National Science Foundation—The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, named National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Hub lead institution
Vanderbilt University has been chosen by the National Science Foundation to lead the new Mid-South Innovation Corps Hub, a group of nine universities that make up a regional coalition of diverse, tech-forward institutions to promote inclusive innovation, spur economic development and prosperity and transform Midsouth metro areas into growth and commercialization centers for STEM-related technologies. The new hub, which will be directed by staff from the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, will launch in January 2023 and is expected to help the region maximize its innovation potential through at least 2028. As the lead institution for the Mid-South I-Corp Hub, Vanderbilt will receive up to $15 million from NSF over five years to fund participant microgrants, engage consultants with I-Corps experience, train I-Corps instructors, lead National I-Corps cohorts, publish materials resulting from hub work and create positions to support programming and outputs. The effort received broad bipartisan support from federal legislators, including Tennessee’s U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and U.S. Reps. Jim Cooper, Tim Burchett and Chuck Fleischmann. MORE
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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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National Institutes of Health—Vanderbilt engineering professor to use $3 million grant to develop technology to help cancer patients better fight disease
John Wilson, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Vanderbilt University, has received a $3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop technology that seeks to boost a person’s immune system to better fight cancer. Wilson is the Principal Investigator of the five-year grant. He specializes in the study of cancer immunotherapy and the use of cancer vaccines, which take small fragments of the proteins that are in a tumor and packages them in a way that makes them more easily identifiable by the immune system, which then generates T cells that find and eventually destroy the tumor. He said cancer vaccines have immense potential, but in many cases researchers don’t have the proper tools to make them work. MORE
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National Science Foundation—Vanderbilt biologists discover genetic pathways linking the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes during infection
Vanderbilt biologists have discovered the genetic pathways that link the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes during the fight against infection. A mosquito fighting infection of malaria or bacteria attracts immune cells to its heart that filter microbes that are flowing in its blood, called hemolymph. The discovery of two pathways that link immunity and hemolymph circulation is a major contribution to the understanding of how mosquitoes, which are themselves disease vectors, respond to infection. [This research could lay the foundation for novel strategies that protect beneficial insects or harm detrimental ones.] The research was funded by National Science Foundation. MORE
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National Institutes of Health—High blood pressure may accelerate bone aging according to new study led by Vanderbilt biomedical engineering graduate student
When high blood pressure was induced in young mice, they had bone loss and osteoporosis-related bone damage comparable to older mice, according to new research . . . . High blood pressure and osteoporosis are prevalent diseases, and people may have both at the same time. In this study, researchers examined inflammation associated with high blood pressure in mice and found it may be connected to osteoporosis. [The research suggests that more pro-inflammatory immune cells in the bone marrow may be leading to damage of the bone and making it weaker. By understanding how hypertension contributes to osteoporosis, we may be able to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and better protect people later in life from having fragility fractures and a lower quality of life.] The study was funded [in part] by the National Institutes of Health. MORE
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Diermeier outlines Vanderbilt’s global path forward, presents faculty awards
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier has placed a strong priority on expanding Vanderbilt’s global presence as the university prepares to celebrate its sesquicentennial next year. Diermeier said during his remarks at Fall Faculty Assembly that building Vanderbilt’s international reputation is “top of mind every day” for the university’s leadership. Diermeier noted that Vanderbilt will commemorate its 150th year next year, and the university has far exceeded the expectations of its founders. The state of the university is stronger than it has ever been, he reported . . . and last year, for the first time, the university exceeded $1 billion in research funding. Diermeier outlined a bold path for Vanderbilt to expand its reach around the world. He emphasized that, while Vanderbilt’s reputation as one of the best educational institutions continues to soar in the United States, the university lags behind where it should be in global recognition. MORE
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With an eye on midterm elections, 2022 Kelly Miller Smith Symposium to focus on voting
The third annual Kelly Miller Smith Symposium will discuss equal access to and full participation in the electoral process. This year’s featured speaker is Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Barack Obama Foundation and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama. The upcoming virtual symposium featuring noted speakers and held in celebration of the civil rights accomplishments of Kelly Miller Smith Sr., Vanderbilt University’s first African American administrator, will discuss voter access and civic participation in light of this year’s midterm elections. The Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School will join the Kelly Miller Smith Family Foundation in hosting its third annual symposium, “ Critical Vote Theory: A Moral Mandate for Voting Rights,” on Thursday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. CT. The symposium will provide a plan of action for increasing voter participation and addressing voter suppression within communities. MORE
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