A natural signaling molecule that activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain plays a critical role in stress-resilience — the ability to adapt to repeated and acute exposures to traumatic stress, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Ten Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored Tuesday during a celebration at the Student Life Center. Their academic achievements range from imaginative scholarship on economics and development to groundbreaking discoveries about the role of DNA in memory formation.

Lawrence Marnett, Ph.D., second from right, talks with three Vanderbilt scientists prior to their presentations during last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture on cutting-edge research. The speakers were, from left, Mark Wallace, Ph.D., Laura Dugan, M.D., and Sachin Patel, M.D., Ph.D.

Three Vanderbilt University neuroscientists on the forefront of research in autism, addiction and Alzheimer’s disease will discuss their cutting-edge investigations during the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Vanderbilt University researchers from diverse scientific disciplines are joining forces to help crack the stubborn mysteries of addiction through the new Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research.

The risks of taking opioids during pregnancy or to manage chronic pain, and the impact this frequently prescribed class of pain relievers has on the adolescent brain will be discussed Wednesday, July 13, during a “bedside-to-bench” symposium at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

COX-2 inhibitors – used clinically to reduce inflammation and pain – may find new applications for treating PTSD and other stress-related psychiatric disorders like major depression.