Lea Davis Archives
Researchers probe the impact of sex and gender on human health
May. 24, 2023—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.
Embryo screening for mental illness questioned
Aug. 3, 2022—Report finds polygenic embryo screening (PES) does not provide an accurate measure of the risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life.
Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 23andMe find genetic link to people’s ability to move to a musical beat
Jun. 16, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers, in collaboration with 23andMe, have made a significant discovery about the biological underpinnings of musical rhythm.
BioVU celebrates 15 years supporting personalized medicine
Jun. 8, 2022—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.
Study seeks to improve gender equity for liver transplantation waiting list
May. 25, 2022—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.
VUMC designated a Tourette syndrome center of excellence
Feb. 23, 2022—The Vanderbilt Center for Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders has been designated a Tourette Association of America (TAA) Center of Excellence.
Study links depression scores, white blood cell count
Dec. 2, 2021— by Emily Stembridge Researchers across four health care systems, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have found that increased depression polygenic scores are associated with increased white blood cell count, highlighting the importance of the immune system in the etiology of depression. Despite a wide understanding of depression as a psychiatric disorder, depression’s underlying biological...
Medical diagnoses in musicians
Sep. 6, 2021—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.”
Study finds genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness
Jul. 8, 2021—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.
Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders in electronic health records study
Jan. 7, 2021—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.
Research examines genetics of problematic alcohol use
Jun. 3, 2020—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.
Study explores genetic risk profiling of insomnia in autism
Nov. 7, 2019—Vanderbilt researchers are studying how genes affect sleep and circadian disturbances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a goal of creating a genetic risk profile of insomnia in ASD.
