October 18, 2021

An electrical and computer engineering professor has received a $2.6 million NIH grant to improve the understanding of structural changes in the brains of people who have Alzheimer’s Disease. The goal is to identify opportunities for early intervention by developing more effective interventional strategies. Bennett Landman, who chairs the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, leads the four-year project. Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia is significant public health crisis affecting 5.8 million Americans. Only four medications for Alzheimer’s Disease have FDA approval, but none of those medications produce enduring changes in the progression of the disease that lead to cell death. Early detection and diagnosis are imperative to successful patient management, and biomarkers are needed for revaluating new therapies in clinical trials. The project is funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. MORE

Cardiovascular procedures like bypass grafting and vessel stenting are some of the most common surgeries performed in the United States, but about half of them will require additional corrective measures, according to Craig Duvall, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and undergraduate director of biomedical engineering. The need for follow-up procedures is often due to intimal hyperplasia, a condition where blood vessels become re-blocked by abnormal growth or migration of smooth muscle cells in the wall of the blood vessel. A team of researchers led by Duvall has developed a nanomedicine to combat this condition. A primary cause of IH is the response to injury by the vascular smooth muscle cells that reside in the wall of the surgically manipulated blood vessel. The results of this study suggest that [the nanomedicine] MK2i-NP is a compelling alternative to available treatments because it can reduce vascular IH and improve the long-term performance of cardiovascular procedures. [This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health as well as the National Science Foundation Phase I STTR Award.] MORE

Lawrence J. Marnett, who has served as dean of Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine Basic Sciences since its creation in 2016 and has led its dramatic ascension as one of the nation’s top biomedical research and doctoral programs, will step down as dean effective June 30, 2022. Marnett, Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research, University Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry and professor of pharmacology, will return to the faculty in 2023 after taking a sabbatical. Marnett was appointed dean at the time of the legal separation of the university and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2016. Under Marnett’s leadership, the university made the bold move of creating a new “home” and funding model for the departments and centers that aligned with its mission of research and graduate training and provided stability and cutting-edge opportunities for growth that are unique among peer institutions. MORE

The recent crisis involving Haitian migrants on the southern U.S. border and the influx of new refugees arriving from Afghanistan have propelled immigration back into the headlines. These two populations can expect to be viewed differently by large swaths of the American population and be subject to differing legal regimes. Hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, “Immigration and Inclusion: Who Decides Who Belongs in America” features a panel of Vanderbilt history and legal scholars and political scientists to discuss the evolving definition of “citizen” throughout the course of American history and the shift toward inclusiveness. The event will be broadcast Tuesday, Oct. 19, at noon CT. The virtual discussion is free and open to the public. Registration is required. MORE

Renã A.S. Robinson, associate professor of chemistry and Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor Faculty Fellow, has been named president of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. Founded in 1972, NOBCChE is a nonprofit professional organization that assists Black and other minority student and professional chemists to realize their full career potential. Robinson completed her Ph.D. in chemistry at Indiana University and has been a faculty member at Vanderbilt since 2017. Her research team develops proteomics and lipidomics technologies to further understanding of health disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and sepsis. [Her focus will be on ensuring the legacy of NOBCChE through strengthening organizational infrastructure, enhancing student and professional membership value, expanding organizational partnerships, and growing NOBCChE’s footprint nationally and internationally.] MORE