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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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Surgical robots developed by Vanderbilt researchers could make radical prostatectomy safer and less invasive
Researchers at the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering have developed a minuscule robot that could revolutionize surgical procedures for treating prostate cancer, which affects one in nine men in the United States. Using a lifelike model, the team demonstrated that the surgical robot could not only remove the prostate gland and tissues through the urethra, but also accomplish the difficult step of suturing the bladder to the urethra. Robert Webster, Richard A. Schroeder Professor of Mechanical Engineering and associate professor of medicine and urology . . . and Duke Herrell, professor of urology and biomedical and mechanical engineering, have developed a surgical robotic platform with two arms made from telescoping needle-size tubes and manipulated by software control techniques. [The research was funded by a National Institutes of Health R01 grant.] MORE
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Discovery shows how to treat heart attacks; drug development underway
Vanderbilt researchers have identified the protein receptor in specialized heart cells that, when removed, preserves cardiac function after a heart attack. This discovery has significant implications for survival after a heart attack, with a promising therapeutic development now underway at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. The research was led by David Merryman, a professor of biomedical engineering who holds the Walters Family Chair . . . . The team used genetic and drug models to confirm that removal of serotonin 2B receptors within cardiac fibroblasts—“worker bee” cells that produce connective tissue in the heart—help the organ heal significantly after a heart attack. [This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.] MORE
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Undergraduate student Return to Campus update
The David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center is offering limited outdoor programming for the spring semester for undergraduate, graduate and professional students participating in in-person classes, informed by guidance from public health officials and experts at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This week’s spring COVID-19 public dashboard reflects the start of our regular testing program. Over the past week, the asymptomatic positive rate was low—0.25 percent. Let’s keep up the good work and be especially diligent in observing safety and physical distancing protocols when participating in off-campus activities. MORE
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Despite limitations of pandemic, research continues in Basic Sciences, Blair
Vanderbilt researchers are prolific and resolute in their pursuit of transformative research and innovation. During the Research Ramp-up process, more than 3,000 Vanderbilt research personnel have returned to in-person research activities, while many others have continued remotely through perseverance and ingenuity. On campus and at home, they are making discoveries that advance knowledge and improve lives. [ Charles Sanders in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences is cracking the code of SARS-CoV-2, and Jeremy Wilson in the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music is perfecting musical performance in a virtual world.] MORE
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New research examines the cost of crime in the U.S., estimated to be $2.6 trillion in a single year
For the first time in 25 years, a team of researchers, including Professor Mark A. Cohen of Vanderbilt University, has provided a comprehensive overview of the number of incidents of crime in the United States and their staggering financial costs. Cohen, along with research team leader Ted R. Miller of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and colleagues, found that more than 120 million crimes were committed in the U.S. in 2017 (including 24 million violent crimes), amounting to a financial impact of $2.6 trillion. The findings . . . could help determine the efficacy of the nation’s myriad initiatives designed to reduce crime, including criminal justice advocacy, policy reforms, early childhood education and youth interventions. MORE
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Scientists discuss inclusion and equity in biomedical research at virtual event
Biomedical researchers across Vanderbilt University will convene to discuss the history and impact of Black biomedical scientists on Monday, Feb. 15, at noon CT. The virtual discussion, “From Inclusion to Equity: The Story of Black Biomedical Scientists,” will be moderated by Dr. André L. Churchwell, vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. The discussion will cover discoveries and experiences of earlier generations of Black biomedical scientists, the impact of their discoveries, and existing disparities that the academic biomedical community still needs to overcome to reach its full potential. MORE
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Engineering professor Ndukaife wins award in Rising Stars of Light global competition
Justus Ndukaife, assistant professor of electrical engineering, spent 20 minutes describing his optical nanotweezers to a panel of five distinguished professors from the United States, Australia, and China during a live online competition—Rising Stars of Light. . . . After two sessions in which 10 finalists presented their research in a global campaign for the most talented young scientists in optics-related fields, Ndukaife claimed third place . . . . Ndukaife has developed the first-ever opto-thermo-electrohydrodynamic tweezers, optical nanotweezers that can trap and manipulate objects as small as proteins and viruses. The technique, developed by the professor and Chuchuan Hong and Sen Yang, two graduate students in his group, gives researchers a powerful new tool for the study and perhaps early detection of viruses, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. MORE
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VUbrief summarizes Vanderbilt news items to inform our Congressional community of developments at the university. Visit our website for past issues of VUbrief. Vanderbilt University Office of Federal Relations (202) 216-4361
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