Reporter April 8 2022

A VUMC study found that following up with patients within the week after their hospital discharge as a stand-alone intervention has no impact on readmissions, mortality or patient satisfaction.
April 12, 2022

Financial impact of prior authorization

Prior authorization — health insurer approval of a medical intervention prior to treatment — costs more than $40 million for U.S. academic radiation oncology practices, with questionable value added to patient care.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 11, 2022

Peptides promote AFib arrhythmia

Peptide oligomers have detrimental metabolic effects and cause pro-arrhythmic electrophysiological changes in heart atria, suggesting they may contribute to atrial fibrillation.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 7, 2022

New Clinician Spotlight: Nick Strasser

Nicholas Strasser, MD, recently joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as assistant professor of Orthopaedics in the Division of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

By VUMC News and Communications
April 7, 2022

Computer eyeballs graft-vs-host disease

A machine learning algorithm identified areas of skin affected by chronic graft-versus-host disease on par with clinicians, opening the door to streamlining and standardizing this measure of patient response to therapy.

By Paul Govern
x-ray of stomach
April 7, 2022

New prognosis predictor and target for gastric cancer

The protein CGA — a subunit of glycoprotein hormones — is a biomarker that predicts chemoresistance in gastric cancer and could be targeted along with EGFR to restore chemosensitivity.

By Sarah E. Glass
Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, Hualiang Pi, PhD, and colleagues are studying a regulatory factor in the bacterium that causes the disease anthrax.
April 7, 2022

Study advances understanding of bacterial bioterrorism agent

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a critical regulatory factor in the bacterium that causes the disease anthrax and has been used as a biological weapon.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 7, 2022

Transplant Pharmacy program helps track medication adherence

A computer program developed by VUMC transplant pharmacists and pharmacy IT technicians is helping patients adhere to the often-strict medication regimens required after undergoing a transplant.
By Emily Stembridge
April 7, 2022

Study explores parents’ reluctance to flu, COVID vaccines for children

Vanderbilt research found parents who are reluctant to vaccinate their children against the flu are more than five times as likely to decline the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.
By Jessica Pasley
April 7, 2022

Event highlights research on Alzheimer’s disease

The third annual Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Day featured numerous presentations and concluded with a keynote address by Suzanne Craft, PhD, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Wake Forest University.
By Paul Govern
April 7, 2022

Vanderbilt Prize winner Regev to deliver April 14 Discovery Lecture

Aviv Regev, PhD, recipient of the 2021 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, will deliver her Vanderbilt Prize Discovery Lecture at 4 p.m. next Thursday, April 14, in 208 Light Hall.
By Bill Snyder
April 7, 2022

Friends & Fashion event returns to the runway

After a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Friends & Fashion returned in style to raise funds for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
By VUMC News and Communications
April 7, 2022

Patient’s amyloidosis awareness efforts recognized

Charlotte Haffner, who was Vanderbilt's first patient to undergo a heart transplant followed by a stem cell transplant to treat primary AL amyloidosis, was recently recognized by Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson and Franklin Mayor Ken Moore.
By Matt Batcheldor
April 6, 2022

VU, VUMC research funding surpasses $1 billion

Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center received more than $1 billion in research funding awarded from external organizations in 2021.
By Marissa Shapiro