Health and Medicine

November 13, 2014

Standardized social, behavioral data key to EHR success

In recent years the federal government has used financial incentives and penalties to promote use of electronic health records (EHR), but in these regulations the issue of EHR data interoperability — that is, data standardization — has been left largely unresolved, dimming prospects for data exchange, population health surveillance and systematic improvement across health networks.

By Paul Govern
November 13, 2014

Physical therapy helps ease vocal muscle imbalances

For singers who suddenly can’t hit their high notes or call center workers who develop pain while speaking, physical therapy may offer new treatment solutions.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 12, 2014

New insight on oral cancer culprits

A new mouse model offers insight into the signaling pathways that control oral cancers – and a platform for testing anticancer therapeutics.

By Elizabeth Conrad
November 11, 2014

Protein “pockets” help ID cancer genes

Vanderbilt investigators have used a computational biology approach to uncover new cancer drivers and biomarkers of anticancer drug response.

By Bill Snyder
November 7, 2014

Overactive stress response in obesity

An overactive stress response contributes to the development of insulin resistance in obese individuals, and blocking it may be therapeutically beneficial.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 6, 2014

Immune cell activity and melanoma

The activity of a certain factor in immune cells is essential for an anti-tumor response, emphasizing the need to consider the effects of anti-cancer therapies on immune cells.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 6, 2014

Optogenetics sheds new light on brain’s behavior modulators

A new light-based technology is allowing scientists to peer deep into the brain and alter animal behavior with the “flip of a switch.”
By VUMC News and Communications
November 6, 2014

Diabetes effort aims to boost function of insulin-producing cells

Vanderbilt University is part of a national effort to improve diabetes treatment by developing strategies for proliferating, regenerating and improving the function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets.
By Bill Snyder
November 5, 2014

Off Limits: Doctors are working to research and treat the increasing number of Americans with severe food allergies

By Nancy Humphrey
October 30, 2014

Elderly face no added risk from cosmetic surgery: study

Senior citizens are at no higher risk for complications from cosmetic surgery than younger patients, according to a recent study by plastic surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 30, 2014

Potential therapy for postpartum breast cancer investigated

Nearly 25 percent of all breast cancers among premenopausal women occur within two to five years following a pregnancy.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 30, 2014

NIH grant spurs diabetic nephropathy research

Diabetic nephropathy, or kidney disease caused by diabetes, is a major source of morbidity and mortality. In the United States, more than 30 percent of patients receiving either dialytic therapy or renal transplantation have end stage renal disease as a result of diabetic nephropathy.
By Kathy Whitney
October 30, 2014

Mindfulness training for parents of children with ASD studied

Amy Weitlauf, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics, will be leading a study among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness training as part of early interventions for children with ASD.
By VUMC News and Communications