Health And Medicine

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Craig Lindsley, William K. Warren, Jr. Professor of Medicine, University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology and executive director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss transformative research exploring how subtle tweaks to brain chemistry could change the way we treat neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain. Read More

The trial, which is funded by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is expected to begin this summer and will assign peer-parent coaches to families to determine whether their having support to navigate the medical system and other challenges means their children will be healthier.   Read More

Targeting ncRNAs with drugs presents a much larger therapeutic opportunity than targeting proteins, but the currently available drug discovery tools are slow and computationally intensive. Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and core member of the Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics Carlos Oliver is working with collaborators to unlock the untapped potential of ncRNAs, as they are a promising family of targets for the development of novel small-molecule therapeutics. Read More

A new study by Vanderbilt investigators uncovered a previously unknown biological mechanism: how tissues detect and respond to damage in basement membranes, the thin layers of extracellular matrix that surround and support nearly every organ in the body. The research, published in Developmental Cell, is the first to show how local cells sense and respond to changes in basement membrane stiffness caused by damage—and how they activate a previously unknown set of “matrix mender” cells to repair the tissue. Read More

Crucial research by Neil Osheroff and his lab leads to approval of the first new class of antibacterial drugs in decades. The drug, gepotidacin, developed by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Blujepa, will be available starting later this year, potentially bringing relief to thousands of women who struggle with uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Read More

Though Helicobacter pylori lives in the guts of about half of the world's adults, infections can go undetected for decades. The problem: the bacteria is the primary risk factor for gastric cancer, and one strain of the germ carries a higher risk. Vanderbilt researchers Tim Cover and Jennifer Shuman analyzed how the genetic makeup of H. pylori strains affects how they change the molecular makeup of gut tissues and lead to gastric cancer. Read More

Learn about the women who inspire Steven Townsend in his breakthrough research that puts a spotlight on women, their health and discoveries around the healing powers of breast milk. Read More

Fat and protein molecules are essential to human brain health, and there are microscopic transport hubs that make sure the right molecules get to the right cells. If the proteins aren’t interacting properly, they can wind up in the wrong places—a problem that’s been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Research in Associate Professor Lauren Jackson’s lab has uncovered how those proteins interact. Read More

Kevin Murphy, Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities and professor of history of art and architecture, and Mary Anne Hunting, BA’80, have uncovered the histories of female architects in the American Modernism period of the U.S. in new research. Read More

A recent study by Paula Luis and Claus Schneider, researchers in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences Department of Pharmacology and the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, has uncovered substantial inconsistencies in the alkaloid content of Corydalis yanhusuo dietary supplements. Read More

Learn about the inspiration that drives biomedical engineer Audrey Bowden in her work using light towards breakthroughs in medical issues from cancers to jaundice to ADHD. Read More

The laboratory of Ege Kavalali, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, published a new paper in Nature Communications that determined that liquid-liquid phase separation plays a key role within the nanostructure of synapses, and that its disruption affects evoked but not spontaneous neurotransmission. Read More

A recent pair of papers from the Vanderbilt University labs of Benjamin Spiller, associate professor of pharmacology, and Scott Smith, associate professor of medicine, dig into how peanut allergies are provoked and providing support for the use of a potential treatment option: hypoallergens. Both papers were published in February in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Read More

Medicine often takes a one-size-fits-all approach, but a disorder’s root cause can vary. Vanderbilt researchers have found that, for people with long QT syndrome, a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat, a more tailored approach could be beneficial. The research, led by Vanderbilt University Professor of Biochemistry and Vice Dean of Basic Sciences Charles Sanders and Northwestern University Professor and Chair of Pharmacology Dr. Al George, was published in PNAS in February 2025. Read More

According to new research from Panka Bencsik, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, on days when highways are more congested, particularly during weekday afternoon rush hour, people are more likely to choose the fast-food option. Read More

Researchers at Dr. Mark Magnuson's lab discovered that the formation of the gallbladder and bile duct system critically depends on the precise concentration of the Sox17 transcription factor, with even small reductions preventing gallbladder development in mice. Read More

Vanderbilt scientists developed new dialysis membranes using ultra-thin graphene that automatically seal larger holes while keeping smaller ones open, making them more effective than current medical filters and potentially improving dialysis treatment. Read More

In the ongoing battle against triple negative breast cancer, Vanderbilt researchers have uncovered a promising non-invasive method to track how tumors respond to radiation and immunotherapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Read More

Recent research from the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, resulted in the proposal of a novel target and mechanism for improving cognition—a negative symptom—while also treating positive symptoms of the disease. Read More

See how art collector turned immunologist James Crowe combines abstract thinking with game-changing technology to prevent infectious disease. Read More