Genetics & Genomics

October 30, 2024

Genetic risk, sexual trauma associated with mental illness: study

Evaluating how genetic risk interacts with environmental risk factors such as sexual trauma is important for understanding how mental illness develops and identifying high-risk groups for early intervention.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 25, 2024

Blockbuster obesity drugs also may slow kidney disease

The report supports previous clinical trials that found the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug semaglutide reduced kidney disease progression in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

By Bill Snyder
October 22, 2024

VUMC, Nigeria teaching hospital to study genetic risk of fibroids based on regional African ancestry

The research team will analyze existing genome-wide association study data and RNA sequencing to compare fibroid development patterns in Nigerian women and U.S. Black women, which could point to targeted therapies and management strategies for affected women.

By Kristin Centers
October 18, 2024

All of Us tour stops at VUMC Oct. 22-25

The All of Us Research Program brings the future of health to VUMC and Nashville. 
October 7, 2024

Kimberlyn Ellis selected as 2024 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar

Ellis is a computational geneticist with a long-term goal of bridging genomics, bioethics and health policy to promote equitable precision medicine for minority populations.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 27, 2024

Distant relatedness in biobanks harnessed to identify undiagnosed genetic disease

VUMC researchers have developed a genetic method that clusters distantly related people to find rare variants that were present in a common ancestor.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 25, 2024

Alexander Bick named head of Genetic Medicine

Bick will succeed Nancy Cox, PhD, who has led Genetic Medicine since she came to VUMC in 2015. Genetic Medicine is one of 13 divisions in the Department of Medicine.
By Bill Snyder
September 24, 2024

‘Learning’ network will help move genomics into the clinic

A real-world learning health system was established at VUMC a decade ago. Now, the National Human Genome Research Institute is awarding two five-year grants totaling $12 million to support VUMC’s participation in, and coordination of, a genomic-enabled learning health system (gLHS) network.
By Bill Snyder
September 20, 2024

Melinda Aldrich elected to genetics society board of directors

Aldrich uses population-based cohorts and biobanks to investigate lung cancer; her research informed guidelines for lung cancer screening.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 12, 2024

Nobel laureate to speak at VUMC on the ribosome and ‘why we die’

The subject of his Discovery Lecture, which will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 26 in 208 Light Hall, is the role of ribosomes in initiating the translation of DNA into RNA, a precursor step to transcribing the genetic code into proteins that do the work of the cell.
By Bill Snyder
August 13, 2024

$3.4 million research grant targets risk of heart attack, stroke

Making innovative use of observational data, researchers hope to gain new understanding of patient risk and identify existing drugs to lower risk.
By Paul Govern
August 7, 2024

Epigenetic change to DNA associated with cancer risk in ‘multi-omics’ study

The new study identifies 4,248 CpG sites associated with the risk of seven different types of cancer: breast, colorectal, renal cell, lung, ovarian, prostate and testicular germ cell cancers.
By Leigh MacMillan
August 7, 2024

Program arranges genetic testing for AFib patients who may be at risk for inherited cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia syndromes

Without treatment, younger patients may develop other serious cardiac disorders such as heart failure or life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.
By Matt Batcheldor
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