Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program

C. difficile bacteria (image courtesy of CDC/Jennifer Oosthuizen)
April 17, 2026

C. diff study enrolling patients over 65 at increased risk of infection

Participants in the BEETHOVEN study will be randomized to receive two C. difficile vaccine doses six months apart, or a placebo, to learn if an investigational vaccine is safe and can help prevent C. difficile infection in people age 65 and older.

From left, Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD; Research Staff Award recipients Sandra Yoder, MLS, SCYM, Faith Brendle, RN, CPN, CCRP, and Prashant Singh, MS; and John Kuriyan, PhD. (photo by Susan Urmy)
April 9, 2025

Research Staff Awards honor three who drive research in the School of Medicine

“Research often begins with inquiring minds asking deep questions,” said Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD. “But making discoveries requires a team effort.”

December 11, 2024

Vanderbilt joins national effort to develop alphavirus vaccines

The project aims to design computational “tool kits” that can speed development of multi-virus vaccines targeting some of the greatest infectious threats to human health.

June 28, 2024

Antibody trial launched to address enterovirus threat

Enterovirus D68 has caused an increasing number of infections during the past decade and is associated with acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like condition that mostly affects children and causes sudden weakness and paralysis.

January 17, 2024

Bird flu vaccine more effective with potent adjuvant

The avian (bird) influenza vaccine creates a more robust immune response when paired with a potent ingredient known as an adjuvant, according to Vanderbilt research published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

November 4, 2022

Study finds Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine safe and effective for young children

A Vanderbilt study finds that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in children 6 months to 5 years of age.