly brought testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to a halt at the Medical Center, the notebook’s contents quickly became invaluable.

Tales of VUMC Past

The pediatrician, the resident, the strawberry monster, and the zebra

Dr. William “Buck” Donald was a Vanderbilt Pediatrics legend. In his long career caring for children, he treated many routine conditions — and some that were not routine. Medical people have a term for the not routine — “zebras.”

Features

How zebrafish — and many hands — solve the ‘jigsaw puzzles’ of human disease 

Ela Knapik, MD, professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has devoted her career to collaborating with others to solve the “jigsaw puzzles” of disease. Her lab is known internationally for its use of modern genome-editing techniques in a powerful animal model — zebrafish.

Voice

The elusive Nobel Prize winner

Stanley Cohen wanted to be left alone to do his research. I wanted to interview him for a radio show. Amazingly, he said yes.

Employee Spotlight

Following the clues through time: Old mummies, old bones and old teeth lead to new insight into disease for Katherine Van Schaik

Radiology fellow moves from present-day patients to historical artifacts to understand health and illness

Pediatrics

Vanderbilt mourns the loss of neonatal medicine pioneer Mildred Stahlman

Mildred T. Stahlman, MD, who pioneered the treatment of lung disease in premature infants and who was a tireless advocate of children of all ages, died June 29. She was 101.

The Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute team members involved in the robotic central line device trial are, from left to right, Vineet Agrawal, MD, PhD; Ida Oudomsouk, RN; Aniket Rali, MD; Jessenia Mejia (back), Blake Yoder, RN (back), Celia Nunez (front) and Carly Foley, RN (front). (photo courtesy/Aniket Rali)
Tech & Health

Vanderbilt Health uses novel robotic device to place central lines in FDA trial  

A Chattanooga patient says she’s feeling great after becoming the first to receive the robotic‑assisted central line in Nashville.

 By Matt Batcheldor
Tech & Health

Study identifies medical conditions that could predict future Alzheimer’s disease

 By Leigh MacMillan

Heart failure risk higher in rural areas: study

 By Craig Boerner

Spirituality may help reduce end-stage kidney disease risk

 By Emily Stembridge
Cancer

Study evaluates how environment impacts cancer risk

 By Tom Wilemon
Imaging

Ancient teeth, enduring patterns: Mummy study supports oral-cardiovascular disease link

 By Bill Snyder

Small code, big difference: genetics research at work

Ann Walker, Research Assistant III, spins blood samples on a carousel prior to DNA extraction.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s BioVU reaches milestone with biological samples

BioVU, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s biobank, has reached another milestone — deep-freeze storage of more than 300,000 biological samples.

The freezer room in the off campus Biospecimen Storage Facility that houses BioVU.
Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine

BioVU celebrates 15 years supporting personalized medicine

BioVU is celebrating its 15th year and has enabled hundreds of studies and publications exploring the genetic underpinnings of a host of conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. 

VUMC’s new automated biobanking system can store as many as 10 million biospecimens.
Business Innovation

Alliance for Genomic Discovery completes 250,000 whole genomes to accelerate drug discovery

The milestone creates one of the largest, most comprehensive clinical genomic datasets of its kind; multiomic data to be added in next phase of program.

Genetics & Genomics

Vanderbilt Health and UAB partner to help more clinicians use genomic medicine in everyday care

The project, called the Southeast Genomic Medicine Service, or SE-GEMS, will create a genomic eConsult service that allows clinicians to ask practical questions about genetic testing, test interpretation and next steps in care.

Women's Health

Genomic testing finds a higher prevalence of high-risk breast cancer in Black women

These findings highlight the critical need for tumor genomic testing for all patients to identify those with high-risk tumors, which occur more frequently in Black women, and which require more aggressive treatment to prevent recurrence.

(Adobestock)
Genetics & Genomics

Beethoven’s genes reveal low predisposition for beat synchronization

What the exceptional composer’s DNA tells us about genetics

Genetics & Genomics

Large-scale study uncovers 57 genetic hotspots into stuttering origins

The video is produced by the research team to explain the results of the study. Findings from the largest genetic analysis of stuttering are published in Nature Genetics; they point to 48 genes associated with stuttering and highlight neurological pathways of risk.

(iStock)
Genetics & Genomics

Vanderbilt scientists discover shared genetic foundations between musical rhythm and human language

The study revealed overlapping genetic underpinnings between rhythm-related skills and language-related traits, including dyslexia.

Genetics & Genomics

VUMC part of multisite team investigating genetic markers of anorexia nervosa

With funding from the newly established Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation, the researchers hope to identify biomarkers that will point to novel targets for prevention and treatment.

Fall 2022

Endangered Species

Examining VUSM programs that protect the physician-scientist population

Tales of VUMC Past

There is a reminder, hiding in plain sight in the architecture of Medical Center North, of how VUMC dealt with a deadly infectious disease almost 100 years ago

An open-air porch for tuberculosis patients was built into the old Vanderbilt Hospital — and it’s still visible if you know where to look

Trek from lab to prescription pad

Every treatment on a pharmacy shelf started as an idea in a lab, years and millions of dollars earlier. Here are a few projects making that journey.

