Engineering and Technology
Computer eyeballs graft-vs-host disease
Apr. 7, 2022—A machine learning algorithm identified areas of skin affected by chronic graft-versus-host disease on par with clinicians, opening the door to streamlining and standardizing this measure of patient response to therapy.
‘Smart cane’ could one day help flag gait problems, falling risks more quickly
Feb. 12, 2018—Falling is no joke when you're a senior citizen or have other balance issues. Vanderbilt engineers are working on a 'smart cane' that could help physical therapists spot and treat problems sooner.
Meet Vanderbilt’s first Academic Pathways fellows
Oct. 27, 2017—Seven outstanding Ph.D.’s with diverse backgrounds and experiences have come to Vanderbilt to pursue postdoctoral training with an eye toward academic careers.
Team to develop steerable robotic needle for biopsies
Oct. 26, 2017—Collaboration between a mechanical engineer at Vanderbilt University and a pulmonologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has resulted in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant that will be used to develop a steerable robotic needle to safely biopsy hard-to-reach lung nodules.
Smart underwear prevents back stress with just a tap
Aug. 1, 2017—"Performance-boosting super suit" hidden under clothing can be activated by a double tap to save users' backs.
How six cups of ground coffee can improve nose, throat surgery
Jun. 20, 2017—Vanderbilt engineers have designed a “granular jamming cap” filled with coffee grounds that can improve the accuracy of the sophisticated “GPS” system that surgeons use for nose and throat surgery.
Three students named Goldwater Scholars for 2017
Apr. 6, 2017—Vanderbilt students Lauren Branscombe, Joshua Fleck and David Zhang have been recognized in this year’s Goldwater Scholars competition. They are among a group of 240 scholars selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,286 mathematics, science and engineering students nationwide.
Softening tumor tissue could aid cancer treatments
Jan. 16, 2017—Tumors cause the intracellular material surrounding them to stiffen. Softening this protective layer could make existing cancer treatments more effective, according to new research.
New faculty: Kenny Tao uses optical coherence tomography to improve delicate eye surgeries
Oct. 10, 2016—Kenny Tao, a new assistant professor of biomedical engineering, brings his innovations in the field of optical coherence tomography and his wry sense of humor to Vanderbilt's laboratories and classrooms.
Open-source instructions for focused ultrasound provide cancer research boost
Jun. 30, 2016—Vanderbilt University’s William Grissom and Charles Caskey are throwing open doors with a do-it-yourself, open-source software and hardware guide to enabling existing imaging machines with focused ultrasound technology.
New director sees Innovation Center as both startup and catalyst for campus and city
Apr. 22, 2016—A startup veteran and investor whose ventures range from retail to manufacturing joined Vanderbilt University this spring as the inaugural executive director of the newly created Innovation Center. Robert Grajewski joined Vanderbilt as the Evans Family Executive Director of the Innovation Center on April 1. The Innovation Center, set to open late summer, will support a maker culture that encourages innovation and creativity and bolsters implementation of the four intersecting themes that make up the university’s Academic Strategic Plan.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Zero-energy home and zero-emission microbrewery designs part of Vanderbilt engineering school’s Design Day
Apr. 21, 2016—A number of exciting projects are among the 74 design projects featured at the School of Engineering’s annual Design Day, including zero-energy home designs and a solar-powered desalination system.