All News

J. Kelly Wright Jr., MD, speaks during his recent retirement reception. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
September 23, 2024

Pioneering transplant surgeon J. Kelly Wright Jr. retires

Wright and C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, performed Vanderbilt’s first liver transplant in 1991. This year, VUMC celebrated its 3,000th liver transplant.

By Matt Batcheldor
Douglas Terry, PhD. (photo by Donn Jones)
September 23, 2024

New study reveals common belief of CTE, link to mental health among former professional NFL players

“Understanding the proportion of former players who think they have CTE — and identifying the common symptoms in those who believe they have CTE — is an important step for helping these individuals receive medical and mental health treatment,” said Douglas Terry, PhD, assistant professor and clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Neurological Surgery and co-director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center.

By Holly Fletcher
Brayden Thrasher, 7, attends Camp Hope, a three-day experience for burn survivors. (photo by Donn Jones)
September 23, 2024

Camp Hope: A place of healing and happiness for burn survivors

At Camp Hope, Vanderbilt personnel, adult burn survivors and others volunteer to create activities to promote physical and emotional healing for the children.

By Jessica Pasley
September 23, 2024

New evaluation system to render AI chatbots safe, empathetic

V-CARES will focus on detecting hallucinations, omissions and misaligned values in AI-generated responses on critical health topics.

By Paul Govern
September 20, 2024

VUMC method tracks down rare, broadly reacting antibodies: study

The discovery, reported in the journal PLOS Pathogens, could help open the door to the development of effective vaccines and antibody therapies with an “exceptional breadth of pathogen coverage.”

By Bill Snyder
Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH
September 20, 2024

Melinda Aldrich elected to genetics society board of directors

Aldrich uses population-based cohorts and biobanks to investigate lung cancer; her research informed guidelines for lung cancer screening.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 20, 2024

Fever drives enhanced activity, mitochondrial damage in immune cells

The mechanistic understanding of how cells respond to heat could explain how chronic inflammation contributes to the development of cancer.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 20, 2024

VUMC experts elected to serve on Epic’s Specialty Steering Boards

Elected by their peers, Epic’s Specialty Steering Boards guide content and strategy for individual specialties.
By VUMC News and Communications
September 20, 2024

VUMC physician-scientists recognized for extending veterans’ lung cancer screening

Lucy Spalluto, MD, MPH, and Jennifer Lewis, MD, MS, MPH, are the recipients of the 2024 VAQS Team Award for work they began in 2017.
By Bill Snyder
September 20, 2024

World’s research data administrators gather for REDCapCon 2024

REDCap, or Research Electronic Data Capture, is a web-based software application launched at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2004.
By Paul Govern
September 20, 2024

Vanderbilt researchers speaks at World Conference on Lung Cancer

Deppen spoke about biological, population and technology issues related to the discovery and implementation of biomarkers for early cancer detection.
By Tom Wilemon
September 19, 2024

Teen driving safety campaign helps raise awareness of dangerous practices

Be in the Zone (BITZ), a teen driver safety program, aims to reduce teen motor vehicle crashes in Tennessee through its unique hospital-school collaboration to educate teen drivers about the dangers of distracted driving.
By Jessica Pasley
September 19, 2024

One year ago, VUMC nurse Susie Stephens was thrown from a horse and suffered a broken neck. The story of her injury, her recovery — and the day she got back on the horse.

“I wake up every day and wonder why I didn’t die.”
By Wayne Wood