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(iStock)

VUMC discovery aids effort to stop a deadly virus in Rwanda

By Bill Snyder
(iStock)

Vanderbilt, Parse Biosciences scientists envision an antibody ‘atlas’ for measles, mumps, rubella

By Bill Snyder
Research assistant Mahsa Majedi loads reagent used in DNA sample preparation in the genomics lab. She is part of a team of more than a dozen people at VUMC who are “sprinting” to develop — within 90 days — an antibody-based treatment to stop the spread of the Zika virus.

VUMC, Oxford team develops ‘blueprint’ to block lethal virus

By Bill Snyder

VUMC chikungunya antibody set to enter clinical trial

By Bill Snyder

Nashville Biosciences and Illumina announce agreement to establish preeminent clinico-genomic resource for life sciences research & development

By Bill Snyder

Alliance for Genomic Discovery expands with Regeneron Genetics Center membership and new proteomics data offering

The Alliance for Genomic Discovery announces founding biopharma members: AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer and Merck

By Vanderbilt Health News

The Alliance for Genomic Discovery welcomes Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Novo Nordisk

(iStock)

VUMC to test whether Alzheimer’s drug can ease lupus symptoms

By Bill Snyder

Vanderbilt, Bayer collaborate to develop new therapies against kidney diseases

By Vanderbilt Health News

Bayer and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to advance treatments for cardiovascular and kidney diseases 

Vanderbilt Health is first US site for advanced clinical testing platform

By Leigh MacMillan

Vanderbilt Health and Bertis establish collaboration for cancer drug discovery

Working behind the scenes to keep you well

A 3D rendering shows one of the isolated antibodies, FluB-393, (blue) binding to the neuraminidase surface glycoprotein (red) of the influenza type B virus to prevent infection. (illustration by Elad Binshtein, PhD, and Anthony Czelusniak)
Infectious Diseases

Antibodies may aid effort to fight influenza B: study

The findings reported in the journal Immunity support the development of a monoclonal antibody for prevention and treatment of influenza B — and will help guide efforts to develop a universal influenza vaccine.

 By Bill Snyder
(iStock)
Infectious Diseases

Anti-Marburg antibody from Vanderbilt Health sent to Ethiopia during outbreak

 By Bill Snyder
(iStock)
Infectious Diseases

VUMC, DOD join forces for a hantavirus antibody ‘sprint’

 By Bill Snyder
Vaccines

Chikungunya antibody identified at VUMC moves forward

 By Bill Snyder
Cody Stubblefield, RN, gives the first of two injections of an antibody combination to Caroline Davis to protect her from COVID-19.
COVID

Patient receives antibodies discovered at Vanderbilt to prevent COVID-19 illness

 By Bill Snyder
Research assistant Mahsa Majedi loads reagent used in DNA sample preparation in the genomics lab. She is part of a team of more than a dozen people at VUMC who are “sprinting” to develop — within 90 days — an antibody-based treatment to stop the spread of the Zika virus.
Vaccines

Research team isolates antibodies that may prevent rare polio-like illness in children linked to a respiratory infection

 By Vanderbilt Health News
Vaccines

VUMC-led team isolates antibody that blocks bird flu

 By Bill Snyder
Lab manager Rachel Nargi prepares a B-cell culture during the recent “sprint” to develop an antibody-based treatment for Zika virus infection.

VUMC-led team ‘sprints’ to develop Zika virus treatment

 By Bill Snyder

Growing with Middle Tennessee

From regional hospitals and specialty clinics, Vanderbilt Health shows up where Tennesseans live because health doesn’t begin or end at the clinic door.

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Vanderbilt contributes $22.13 billion to Tennessee, Nashville economies since 2019 

New VUMC hospital expansion to be named Jim Ayers Tower

By Nancy Humphrey

Medical Center North at 100: Celebrating a century of progress, innovation and change

By Wayne Wood, Jill Clendening and Evan Dorian

New Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories facility, renovations will benefit patients

By Jill Clendening

Vanderbilt Health acquires Tennova’s Clarksville hospital and related physician clinics from Community Health Systems

By John Howser

VUMC and Heritage Medical Associates to share medical records beginning Nov. 1

By Paul Govern

Expanded space enhances care for pediatric cancer patients

By Nancy Humphrey

Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital becomes county’s first trauma center

By Vanderbilt Health News

Vanderbilt Imaging Services Q&A: expanding community access and supporting system growth 

By Holly Fletcher
Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital’s (VWCH) Emergency Department transitioned to become part of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

Investments advance emergency medicine services at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital

By Kelsey Herbers

Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital: 5 years

By Danny Bonvissuto
Each room of the new space at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt allows for rooming-in options for families seeking overnight accommodations. (photo by Susan Urmy)

Final floor’s opening completes expansion of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

By Christina Echegaray
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Lebanon is located at at 1616 West Main St., Suite 101, in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Lebanon moves to new location 

By Tom Wilemon

New Vanderbilt University Hospital Labor and Delivery entrance helps patients bypass Emergency Department

By Danny Bonvissuto
The move of Vanderbilt LifeFlight’s fixed-wing air ambulance to Lebanon Municipal Airport allows for quicker response times to emergency requests.

LifeFlight moves fixed-wing air ambulance base to Lebanon

By Jerry Jones

Vanderbilt LifeFlight expands ground ambulance service to Tullahoma

By Jerry Jones

VUMC leases former AT&T Center in Brentwood for future development

By John Howser

From steakhouse to sanctuary: Vanderbilt Birth Center celebrates 10 years

By Danny Bonvissuto