Strobel Awards honor vital role played by volunteers at VUMC

Volunteers from across Vanderbilt University Medical Center were recognized at the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards on April 30. The awards, held each year by Hands on Nashville, recognize the volunteers making a difference throughout the community.

Researchers putting the brakes on lethal childhood cancer

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is one of the most aggressive and lethal childhood cancers. Although rare — about 20 to 25 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States — there is no standard effective treatment for the disease, which is driven by loss of an anti-cancer protein called SNF5. The chances are very small that a child will survive a year after MRT diagnosis.

Therapy animals’ impact on children with cancer studied

The sight of a dog in a therapy vest trotting down a hospital hallway or being petted by a child lying in a hospital bed is familiar to many, yet the scientific research showing the impact of therapy animals is largely anecdotal, says Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Professor Mary Jo Gilmer, PhD. Her work is changing that.

Pet Therapy Research Aimed at Children with Cancer

Predators help fight childhood cancer

The Nashville Predators Foundation recently presented a $131,000 donation to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as part of the organization’s continued commitment to support cancer research.

Factor CITED in pediatric liver cancer

Vanderbilt researchers report that they have found a factor involved in the persistence of embryonic cells implicated in childhood liver cancer.