Digna Velez Edwards

April 2, 2025

New gene discoveries target uterine fibroids

The research is another step toward development of targeted therapies aimed at reducing the incidence and medical burden of this common condition.

By Bill Snyder
October 22, 2024

VUMC, Nigeria teaching hospital to study genetic risk of fibroids based on regional African ancestry

The research team will analyze existing genome-wide association study data and RNA sequencing to compare fibroid development patterns in Nigerian women and U.S. Black women, which could point to targeted therapies and management strategies for affected women.

By Kristin Centers
(iStock)
May 21, 2024

NIH grant supports effort to build expertise in genetic epidemiology research in Vietnam

V2-GENE, the Vanderbilt-Vietnam Genetic Epidemiology Training Program, will develop a team of researchers and educators to lead genetic epidemiology research of noncommunicable diseases across the lifespan in Vietnam.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 26, 2022

Calculating risk for uterine fibroids

Vanderbilt researchers have constructed a polygenic risk score for uterine fibroids that will be useful for exploring causes of these benign tumors and identifying novel drug targets and therapies.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 17, 2021

Grant creates center for maternal, pediatric precision therapeutics

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been awarded a five-year, $6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to serve as a center of excellence for Maternal and Pediatric Precision in Therapeutics.

By Christina Echegaray
April 29, 2021

Genetic ancestry and hypertension risk

Racial disparities in hypertension risk are due in part to genetic differences between ancestries, Vanderbilt investigators find in a study of participants in the Million Veteran Program.

By Bill Snyder
September 8, 2020

Fibroids and birth outcomes

Women with three or more uterine fibroids — non-cancerous growths — during pregnancy are more likely to have infants with reduced birthweight and may need additional surveillance.
By Leigh MacMillan
July 1, 2020

VUMC-led network to focus on polygenic risk for common diseases

With the aid of a $75 million, five-year grant renewal, the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics Network (eMERGE) will venture beyond its current focus on monogenic disease to scoring research participants’ relative risk for complex heritable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.
By Paul Govern
October 1, 2018

Probing the genetics of fibroids

A new study identified multiple genetic locations associated with the size and number of uterine fibroids — common non-cancerous uterine tumors.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 19, 2018

Velez Edwards named to Women’s Health Research leadership

Digna R. Velez Edwards, PhD, has been named director of Women’s Health Research, succeeding longtime director and founder, Katherine Hartmann, MD, PhD, associate dean of Clinical and Translational Scientist Development and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
By VUMC News and Communications
September 20, 2017

NSAIDs, genetics and miscarriage

A certain genetic variant, in combination with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen during early pregnancy, may protect women from miscarriage.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 18, 2013

BMI gene study expands to people of African ancestry

An international team of scientists, including six from Vanderbilt University, has identified the first unique genetic determinants of body mass index (BMI) in people of African ancestry.
By Bill Snyder