Reporter Feb 3 2023

A new view of a cholesterol carrier

Feb. 7, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers developed a novel method to measure small RNAs carried by HDL and demonstrated that these molecules circulate in greater concentrations than previously believed and are likely to contribute to communication between immune cells.

Gut microbiota and lung fibrosis

Feb. 6, 2023—Microorganisms residing in the gut influence the severity of lung fibrosis in mouse models, suggesting that modifying the gut microbiota may offer therapeutic benefit for patients.

COVID-19 battle begins in the nose

Feb. 2, 2023—A high upper airway concentration of the virus that causes COVID-19 was associated with changes in gene expression that could impact disease progression, Vanderbilt researchers discovered.

The research team included, from left, Hannah Poisner, Sydney Olson, J. Brett Heimlich, MD, PhD, Ningning Hu, MS, Alyssa Parker, Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, Joseph Van Amburg and Tara Mack.

Researchers clarify role of blood cell mutations in disease

Feb. 2, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers have developed a new method to analyze mutations in blood stem cells that can trigger explosive, clonal expansions of abnormal cells.

Study of two sepsis interventions finds identical outcomes

Feb. 2, 2023—Vanderbilt University Medical Center had a leading role in a large national study designed to compare two early interventions in the treatment of patients with sepsis, the body’s severe response to an uncontrolled infection.

From left, Shade Tree Clinic volunteers and medical students Jessica Hanks and Alex Landry; medical director Maya Neeley, MD; co-director of the pediatric clinic, Simone Herzberg; medical student Nada Elyssad; co-director of the pediatric clinic, Shauna McLaughlin; and medical director Cooper Lloyd, MD, at the opening of the Shade Tree pediatric clinic.

Shade Tree Clinic adds monthly pediatric clinic

Feb. 2, 2023—Vanderbilt's Shade Tree Clinic, which since 2005 has provided primary care to underserved and uninsured adults in Nashville, recently opened a pediatric clinic.

Discovery of “cross-reactive” antibodies could aid treatment of viral co-infections

Feb. 2, 2023— by Bill Snyder More than a million people in the United States are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. One-fifth of them have been co-infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which attacks the liver. Curative drugs for HCV are available, but many people don’t know they’ve been infected. And if they...

Nutrient absorption disease model

Feb. 2, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers developed a model of a patient-specific mutation to explore the pathology of microvillus inclusion disease, a genetic disorder that causes life-threatening diarrhea.

Pickens named chair of VUMC Thoracic Surgery

Feb. 2, 2023—Allan Pickens, MD, has been named professor and chair of Vanderbilt's Department of Thoracic Surgery.

Machine learning aids injury prevention in cardiac cath labs

Feb. 2, 2023— by Paul Govern Acute kidney injury, or AKI, is a common complication of cardiac catheterization, posing higher costs, longer hospital stays and increased short-term and long-term mortality risk. In a large, randomized trial conducted over a period of 18 months at 19 medical centers of the Veterans Health Administration, a quality improvement implementation trial...

Spann, Geiger move into new Surgical Sciences leadership roles

Feb. 2, 2023— by Jill Clendening Matthew Spann, MD, MMHC, associate professor of Surgery and director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, has been named chief of the Division of General Surgery in the Department of Surgery in the Section of Surgical Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, effective Jan. 15. Spann has moved into this new role...

array of test tubes with pipette dropping fluid into one

VU, VUMC rise in National Science Foundation survey

Feb. 2, 2023—Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center climbed seven spots in a survey by the National Science Foundation that measures annual research and development expenditures.