An international team of researchers has integrated gene expression and disease association data to better understand the biological mechanisms of complex human diseases.

Symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, including psychosis, depression and manic behavior, have both shared and distinguishing genetic factors, an international consortium led by researchers from Vanderbilt University and Virginia Commonwealth University is reporting.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of four centers receiving a $15 million, four-year research award from the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide cutting-edge research on obesity as part of its sixth Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN).

Nancy Cox, Ph.D., founding director of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Nancy J. Cox, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and Human Genetics and chief of the Section of Genetic Medicine at the University of Chicago, has been appointed founding director of a new genetics institute at Vanderbilt University, effective Jan. 1, 2015.