Reporter Feb 7 2014
Obesity sends immune cells to the brain
Feb. 12, 2014—Obesity causes peripheral immune cells to move to the brain, where they may contribute to inflammation and the pathophysiology of obesity.
Keeping the beat after heart surgery
Feb. 10, 2014—Variation in the gene for the beta-1 adrenergic receptor increases the risk that a patient will have an abnormal heart rhythm after cardiac surgery.
New direction for treating lung cancer
Feb. 7, 2014—Targeting the production of molecules that promote tumor blood vessel development offers a new path for treating lung cancer.
VUMC replacing ID badges with new ‘smart’ cards
Feb. 6, 2014—Beginning with staff and faculty of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, VU Card Services will replace employee identification badges with a newly designed, contactless “smart” card.
Program aims to reduce Medicare readmission rates
Feb. 6, 2014—A program launched by Schnelle in January 2013 aims to reduce readmissions for Medicare patients transferred from Vanderbilt University Hospital to any of 23 area skilled nursing facilities, or SNFs. The specific goal is 17 percent reduction, by 2015, in 30-day hospital readmissions directly from these SNFs.
Barnett to direct Medical Student Research
Feb. 6, 2014—Joey Barnett, Ph.D., has been named assistant dean and director of the Office for Medical Student Research.
Discovery Lecture sheds light on properties of motion
Feb. 6, 2014—Ron Vale, Ph.D., co-discoverer of the molecular “motor” kinesin, spent the first 10 minutes of his Flexner Discovery Lecture last week talking not about science, but about science communication.
Hydrocephalus treatment study began in Uganda
Feb. 6, 2014—Rob Naftel, M.D., traveled more than 8,000 miles to learn a new surgical technique to treat hydrocephalus, the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
Riley president-elect of physicians’ organization
Feb. 6, 2014—Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, clinical professor of Medicine with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and adjunct professor of Healthcare Management with the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, is president-elect of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
PREDICT program lands informatics innovation award
Feb. 6, 2014—Healthcare Informatics Magazine has awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center third place in its 2014 Innovator Awards.
Lehmann, Walker elected to American Pediatric Society
Feb. 6, 2014—Christoph Lehmann, M.D., professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics, and Lynn Walker, Ph.D., professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Young Adult Health, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS).
Photo: Learning visit
Feb. 6, 2014—The Nashville Health Care Council’s second class of fellows participates in medical simulation exercises at the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA) at Vanderbilt.