Department of Pharmacology

July 12, 2018

Vanderbilt licenses compound to Nashville’s Appello to advance Parkinson’s therapies

Vanderbilt University has signed a licensing agreement with Nashville-based start-up Appello Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to advance novel compounds developed by researchers in the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

By VUMC News and Communications
June 29, 2018

Scavengers “protect” HDL

Jun. 29, 2018—Lipid molecules that bind to HDL can modify its function — and blocking that modification can protect HDL and potentially lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

By Bill Snyder
June 21, 2018

Roden’s circulatory diseases research honored

Jun. 21, 2018—Vanderbilt University’s Dan Roden, MD, internationally known for his contributions to understanding how genetic variation affects drug response, has been named a recipient of the 2018 Louis and Artur Lucian Award for Research in Circulatory Diseases by McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

By Bill Snyder
June 21, 2018

Roden’s circulatory diseases research honored

Vanderbilt University’s Dan Roden, MD, internationally known for his contributions to understanding how genetic variation affects drug response, has been named a recipient of the 2018 Louis and Artur Lucian Award for Research in Circulatory Diseases by McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

By Bill Snyder
June 14, 2018

Opioid epidemic focus of June 27 Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum

“America’s Opioid Epidemic” is the theme of the 27th annual Joel G. Hardman Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum, beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 27, in the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.

By Bill Snyder
June 7, 2018

Enzyme protects against obesity-related heart disease

Vanderbilt scientists have discovered that a certain enzyme plays a crucial role in preventing obesity-related cardiac dysfunction.

By Sanjay Mishra
May 18, 2018

Shaping reward circuits

Using techniques to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons, Vanderbilt investigators are probing the brain’s reward circuitry.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 19, 2018

How the skin protects

Treatments for common skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis may be improved by understanding the enzymes responsible for forming the skin’s water-tight barrier.
By Sanjay Mishra
April 11, 2018

“Idling” cancer cells may return

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered that cancer treatment induces an “idling” state for cells, which could promote resistance to treatment.
By Bill Snyder
March 1, 2018

Graphene material strengthens nerve signaling in the brain

Less than 20 years after it was developed, a thin, resilient sheet of carbon atoms with remarkable properties known as graphene is transforming biomedical fields as far flung as tissue engineering, neuroprosthetics and drug discovery.
By Bill Snyder
February 1, 2018

AAAS, chemistry society honor Lindsley’s research contributions

Craig Lindsley, PhD, co-director of the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (VCNDD), has been named a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and elected chair-elect of the Section of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
By Bill Snyder
January 26, 2018

Versatile C. difficile blocker

New research reveals a unique mechanism of C. difficile toxin neutralization by a monoclonal antibody, suggesting new therapeutic approaches.
By Bill Snyder
January 16, 2018

A spicy finding

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that curcumin — the active ingredient in the spice turmeric — needs to be metabolically activated to exert anti-inflammatory effects.
By Leigh MacMillan