Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Archive — Page 1 of 12

Three researchers stand in a laboratory between shelves of boxes, bottles, pipettes, and other scientific equipment. From left, Dan Roden, MD, Andrew Glazer, PhD, and Lorena Harvey, PhD.
October 21, 2026

Vanderbilt Health-led team maps gene variants that can cause sudden death

The research may enable more precise diagnosis and treatment of a disorder that causes sudden death in about 3,500 people in the United States each year.

By Bill Snyder
Two people pose at a restaurant-style event; the person on the left holds an American Heart Association Council on Hypertension Career Development Award plaque naming Mohammad Saleem, PhD, as the winner at the Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026.
October 21, 2026

Mohammad Saleem wins American Heart Association career development award

The award will support his investigations of immune cell-mediated mechanisms underlying salt-sensitivity of blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

By Bill Snyder
Portrait of Annet Kirabo, DVM, MSc, PhD, smiling with her arms crossed while wearing a mauve blazer in an office.
September 30, 2026

Annet Kirabo to receive American Heart Association’s 2026 Joseph A. Vita Award

The award recognizes investigations that have “significantly advanced the fields of cardiovascular biology or cardiovascular health within the past five years.”

By Bill Snyder
Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH
September 9, 2026

Melinda Aldrich to receive 2026 Ethos Award from UC Santa Cruz

The awards celebrate individuals whose vision, leadership and dedication have made a meaningful impact in their professions, in society, within the university community, and across the globe.

By Craig Boerner
Five members of a research team pose in a laboratory, with shelves of supplies, laboratory equipment, and a molecular biology poster in the background. Annet Kirabo stands at front center.
September 7, 2026

Researchers identify new therapeutic target for salt-sensitive hypertension

The Vanderbilt Health team discovered that a signaling pathway called AP-1 complex links dietary sodium to immune-driven salt-sensitivity of blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

By Leigh MacMillan
Mónica Santisteban, PhD
August 21, 2026

Vanderbilt Health’s Mónica Santisteban to be honored by the American Heart Association

The recognition honors her research that has helped define how high blood pressure can contribute to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

By Bill Snyder