Lea Davis

October 30, 2024

Genetic risk, sexual trauma associated with mental illness: study

Evaluating how genetic risk interacts with environmental risk factors such as sexual trauma is important for understanding how mental illness develops and identifying high-risk groups for early intervention.

By Leigh MacMillan
(iStock image)
April 9, 2024

Heart disease, depression linked by inflammation: study

Coronary artery disease and major depression may be genetically linked via inflammatory pathways to an increased risk for cardiomyopathy, a degenerative heart muscle disease, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital have found.

By Bill Snyder
May 24, 2023

Researchers probe the impact of sex and gender on human health

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Lea Davis, PhD, and longtime colleagues Ekaterina (Katya) Khramtsova, PhD, and Barbara Stranger, PhD, are among seven authors of a paper published May 11 in the journal Cell that outlines “best practices” for evaluating the impact of both sex and gender on human health.

By Bill Snyder
August 3, 2022

Embryo screening for mental illness questioned

Report finds polygenic embryo screening (PES) does not provide an accurate measure of the risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life.

By Bill Snyder
June 16, 2022

Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 23andMe find genetic link to people’s ability to move to a musical beat

Vanderbilt researchers, in collaboration with 23andMe, have made a significant discovery about the biological underpinnings of musical rhythm.  

By Emily Stembridge
VUMC’s new automated biobanking system can store as many as 10 million biospecimens.
June 8, 2022

BioVU celebrates 15 years supporting personalized medicine

BioVU is celebrating its 15th year and has enabled hundreds of studies and publications exploring the genetic underpinnings of a host of conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. 

By Lindsey Guerin
May 25, 2022

Study seeks to improve gender equity for liver transplantation waiting list

Women who need a liver transplant are more likely to spend more time on a waiting list, become too sick for transplant or die compared to men. To improve equity, a recently published Vanderbilt-led study suggests a sex adjustment to criteria for MELD (model for end-stage liver disease), which determines allocation of transplanted livers.
By Matt Batcheldor
February 23, 2022

VUMC designated a Tourette syndrome center of excellence

The Vanderbilt Center for Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders has been designated a Tourette Association of America (TAA) Center of Excellence.
By Paul Govern
December 2, 2021

Study links depression scores, white blood cell count

By Emily Stembridge
September 6, 2021

Medical diagnoses in musicians

Vanderbilt researchers mined electronic health records to find medical diagnoses that are more or less prevalent among musicians, who are present in large numbers in “Music City.”
By Leigh MacMillan
July 8, 2021

Study finds genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness

A massive worldwide collaboration including researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has identified several genetic factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 illness.
By Bill Snyder
January 7, 2021

Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders in electronic health records study

In a large-scale study of electronic health records, Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have determined the prevalence of functional seizures and characterized comorbidities associated with them.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 3, 2020

Research examines genetics of problematic alcohol use

Alcohol use disorder and problematic drinking are genetically correlated with substance use, certain psychiatric illnesses and other neuropsychiatric traits, according to a study involving Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers.
By Kelsey Herbers
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