Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences

Introduction to Deerfield

🗓️ How do academic discoveries become real-world therapies? You are invited to connect with the Deerfield Management Discovery and Development team to learn how our Ancora Innovations partnership helps accelerate translational research and fuel new biotech ventures. cttc.co/events/20251...

Prashant Donthamsetti wins prestigious NIH pioneer award to advance addiction research Prashant Donthamsetti has received a prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. His project will use a new platform called Tag-Guided Drug to uncover how sp…

🎉 Congratulations to Prashant Donthamsetti on receiving the prestigious NIH Director's Pioneer Award to push forward research into next-generation strategies for understanding and treating addiction.

Read more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Spraggins awarded $4M NSF grant to develop next-generation molecular imaging platform In addition to fueling cutting-edge research, a new molecular imaging system will serve as a cornerstone resource at the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, which is recognized nationally as a hub f…

🎉 Jeff Spraggins has been awarded a $4 million NSF grant to develop a next-generation molecular imaging platform. This cutting-edge technology aims to visualize biomolecules in tissues with greater clarity, helping researchers decode disease pathways. medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences welcomes the next generation of biomedical scientists

🎓 Every August, we welcome a new class of graduate students ready to begin their journey toward a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences! This year, 42 students joined the IGP and QCB program, kicking off their Vanderbilt experience. ✨

Read more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Vanderbilt research looks to smooth out bumps in medicinal chemistry processes Vanderbilt researchers probe the mysteries of an enzyme that could be used as a tool in basic research and medicinal chemistry.

🧪 Vanderbilt researchers are on a mission to “smooth out the bumps” in medicinal chemistry. Their new work addresses key inefficiencies that slow discovery and could accelerate the path from lab to clinic.

Learn more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Beyond the Lab: See and Listen Curious about what biomedical Ph.D.s do for their career? In the “Beyond the Lab” series, the ASPIRE Program interviews Vanderbilt Ph.D. and postdoctoral alumni about their career path.…

🎙️ Happy #InternationalPodcastDay! Check out Beyond the Lab, BRET's podcast that brings the stories and people behind biomedical research to life. From career journeys to lab insights, listen to Ph.D. and postdoctoral alumni talk about their career paths. 🎧 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career-devel...

cancer | Basic Sciences Sep. 9, 2025

🌍🎗️ Today is #WorldCancerResearchDay. Cancer impacts millions of people around the world and our scientists are working to tackle cancer from every angle: genes, metabolism, drug discovery, and more. Learn more about cancer research being done at our school 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center names associate directors and new program leaders Four high-profile researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have assumed new and varied leadership roles.

🎉 Congratulations to William Tansey and Douglas Kojetin on their new leadership roles at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center!

These leaders are stepping up to drive innovation, enhance collaboration, and accelerate cancer research at Vanderbilt. 🧬✨

Learn more 👉 news.vumc.org/2025/09/10/v...

Alzheimer’s disease | Basic Sciences Jul. 9, 2025

🧠 Today is #WorldAlzheimers Day. Our centers and researchers are tackling Alzheimer’s disease from multiple angles to bring us closer to a future where Alzheimer’s can be prevented, treated, or even cured. Read more related research and events at our school 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

School of Medicine Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight: Hannah Schaeffer Meet Hannah Schaeffer, administrative manager for the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery.

🌟 Meet Hannah Schaeffer who works at the WCNDD. She joined Vanderbilt over 2.5 years ago, first in the College of Arts & Science, and now supports vital operations at WCNDD, everything from onboarding new staff to website work. 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

aging | Basic Sciences Jul. 10, 2025

Their goal? To not just extend lifespan, but to extend healthspan, helping people live longer, healthier lives. 🧬

Read more about aging research done at SOMBS 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

🔬 From Ken Lau’s studies of gut and immune system aging to David Cortez’s research into genome stability, and Kris Burkewitz's attempts to understand the interventions we already possess that extend lifespan, our faculty are tackling aging from every angle.

✨ Today is #NationalAgingAwarenessDay! Our scientists are uncovering the secrets of aging by exploring how genetics, metabolism, and cellular processes shape health across the lifespan.

#AgingResearch #Aging #Research #Science

SPORE grant funds $12 million for colorectal cancer research Vanderbilt colorectal cancer research team receives a Specialized Programs of Research Excellence grant renewal totaling $12.6 million.

A colorectal #cancer research team led by Robert Coffey (CDB), Stephen Fesik (Biochemistry), Ken Lau (CDB), and Bill Tansey (Biochemistry) has received a $12.6M SPORE #grant renewal from the National Cancer Institute 🎉

Learn more 👉 news.vumc.org/2025/09/08/s...

🎉 It’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week! We’re proud to celebrate the brilliant postdoc scholars who drive discovery, fuel innovation, and enrich our community. ✨

To our postdocs: THANK YOU. 🙌🏿 🙌 🙌🏾

💛 Drop a message of appreciation to a postdoc in your life this week! #NPAW

Fall faculty assembly reveals ‘Grow with Vanderbilt’ as guiding theme for academic year Vanderbilt faculty filled the Student Life Center for the 2025 Fall Faculty Assembly on Aug. 28, listening as Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost C. Cybele Raver lauded their achievements and…

🌟 Big congratulations to our School of Medicine Basic Sciences faculty recognized at the 2025 Fall Faculty Assembly, including David Cortez & Rahul Bhowmick (Biochemistry), Jamey Young (Molecular Physiology & Biophysics), and Dan Roden (Pharmacology). 👏🏾👏🏼👏👏🏻👏🏿 news.vanderbilt.edu/2025/09/03/f...

