Genetics & Genomics

A rise in a mother’s blood levels of serotonin — a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, memory and gastrointestinal function — is associated with some, but not all forms of autism in children. (illustration by Diana Duren with Adobe Stock)
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
Sarah Tishkoff, PhD
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
(iStock)
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
Graduate student Taralynn Mack, left, pipettes a sample while Alexander Bick, MD, graduate student Hannah Poisner, and Celestine Wanjalla, MD, PhD, look on.
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
June 3, 2024

Genetic variation associated with low white blood cell count impacts clinical decisions

People whose white blood cell levels are near the edge of the “healthy” reference range will hit a clinical decision point that has consequences such as diagnostic procedures and altered treatments.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 21, 2024

NIH grant supports effort to build expertise in genetic epidemiology research in Vietnam

V2-GENE, the Vanderbilt-Vietnam Genetic Epidemiology Training Program, will develop a team of researchers and educators to lead genetic epidemiology research of noncommunicable diseases across the lifespan in Vietnam.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 15, 2024

Treatment-resistant depression linked to body mass index: study

Genetic factors are a small but significant contributor to severe depression that does not respond to standard therapy, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital.
By Bill Snyder
May 14, 2024

Breast cancer risk variants identified for women of African ancestry

A study led by researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center sheds light on some of the genetic variants that make breast cancer more deadly for women of African ancestry and significantly reduces the disparity in knowledge for assessing their genomic risk factors.
By Tom Wilemon
May 1, 2024

VUMC’s Alexander Bick receives a “healthy aging” research award

Vanderbilt's Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, has received a Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Award in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and Hevolution Foundation.
By Bill Snyder
May 1, 2024

Study finds 500 new blood pressure genes

An analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people of European ancestry, conducted by several of the world’s leading genomic centers, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has identified more than 2,000 independent genetic signals for blood pressure.
By Bill Snyder
April 1, 2024

Cell-specific variations in gene regulation may be key to treating pulmonary fibrosis

An international research team co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center has revealed how variations in gene regulation in different cell types drive pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive respiratory disorder characterized by scarring and loss of functional lung tissue.
By Bill Snyder
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