Generative AI for faculty and staff
The Vanderbilt University Future of Learning and Generative AI Initiative now has a private ChatGPT. Staff are encouraged to try out the platform—this is not limited to faculty. Register for access.
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Brown awarded $2.375M to develop nonaddictive painkillers with AI
Benjamin Brown (Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics) was awarded an Avenir Award in Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders, given by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to early-stage investigators who propose highly innovative studies and represent the future of addiction science. Brown will focus his research on signaling proteins that bind with opioids in the central nervous system.
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Membrane biophysics authority to deliver Apex Lecture on Feb. 13
Jeanne Stachowiak, T. Brockett Hudson Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, will give an Apex Lecture on Feb. 13 at 2:00 p.m. CT in 1220 MRBIII. Her talk, “Intrinsic Disorder as an Organizing Principle for Membrane Biology and Biomaterials,” is co-sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and the School of Engineering.
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Feb. 20 Lab-to-Table will discuss representation in scientific art
In celebrating Black History Month’s theme, “African Americans in the Arts,” the next installment of our Lab-to-Table Conversations will work to connect the science of medical illustrations with real-life health consequences. The event, “Picturing Progress: Representation in Scientific Art” will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Feb. 20 and is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
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Pilot program supports early-stage therapeutic projects
Selected projects will receive up to $500,000 over two years and industry mentorship from drug development experts at Vanderbilt. Applications will be accepted until April 1.
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Recent appointments and promotions in Basic Sciences
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Cherrington awarded honorary Doctor of Science
Alan Cherrington (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), a University of New Brunswick alumnus, received an honorary Doctor of Science at the UNB Fredericton campus’s 69th Convocation Ceremony.
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Destination Biochemistry welcomes Baris and Pollenz—and new applicants
Yasemin Baris and Savannah Pollenz have become the most recent cohort of Destination Biochemistry postdoctoral scholars, a program designed to attract outstanding postdocs to laboratories in the Department of Biochemistry. Applications for the next cohort are due Feb. 15.
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Torres is first VU graduate student to receive Future Leaders Award
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Hinton undergraduates receive ABRCMS awards
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Fresh-from-the-oven grads
The following graduates successfully defended their dissertations:
- Biochemistry: Kaitlyn Browning, Ph.D.; Jorge Rúa-Fernández, Ph.D.
- Biological Sciences: Jonathan Davies, Ph.D.; Annie Hatmaker, Ph.D.; Adriana Norris, Ph.D.
- Cell and Developmental Biology: Sara Kassel, Ph.D.; Gabriella Robertson, Ph.D.; Andrew Siladi, Ph.D.; Yoojin Sohn, Ph.D.
- Chemical and Physical Biology: Dora Obodo, Ph.D.
- Human Genetics: Joseph Breeyear, Ph.D.
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics: Emily Hawes, Ph.D.
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Marnett lab intern selected as top scholar in Regeneron competition
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Peak Performance series
- Feb. 8: Motivation, Mindset & Goal-setting
- Feb 22: Managing Conflict & Relationships
- March 7: Performing Under Pressure
- March 21: Finding Work/Life Balance
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How To virtual learning series
How To is a virtual collaborative learning series covering a variety of topics from tactics to achieve specific work goals, deep dives into specific tools with tips and tricks, and more. Sessions are typically scheduled for Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Upcoming sessions:
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VIRAL Spring Festival Celebration
VIRAL will hold its annual Spring Festival Celebration on Feb. 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Community Event Space. Immerse yourself in a cultural celebration of the lunar new year, enjoy East Asian cuisines and snacks, and get the chance to win exciting gifts! RSVP on AnchorLink.
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Preparing for tax treaty renewal and tax return season
The Vanderbilt International Tax Office and the BRET International Trainee Support team are excited to host the second workshop on U.S. taxes. This session will cover tax treaty renewals for 2024 and the requirements for those who qualify. We will also review tax return basics and provide resources for preparation assistance. The session will be held on Feb. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Light Hall 411ABCD. Register on REDCap.
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Explorations in Research
The Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt invites you to the sixth annual Explorations in Research networking event on Feb. 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Student Life Center’s Commodore Ballroom. Researchers who wish to show a poster or host a table are encouraged to register using this form by Feb. 8. You may direct questions to Charles Acheson or the EL&IV general inbox.
