FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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National Science Foundation—Vanderbilt receives two CIVIC Awards from the National Science Foundation
Two Vanderbilt researchers are among a handful nationwide that have received Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) planning grants from the National Science Foundation, which were announced October 17. The purpose of the NSF CIVIC program is to accelerate the transition to practice of foundational research and emerging technologies into communities through civic-engaged research. Both pilot projects—one focused on equity for neurodiverse adults and the other on improving emergency responder outcomes—draw on artificial intelligence technology to strengthen current public resources. The Vanderbilt-led initiatives are part of a 30-team cohort in the CIVIC program’s Resource and Service Equity track. MORE
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National Science Foundation—Vanderbilt researchers provide hope with innovative breast cancer vaccine
As a child, Jenna Dombroski was at her grandfather’s bedside when cancer took his life. A scientist, he was her inspiration. Years later, the Vanderbilt University Ph.D. student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow is honoring him by leading the development of what appears to be a promising treatment for breast cancer metastasis, and potentially other types of cancer. The research led by Dombroski in the lab of Michael King, J. Lawrence Wilson Professor of Engineering and chair of the biomedical engineering department, has found that vaccinations of tumor nano-lysate (TNL) —cancer cells broken up into thousands of nanoparticles —delay primary tumor growth and metastasis after being challenged with a tumor cell implantation. MORE
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Nationl Institutes of Health—Engineering researcher Catie Chang harnesses the power of computational analysis to gain new insights into how the brain works
Catie Chang, a multidisciplinary Vanderbilt scientist who holds faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering, computer science and biomedical engineering, is part of a growing field of scientists who suspect there are deeper patterns in the brain to be discovered. She says one avenue for the field is to use data-driven approaches to make new discoveries. Another is to employ machine learning to uncover biomarkers that could be used to make more accurate health predictions. In addition to searching for direct clinical outcomes, she says, these new advances in computational analysis will ultimately give scientists a deeper, more precise understanding of how the brain works. And in 2019, Chang . . . received a $3 million NIH grant to study disturbances in brain networks in patients with epilepsy. That work continues today, as the team uses a combination of EEG and fMRI data to explore whether network disturbances caused by epilepsy contribute to cognitive deficits. By its nature, Chang’s work is inherently multidisciplinary. MORE
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National Science Foundation—Golann receives National Science Foundation grant for video-ethnographic study of diverse families with preschool-aged childrenJoanne W. Golann, assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, has received a $251,327 grant from the National Science Foundation for a project that aims to improve early parenting support programs by helping them address the needs of diverse and low-income families. The project, “Forming habit(us): A video-ethnography of everyday interactions inside 21 American families,” will analyze how families from different social classes develop early-life skills, attitudes and expectations in their children . . . . By examining diverse families holistically in their homes and daily routines, Golann’s team has an unparalleled opportunity to understand how parents support their children’s early development, which could ultimately improve programs designed to support parenting behaviors and practices. MORE
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Fazio receives grant to lead international study on combating social media misinformation
Because half of Americans “often” or “sometimes” get their news from social media, according to the Pew Research Center, it’s important to do two things: reduce the sharing of false information on social media, and increase users’ ability to distinguish truth from fiction. Vanderbilt professor and researcher Lisa Fazio will lead an international collaboration of 80 misinformation scientists in a project called “Building a better toolkit (for fighting misinformation)” to compare the effectiveness of eight common strategies to help combat false information on social media. Fazio, who is an associate professor of psychology and human development, will work with her team to finalize the design of the eight interventions; test their effectiveness in an online experiment with 30,000 participants using true, false and misleading political and health-related headlines; examine the duration and diversity of the effects across participants and headlines; and conclude by assessing the effectiveness of the most promising interventions in a real-world context on YouTube. MORE
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School of Nursing earns 2022 INSIGHT Into Diversity award
For the third year in a row, the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has won a Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. Among VUSN diversity activities are the school’s annual diversity month, when student affinity groups organize a series of events exploring issues and topics relating to the group; an annual EDI campaign that encourages inclusion and stepping outside one’s comfort zone; and a monthly literary club designed to facilitate conversation about EDI topics. As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award—a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—VUSN will be featured, along with 64 other recipients, in the December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. MORE
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Vanderbilt faculty discuss America’s struggle for racial equality
Dr. André L. Churchwell, vice chancellor for outreach, inclusion and belonging and chief diversity officer, hosted a panel of Vanderbilt faculty earlier this fall to discuss the state of racial justice in America. Among the topics covered was how art can offer hope during unsettled times and help create a more just, civil and moral society. MORE
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