Department of Medicine

August 12, 2021

Certain drug exposures correlate with reduced COVID severity: study

Analyzing electronic health records (EHR) of 9,748 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, Cosmin Bejan, PhD, Elizabeth Phillips, MD, and colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center asked whether COVID disease severity correlated with any drugs that happened to be taken by these patients in the months leading up to their diagnosis.

By Paul Govern
August 11, 2021

Aronoff departing VUMC to become chair of the Department of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine

David Aronoff, MD, Addison B. Scoville Jr. Professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is departing Vanderbilt University Medical Center to become chair of the Department of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.

By Doug Campbell
August 5, 2021

Gene expression in diabetic nephropathy

Vanderbilt researchers are looking to mRNA populations in podocytes — kidney cells that help filter blood — to help identify potential targets for treating diabetic kidney disease.

By Shivani Sharma
August 5, 2021

American Heart Association honors Biaggioni’s research

Italo Biaggioni, MD, professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, has been selected as a Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association for his contributions to cardiovascular and stroke research.

By Matt Batcheldor
August 5, 2021

Clinical trial to test immunotherapy for rectal cancer

A new clinical trial seeks to determine whether immunotherapy in combination with short-course radiation followed by surgical resection could be a curative treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer.

By Tom Wilemon
July 27, 2021

Using Patients’ Allergy History as Screening Tool for mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Works Well: Study

A report of more than 23,000 health care workers and employees at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine shows that a risk stratification screening mechanism for potential allergies to the vaccine worked exceedingly well as the vaccine program rolled out in December 2020.

By Nancy Humphrey
July 22, 2021

For more precise drug treatments, ‘squeeze’ the genome: study finds

Large-scale studies will be required to identify the complexity of genetic variations that affect how patients respond to a given drug and whether they will have side effects, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
By Bill Snyder
July 22, 2021

Influenza network sizes up COVID

Hospital data from a CDC network that monitors influenza revealed that adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic were 20x more likely to die compared to hospitalized influenza patients.
By Paul Govern
July 15, 2021

Ciombor chosen for NCI clinical investigator team leadership award

Kristen Ciombor, MD, MSCI, is one of 10 physicians nationwide selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the 2021 Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award.
By Tom Wilemon
July 12, 2021

Probing statin-associated diseases with genetics

Vanderbilt researchers used genetics tools and biobanks with linked electronic health records to explore the associations between statins and noncardiovascular diseases.
By Leigh MacMillan
July 8, 2021

Nature’s “recycler” could reduce heart disease risk: study

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified potential new targets for the prevention of atherosclerosis through the enhancement of autophagy, a natural process for recycling damaged cellular material.
By Bill Snyder
July 8, 2021

Study finds genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness

A massive worldwide collaboration including researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has identified several genetic factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 illness.
By Bill Snyder
July 8, 2021

Genetics of hydrocephalus

Fluid build-up in the brain — hydrocephalus — increases pressure and risk for brain damage; Vanderbilt researchers have now identified genes and signaling pathways associated with the condition.
By Leigh MacMillan