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CSB Symposium 2024
The Center for Structural Biology Symposium 2024 will take place on March 28. It will feature scientific talks from preeminent structural biologists Nozomi Ando, James Fraser, Jeanne Hardy, and Andrey Sali. There will also be a poster session and Science Jeopardy hosted by Ray Blind (Medicine).
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ASPIRE on the Road: Boston
ASPIRE on the Road is an initiative of the Vanderbilt ASPIRE Program to help trainees make well-informed career decisions. This year, biomedical Ph.D. graduate students and postdocs will make site visits to companies and organizations in Boston this spring.
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Graduate students: attend the 2024 AAAS CASE workshop
Graduate students are invited to apply to attend the AAAS CASE Workshop in Washington, D.C. The trip is sponsored by the VU Office of Federal Relations, the Vanderbilt Graduate Leadership Institute and the BRET ASPIRE Program. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14.
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Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science open for nominations
The Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science recognizes scientists who have made significant contributions to the science of medicine, have stellar records of research accomplishments, are known for their mentorship. Vanderbilt Prize winners nurture the career of that year’s Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar.
The nomination deadline is Feb. 29.
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ASPIRE to Innovate Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The ASPIRE to Innovate Postdoctoral Fellowship program aims to enable the commercialization of technologies discovered at Vanderbilt University and provide a biomedical Ph.D. scientist with a structured training opportunity to learn how to transform a technology into a company.
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BioRender Premium access renewed
Basic Sciences is thrilled to announce that its community members will continue to have access to BioRender Premium through Sept. 2025.
For more information on eligibility or to submit your VUNetID, please visit this form.
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Join the CSB Green Team
The Center for Structural Biology Green Team aims to promote multi-level collaboration to create a more green-forward Vanderbilt and instill environmentally conscious systems in biomedical research labs. All VU and VUMC community members are welcome to join and can express their interest by filling out this Google Form.
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New series: Basic Sciences Staff Spotlight
The Basic Sciences community wants to learn and celebrate the diverse talents of our staff. Is there a Basic Sciences staff member whose dedication, passion, and positive impact deserve recognition? Send your nominations to Alexandra Scammell with ideas of who to feature in this new series!
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Community Engagement Collaboration Fund
Vanderbilt’s Division of Government and Community Relations will support collaborations between local community organizations with Vanderbilt engagement to address a local community opportunity or need. Read more about the program and application.
The submission deadline is Feb. 12.
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NIGMS funding opportunities
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences announced availability of funds for administrative supplements to NIGMS-funded R01, R15, R16, R35, R37, and R44 research projects. Learn more on this NIGMS notice and blog post. The due date is Feb. 15.
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Send us a link to job openings you'd like to promote and we’ll post it here for three issues. Renew postings anytime!
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About this issue's bannerThis cell, which shows DNA in the nucleus (greens/blues) and mitochondria (purples/reds/yellows), was photographed by the lab of Dylan Burnette (Cell and Developmental Biology) using a super-resolution microscopy technique called structured illumination microscopy. The Burnette lab has a specialized SIM for live-cell imaging, but everyone at Vanderbilt has access to a turn-key SIM microscopy in the Cell Imaging Shared Resource. SIM produces sharper images than conventional microscopes, which allows researchers to make measurements that were previously not possible. The more numbers an image produces, the more insight it can give us. They may say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but, for cell biologists like Burnette, “a picture is worth a thousand numbers.”
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About the newsletterThis newsletter recognizes the achievements and latest discoveries of students, postdocs, faculty, and staff associated with Basic Sciences departments, centers, and cores or who carry out basic biomedical research at Vanderbilt.
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Help friends and family keep up with Basic Sciences!
Basic Sciences has a number of communication avenues that you or your loved ones can use to keep up with what's going on here. If they're not already getting the Reading List, Vital, and Lab-to-Table Conversations announcements, send them to our subscription center!
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Keep up with biomedical science seminars
To receive weekly email notices about upcoming seminars focused on the biomedical sciences, please email Katherine Carter. To submit your event for the weekly email, send it to the "bioseminar" email address.
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Send us your news Got an announcement or an upcoming event? Did we miss out on celebrating you or your lab's successes? Let us know!
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