Nancy J. Cox, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and Human Genetics and chief of the Section of Genetic Medicine at the University of Chicago, has been appointed founding director of a new genetics institute at Vanderbilt University, effective Jan. 1, 2015.

A nationwide research group headed by Vanderbilt University’s David Robertson, M.D., has received another round of funding from the federal government to continue studies of rare neurodegenerative diseases and disorders affecting blood pressure.

Vanderbilt University is part of a national effort to improve diabetes treatment by developing strategies for proliferating, regenerating and improving the function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets.

Diabetic nephropathy, or kidney disease caused by diabetes, is a major source of morbidity and mortality. In the United States, more than 30 percent of patients receiving either dialytic therapy or renal transplantation have end stage renal disease as a result of diabetic nephropathy.

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that certain immune cells contribute to the development of hypertension, suggesting novel targets for treating the disease.

The grants, which total $830,000, are part of the non-profit organization’s commitment to young scientists, as well as established investigators who are searching for more effective breast cancer therapies.

Laura Dugan strives to bring breakthroughs in neuroscience research and the aging brain together.