Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Insulin in vials
January 25, 2018

Study may point to new ways to reverse insulin resistance

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered how insulin crosses the capillary endothelium to exit blood vessels and stimulate skeletal muscle cells — a major finding that may lead to new ways to reverse insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes.

By Bill Snyder
November 20, 2017

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.

By Bill Snyder
autism concept: puzzle
November 16, 2017

Study may point to new treatment approach for ASD

Using sophisticated genome mining and gene manipulation techniques, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have solved a mystery that could lead to a new treatment approach for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

By Bill Snyder
November 16, 2017

Phenotyping center a global resource for investigators

This summer the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC) began its 17th year of continuous operation and federal support with a $5.5 million, five-year renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

By Bill Snyder
Overweight or obese family in the park
March 16, 2017

VUMC joins cutting-edge obesity research network

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of four centers receiving a $15 million, four-year research award from the American Heart Association (AHA) to provide cutting-edge research on obesity as part of its sixth Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN).

By Craig Boerner
Boy looking through blinds
February 2, 2017

Gene mutation discovery may hold autism clues: study

Researchers at Vanderbilt have identified what may be a genetic “smoking gun” for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — a mutation in the gene for the critical neuronal protein CaMKII.

By Bill Snyder
February 2, 2017

Hasty named to new VUSM Basic Sciences role

Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D., professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, has been named Associate Dean for Faculty Development for Basic Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
By Kathy Whitney
June 9, 2016

Hasty selected to participate in academic medicine program for women

Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D., a Vanderbilt obesity researcher, has been selected to participate in the 22nd class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women.
By Bill Snyder
April 14, 2016

Study spots possible new approach to prevent obesity

An international research team that included scientists from Vanderbilt University Medical Center has found a novel way to counteract obesity in mice — by stimulating the growth of blood vessels in fat tissue.
By Bill Snyder
September 8, 2015

Immune cells and obesity

Understanding how macrophage immune cells accumulate in fat tissue and contribute to the pathology of obesity could lead to the development of novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 25, 2015

Photo: Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center

By VUMC News and Communications
January 29, 2015

Altered dopamine signaling may offer a clue to autism

Newly discovered genetic variations linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disrupt the function of the dopamine transporter, suggesting that altered dopamine signaling contributes to this common developmental condition, according to a Vanderbilt University-led research team.
By Bill Snyder
June 2, 2014

Vanderbilt study supports notion ‘You are what you eat’

An international research group led by Vanderbilt University scientists has shown for the first time that a lipid, or fat molecule, can regulate “psychostimulant” behaviors by interacting with a brain protein.
By Bill Snyder
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