Digna Velez Edwards Archives
Calculating risk for uterine fibroids
Apr. 26, 2022—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.
Grant creates center for maternal, pediatric precision therapeutics
Sep. 17, 2021—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.
Genetic ancestry and hypertension risk
Apr. 29, 2021—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.
Fibroids and birth outcomes
Sep. 8, 2020—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.
VUMC-led network to focus on polygenic risk for common diseases
Jul. 1, 2020—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.
Probing the genetics of fibroids
Oct. 1, 2018—A new study identified multiple genetic locations associated with the size and number of uterine fibroids — common non-cancerous uterine tumors.
Velez Edwards named to Women’s Health Research leadership
Jun. 19, 2018—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.
NSAIDs, genetics and miscarriage
Sep. 20, 2017—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.
BMI gene study expands to people of African ancestry
Apr. 18, 2013—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.
