Department of Pharmacology Archives
NIH grant bolsters research on heart disease, cholesterol
Jan. 21, 2021—Thanks to major funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have made major inroads in understanding how high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly known as good cholesterol, in some cases may actually contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Study reveals new strategy for reducing tumor growth, metastasis
Dec. 17, 2020—A team of Vanderbilt investigators has discovered that blocking a certain signaling pathway boosts antitumor immunity and reduces tumor growth and metastasis in models of breast cancer and melanoma.
Lindsley to direct Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
Oct. 22, 2020—Craig Lindsley, PhD, the William K. Warren Jr. Chair in Medicine and University Professor of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Chemistry, will become director of Vanderbilt University’s Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD), effective Dec. 1. Lindsley assumes the director position from Jeffrey Conn, PhD, Lee. E. Limbird Chair in Pharmacology and professor of Pharmacology.
Cohen Fund bolsters Siciliano’s memory research
Sep. 24, 2020—Cody Siciliano, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has been selected to receive a one-year, $100,000 research award from the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund to support his studies of the neural substrates of memory.
New clue to Alzheimer’s disease
Sep. 3, 2020—Combining studies of genetically diverse mouse populations and human data led to the identification of a gene associated with cognitive decline and brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease.
Assembling cell power plant machinery
Sep. 3, 2020—Tina Iverson and colleagues provide a structural view into the assembly of a protein machine essential for cellular energy production.
‘Scavenger’ molecule may point to new atherosclerosis treatment
Aug. 20, 2020—A small-molecule “scavenger” that reduces inflammation and formation of atherosclerotic plaque in blood vessels in mice potentially could lead to a new approach for treating atherosclerosis in humans, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
New tools to study bioactive lipids
Jul. 14, 2020—Vanderbilt researchers have identified and characterized inhibitors of an enzyme that synthesizes lipid signaling molecules with roles in energy balance, inflammation and addiction.
Single mutation causes seizure disorder
Jun. 22, 2020—A single mutation in one gene can impair inhibitory signaling in the brain and cause multiple types of seizures and behavioral abnormalities.
Robotic technology speeds arrhythmia gene classification
Jun. 12, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have used high-throughput robotic technology to rapidly study and classify variations in a gene linked to heart rhythm disorders and cardiac conditions.
Blocking stress-induced relapse
Mar. 19, 2020—Danny Winder and colleagues are teasing apart the actions of neurotransmitter receptors in a brain region linked to anxiety and addiction, with a goal of finding treatments for substance use disorders.
Neurotransmitter expert Amara set for March 12 Discovery Lecture
Mar. 4, 2020—Susan Amara, PhD, scientific director of the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and an expert on the biology of neurotransmitter transporters, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, March 12.
