Research

September 21, 2017

New lab formulary improves quality, cuts cost

An effort at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) to enhance clinical decision making through cross-departmental collaboration and effective use of diagnostics has improved patient care and saved the institution more than $1 million in 2016, VUMC officials reported this week.

By Bill Snyder
Pregnant woman holding pill pack
September 20, 2017

NSAIDs, genetics and miscarriage

A certain genetic variant, in combination with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen during early pregnancy, may protect women from miscarriage.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 14, 2017

Acid reflux cancer link

Blocking acid reflux-induced production of reactive oxygen compounds may be a useful strategy for preventing DNA damage and decreasing the risk of esophageal cancer.

By Sanjay Mishra
Lymphocytes attacking cancer cell
August 31, 2017

Pancreatic cancer development

Elevated levels of the factor G-CSF appear to promote the development of aggressive pancreatic cancer, suggesting a new therapeutic approach for this devastating disease.

By Leigh MacMillan
August 17, 2017

Report identifies IT upgrades needed to enhance cancer care

A group of nationally recognized medical information and data management experts has recommended the development of new knowledge software applications that work alongside electronic health record systems (EHRs) to help practicing oncologists access and use the latest genomic information to assist in the treatment of cancer patients.

By VUMC News and Communications
July 13, 2017

New approach for staph-related skin abscesses explored

New multicenter research that includes Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) investigators, could change treatment approaches to simple skin abscesses, infections often caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria.

By Christina Echegaray
May 26, 2017

Preserving NIH’s Fogarty International Center crucial for global health efforts

This week Douglas Heimburger, M.D., M.S., professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt, joined a growing chorus calling for preservation of the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
By Bill Snyder
May 25, 2017

Study reveals role for stem cells in chronic lung diseases

A novel population of lung stem cells plays an important role in regulating the pulmonary microvasculature — the network of tiny blood vessels where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange takes place.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 11, 2017

Discovery Lecturer Kandel tackles age-related memory loss

Eric Kandel, M.D., who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2000 for discovering molecular mechanisms of memory storage, told the crowd at last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture that he has recently become interested in memory in the aging brain.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 27, 2017

Nobel laureate and memory expert Kandel set for next Discovery Lecture

Nobel laureate Eric R. Kandel, M.D., renowned for his studies of learning and memory, will give the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, May 4.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 18, 2017

Vanderbilt-led study shows high-salt diet decreases thirst, increases hunger

Salted peanuts make you thirsty so you drink more: that’s bartender wisdom. While that may be true in the short-term, within 24 hours increasing salt consumption actually makes you less thirsty because your body starts to conserve and produce water.
By Bill Snyder
April 13, 2017

Clue to pulmonary hypertension

Vanderbilt investigators have studied the relationship between race, cardiometabolic traits and pulmonary hypertension.
By Bill Snyder
April 6, 2017

Vanderbilt Prize winner Fuchs explores skin’s many wonders

Skin is a marvelous organ that protects the body, senses the external world and even expresses emotion. In the hands of Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., recipient of the 2016 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, skin also lies squarely in the intersection of normal growth, wound repair and cancer.
By Bill Snyder