Department of Pharmacology

November 2, 2017

Sweatt, Tansey discuss influence of epigenetics on research

Basic research underway at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is raising hopes that one day it will be possible to reverse memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease and stop a major driver of cancer in its tracks.

By Bill Snyder
October 19, 2017

Vanderbilt’s Sweatt, Tansey set for next Discovery Lecture

How epigenetic regulation of gene transcription forms new memories and triggers cancerous growth is the subject of the next Vanderbilt Discovery Lecture on Oct. 26.

By Bill Snyder
obesity or overweight belly
September 15, 2017

Inhibiting obesity

An enzyme in the gut – NAPE-PLD – is required for the action of signaling molecules that reduce food intake and weight gain.

By Leigh MacMillan
Caucasian mom and toddler daughter playing in the park
August 24, 2017

Drug discovery efforts may lead to new Rett syndrome treatments

Vanderbilt University research-ers have relieved symptoms of Rett syndrome in a mouse model with a small molecule that works like the dimmer switch in an electrical circuit.

By Bill Snyder
H. Alex Brown, Ph.D.
July 26, 2017

Vanderbilt mourns loss of pharmacologist H. Alex Brown

H. Alex Brown, Ph.D., the Bixler-Johnson-Mayes Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, died from cancer Tuesday, July 25, at his home. He was 56.

By Bill Snyder
June 15, 2017

Pharmacology top teacher

Ronald Emeson, Ph.D., is a three-time winner of the Teacher of the Year Award presented by graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology

By VUMC News and Communications
May 11, 2017

Discovery Lecturer Kandel tackles age-related memory loss

Eric Kandel, M.D., who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2000 for discovering molecular mechanisms of memory storage, told the crowd at last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture that he has recently become interested in memory in the aging brain.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 27, 2017

Barnett named co-chair of VUSM Admissions Committee

Joey Barnett, Ph.D., has been named co-chair of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Admissions Committee, effective July 1.
By Kathy Whitney
April 27, 2017

Nobel laureate and memory expert Kandel set for next Discovery Lecture

Nobel laureate Eric R. Kandel, M.D., renowned for his studies of learning and memory, will give the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, May 4.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 23, 2016

Reducing antidepressants’ side effects

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered how antidepressant medicines that block serotonin uptake can increase bleeding risk.
By VUMC News and Communications
November 3, 2016

Brown named interim director of Institute of Chemical Biology

H. Alex Brown, Ph.D., the Bixler-Johnson-Mayes Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, has been named interim director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology (VICB).
By Bill Snyder
October 20, 2016

Study finds natural compound extends lifespan of worms

A compound found in buckwheat seeds extends the lifespan of worms, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered.
By Leigh MacMillan
October 6, 2016

Basic science, extraordinary impact

The discoveries that can change the course of human health forever often begin in the tiniest places: in molecules and cells, at the most fundamental intersection of physics, chemistry and biology. Understanding how these cellular and molecular processes work is the focus of basic biomedical research at Vanderbilt.
By Liz Entman and Melanie Moran