Isomerization insights: a deeper understanding of Pin1-PPARγ dynamics By Cameron I. Cohen Amino acid peptides can exist in cis and trans conformations, with most heavily favoring the latter. Proline, however, is unique among amino acids in that its peptide bonds can …

🔬 New insights into protein regulation! A new study from the Kojetin lab uncovers how the enzyme Pin1 binds and regulates PPARγ—a protein that plays a major role in insulin resistance and fat cell development. Read more 👉 www.vanderbilt.edu/csb/2025/07/...

DelGiorno lands prestigious American Cancer Society award to study therapeutic vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer Kathleen DelGiorno has received a Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society to study pancreatic cancer development. She will focus on the role of two fatty acids that are known to be …

👏 Big congratulations to Kathleen DelGiorno, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology, on receiving a prestigious American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award! Read on 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Susan R. Wente

🖼️ Part of the Chancellor’s Traveling Exhibit of Vanderbilt Trailblazers, a portrait of Susan Wente is now located in Eskind Library. Wente was the first female department chair in cell and developmental biology. www.vanderbilt.edu/trailblazers...

Cell Press: STAR Protocols STAR Protocols is an open access, peer-reviewed journal from Cell Press. We offer structured, transparent, accessible, and repeatable step-by-step experimental and computational protocols from all…

📖 Vanderbilt researchers in the lab of Sezen Meydan have published about a technique to find where ribosome collisions occur in yeast cells. star-protocols.cell.com/protocols/4426

#Vanderbilt #BasicSciences #Yeast #MolecularBiology #TranslationResearch #OpenScience #Research

🎉 Join us in congratulating Philip Walker, director of Vanderbilt’s Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library and Learning Center, who has been elected chair of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine!

newsonline.library.vanderbilt.edu/2025/07/hear...

Upcoming Lectures | Discovery Lecture Series Vanderbilt University Medical Center has launched the Discovery Lecture Series featuring the world's most eminent scientists, who will speak on the highest-impact research and policy issues in…

🗓️ Mark your calendars! The Discovery Lecture Series is back with Dr. Huda Akil, Senior Research Professor at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute, who will discuss a neurobiological perspective on stress and resilience.

When? Sept. 11 at 4:00 p.m.
Where? Light Hall 208

www.vumc.org/discovery-le...

Hirak Sarkar joins College of Connected Computing and Center for Computational Systems Biology Hirak Sarkar, a machine learning and genomics expert, recently became a new faculty member in the College of Connected Computing and also joined the Discovery Vanderbilt Center for Computational…

🎉 Hirak Sarkar has joined the College of Connected Computing and the Discovery Vanderbilt Center for Computational Systems Biology, bringing his expertise in AI and biomedical modeling to catalyze innovation at the intersection of computation and biology. 👉 computing.vanderbilt.edu/2025/08/21/h...

Gravity is not our friend: A summer postcard Professor of Biochemistry Chuck Sanders reflects on a summertime backpacking trip in the Wind River Range of Western Wyoming.

🏞️ Gravity isn’t always our friend, according to Chuck Sanders who shared a reflective summer postcard from the Wind River Range of Wyoming. From lofty granite peaks to windswept nights, his 40-mile journey was one for the books!

Catch the full tale 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Researchers uncover critical genetic drivers of the gut’s “nervous system” development, offering insights into gut motility disorders Vanderbilt scientists shed light on how the enteric nervous system—sometimes called the “brain” of the gut—forms and functions, offering insights that may advance treatments for gut mot…

🧠 Vanderbilt researchers have made strides in understanding how the enteric nervous system—sometimes called the “brain” of the gut—forms and functions. The new research offers insights that may advance treatments for IBS and chronic constipation. 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Carvajal-García named Destination Biochemistry Advanced Postdoctoral Scholar Juan Carvajal-García has been named a 2025 Destination Biochemistry Advanced Postdoctoral Scholar, a distinction granted by the Department of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences. …

🎉 Exciting news! Juan Carvajal-García has been named a Destination Biochemistry Advanced Postdoctoral Scholar. His exceptional work in biochemistry and commitment to scientific discovery have earned him this prestigious recognition.

Read more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

New research points to lipids as possible culprit in age-related vision loss Vanderbilt biochemists find role for lipids in age-related vision loss—and pave the way for potential new therapies.

👁️ New research from Vanderbilt highlights a surprising possible culprit behind age-related vision loss: lipids in the eye. This discovery opens exciting new avenues for understanding and potentially treating vision decline in the future.

Learn more 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy symposium showcases undergraduate research Vanderbilt University welcomed 48 undergraduate researchers from 30 institutions across the country to present their work at the 2025 Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy Poster Symposium.

🧪 This summer, Vanderbilt hosted 48 undergraduates from 30 institutions at the 2025 VSSA Poster Symposium. Over nine weeks, students immersed themselves in lab-based discovery across disciplines and had the opportunity to engage in clinical settings. medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Vanderbilt basic science alum Q&A: Richard Gustin Richard Gustin, PhD’10, sat down with us to discuss his experience studying basic science and pharmacology at Vanderbilt and how it played a role in his career. Gustin is now a senior director of i…

🎓 Meet Richard Gustin who graduated from our pharmacology department in 2010 and is now senior director of innovation and strategic initiatives at Neurelis, Inc. His path spans basic bench science to biotech strategy—bridging discovery and medicine. 👉 medschool.vanderbilt.edu/basic-scienc...

Eric Skaar: Exploring the connection between nutrient access and infection When bacterial pathogens enter our bodies, they’ve got one goal—hunt for food to multiply. And during the process, they make us sick. Eric Skaar, Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology and…

🦠 Vanderbilt's Eric Skaar is shedding light on a hidden battlefield within our bodies: the competition for essential nutrients between our immune system and harmful bacteria. His work could pave the way for new treatments against antibiotic-resistant infections. 👉 news.vanderbilt.edu/2025/08/06/e...