NIBIB

Improved imaging for kidney disease

Vanderbilt researchers identified optimal MRI parameters for estimating the severity of polycystic kidney disease, a common inherited disorder that can lead to end-stage renal failure.

Tracking the aging brain

The macrostructure — volume, area and length — of the brain’s white matter is useful for studying aging and could be a sensitive marker for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vanderbilt researchers reported.

Molecular imaging of C. diff infection

C. difficile — the leading cause of hospital-associated intestinal infections — induces a rapid influx of bile acids into the gut, which could provide a novel target for blocking infection.

NIH imaging expert Tromberg set for Discovery Lecture

How the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative is accelerating development of COVID-19 testing will be the topic of this fall’s second web-based Discovery Lecture.

Depression and the brain-age gap

Older depressed adults show accelerated brain aging, according to a new study from Vanderbilt researchers, who suggest that the effects of depression may speed the decline in cognitive functions in older individuals.

C. diff captures blood cell cofactor to build defensive shield

Vanderbilt University Medical Center scientists have identified a C. diff protein system that senses and captures heme (part of hemoglobin) to build a protective shield that fends off threats from our immune system and antibiotics.