Borden Lacy

The study team includes, from left, Maribeth Nicholson, MD, MPH, Ben Spiller, PhD, Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, Borden Lacy, PhD, Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH, Isaac Thomsen, MD, MSCI, Ivelin Georgiev, PhD, and Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez, PhD.

NIH grant launches C. diff vaccine research initiative

Vanderbilt has received an NIH grant to launch the Vanderbilt Antibody and Antigen Discovery for Clostridioides difficile Vaccines, or VANDy-CdV.

Structural views of a C. diff toxin

D. Borden Lacy and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to define the structure of a C. diff toxin, providing a framework for the design of novel therapeutics.

Clostridium difficile bacterium, 3D illustration

Versatile C. difficile blocker

New research reveals a unique mechanism of C. difficile toxin neutralization by a monoclonal antibody, suggesting new therapeutic approaches.

15 faculty members elected as AAAS fellows

Fifteen Vanderbilt faculty members conducting a range of biomedical and clinical research have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Six of the 15 have received funding through the university’s Trans-Institutional Programs initiative, which facilitates research and teaching collaborations across disciplines and are a core pillar of the university’s Academic Strategic Plan.

L-r: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Heather Conner, Donna Y. Ford, Rhonda Y. Williams, D. Borden Lacy, Erik William Carter, Jeffrey L. Neul, Kevin M. Stack, Atsushi Inoue, Jonathan G. Schoenecker, Joni Hersch and Provost Susan R. Wente at the Oct. 23 endowed chair celebration. (John Russell/Vanderbilt)

Celebration honors 11 university endowed chair holders

Eleven Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored Oct. 23 during a festive celebration at the Student Life Center.

Illustration of human intestinal tract

Crystal structure reveals secrets of virulent bacterium

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from the bacterium Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States.