Receptor discovery shines new light on appetite regulation

A receptor in the brain that regulates appetite and body weight has now been found in L cells, key regulatory cells in the gut, providing the pharmaceutical industry with a novel drug target for both obesity and diabetes, a Vanderbilt University-led research team reported this week.

More breast cancer patients opting for mastectomy, Vanderbilt study finds

Vanderbilt’s neurovascular chip project moves into new phase

Vanderbilt researchers will play a key role in the second phase of the federal “tissue chip for drug screening” program.

Vanderbilt team examines human factors in nuclear power plant operations

A multidisciplinary Vanderbilt team with deep experience in improving patient safety and technology usability has received a three-year, $800,000 Department of Energy grant to help nuclear power plant operators better perform their jobs.

Grant bolsters inguinal hernia repair research

Martin Blakely, M.D., M.S., has been awarded a $3 million federal grant for a multi-center, multi-disciplinary study to examine the safety outcomes of early versus later inguinal hernia repair for premature infants.

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.