Social risk factors including income, education and ethnic background influence health outcomes and should be taken into account in Medicare payment models, according to a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective” titled “Social Risk Factors and Equity in Medicare Payment.”

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a unique example of communication between bacterial signaling systems, which may have relevance for antibiotic resistance.

Researchers at Vanderbilt have identified what may be a genetic “smoking gun” for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — a mutation in the gene for the critical neuronal protein CaMKII.

The researchers examine whether the financial struggles of some major insurers under the Affordable Care Act reflect a policy failure or a mismatch of these firms’ capabilities and strategies to a newly created market.

Using patient outcomes data from approximately 1,800 hospitals, the largest demonstration to date of automated safety surveillance of a medical device is reported in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine.

The compound MPLA is an attractive vaccine component, designed to elicit a robust immune response.

Nominations for the 2017 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science are now being accepted. The deadline is March 31.