Genetics & Genomics

Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, and Nancy Cox, PhD. (photo by Donn Jones)
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
Co-principal investigators of the genomic-enabled learning health system coordinating center and clinical site are, front row from left, Carolyn Audet, PhD, Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, and Sunil Kripalani, MD, MSc, and, back row from left, Wesley Self, MD, MPH, Josh Peterson, MD, MPH, and Dan Roden, MD. (photo by Susan Urmy)
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
Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH
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
Venki Ramakrishnan, PhD
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
July 29, 2024

Study sheds new light on autism, but there’s more work to be done

A target of their investigations is serotonin, a signaling molecule that is well known for its critical roles in regulating mood and which also plays an important role in the development of the brain and nervous system.
By Bill Snyder
July 8, 2024

GeneMAP discovery platform will help define functions for ‘orphan’ metabolic proteins 

The combination of genomics and metabolism identified a long-sought mitochondrial choline transporter.
By Leigh MacMillan
July 2, 2024

Sarah Tishkoff named to receive the 2024 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science

Sarah Tishkoff, PhD, and her collaborators have created one of the world’s largest databases of African diversity derived from genetic samples from more than 9,000 people representing more than 200 diverse ethnic groups.
By Bill Snyder
June 25, 2024

Gene variant may underlie diabetes disparities: study

The study was the largest ancestry-stratified, genetic estimation of the heritability of diabetic retinopathy conducted to date and included an unprecedented number of individuals of non-Hispanic African ancestry — more than 46,000.
By Bill Snyder
June 19, 2024

Study of messenger RNA regulatory mechanism reveals cancer risk genes

The Vanderbilt study used RNA-sequencing data generated in multiple normal tissues, along with matched genotype data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project as well as large-scale genomic data for cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, colorectum, lung and pancreas.
By Tom Wilemon
June 4, 2024

Research raises hope for treating potentially lethal blood condition

Roughly 1 in 10 people over age 70 will develop CHIP, an explosive, clonal growth of abnormal blood cells that increases risk of blood cancers and death from cardiovascular, lung and liver disease.
By Bill Snyder
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