A higher abundance of certain bacterial species in the mouth appears to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered.

In a study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, Vanderbilt University’s Jonathan Mosley, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues use genetic correlation to hitch together two unrelated sets of data, one from a longstanding epidemiological cohort and the other from electronic health records.

Communication and collaboration were major themes of the inaugural Research Enterprise Forum sponsored jointly by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) Feb. 3 in Light Hall.

The phrase “working twice as hard for half as much” is one that sadly rings true for many patients who have had significant stays in an intensive care unit (ICU). Surviving a lengthy critical care experience can result in depression, weakness, fatigue and other cognitive and physical deficiencies.

Some memory deficits observed in Alzheimer’s disease may be due to co-morbid illnesses – not the disease itself – and may be reversed by lifestyle changes or pharmacologic interventions.

An enzyme in macrophage immune cells may be a good target for treating chronic infections, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

As a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Bradley Richmond, M.D., saw a lot of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease caused most often by long-term exposure to cigarette smoke.