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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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Wikswo and VIIBRE team on track to build third-generation ‘self-driving lab’ with $1M from National Science Foundation
John Wikswo, founder and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Gordon A. Cain University Professor, is the principal investigator of a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation. The object is to build a pathbreaking “robot scientist”—a fully automated microfluidic system for parallel, independent, long-duration, machine-guided experiments. The target organisms are the single-cell eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as brewer’s and baker’s yeast, the bacterium Escherichia coli and other microbes used in commercial biotechnologies, and the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells used to produce antibody-based drugs and vaccines. Realizing that a self-driving biological laboratory has many other applications, Wikswo sought NSF funds to create a Genesis system at Vanderbilt that could be used not only for fundamental studies of yeast but also of the breadth of cells used in biotechnologies. MORE
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National Institutes of Health—Vanderbilt team discovers potential explanation for treatment resistance in skin cancer
Many melanoma patients are treated with drugs called BRAF or MEK inhibitors that specifically target the mutant proteins created in cancerous tumors. These inhibitors can block the tumors’ ability to grow and spread. According to Ann Richmond, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and professor of pharmacology and dermatology, while these inhibitors are shown to be rapidly effective and to increase survival rates, most patients eventually experience relapse. To help solve this problem, Richmond and other researchers at Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences used spatial imaging analysis of tissues . . . to investigate the properties of the tumors and immune cells in patients before and after developing resistance to the BRAF and MEK inhibitors. [The findings may indicate that those melanoma tumor cells that develop resistance to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy express more SOX10, which suppresses the anti-tumor immune response and have promise in helping oncologists improve their knowledge and understanding of why resistance to therapy occurs. This research was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute.] MORE
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Department of Defense, National Science Foundation—International research collaboration reveals new possibilities in nanophotonics
Joshua Caldwell, Flowers Family Chancellor’s Faculty Fellow in Engineering and associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Joseph Matson, a graduate student in Caldwell’s lab, have contributed to an international study that has discovered a new type of light-matter coupling. The work has long-term implications for how optical components can be even further miniaturized, a discovery that has potential to make a transformative shift in nanophotonic technology. [The findings show great promise for applications in on-chip photonics and compact infrared optical components.] Vanderbilt’s contributions to this research were supported by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research. MORE
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National Science Foundation—Vanderbilt researcher calls for dismantling racism in STEM fields in newly published commentary
Creating a more equitable work environment for people of color in STEM fields starts with an atmosphere of shared responsibility for combating racism, according to new commentary published Tuesday by a Vanderbilt University professor . . . . Ebony Omotola McGee, professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, calls for the dominant culture in STEM fields to step up to provide remedies for dismantling racism in her editorial, “Dismantle racism in science.” The imbalance can be fixed by creating STEM ecosystems that distribute the responsibility of dismantling racism to everyone, and not just faculty of color, McGee’s commentary states. McGee’s new commentary builds on her research on disrupting racial and gender disparities in the STEM workforce. In 2019, McGee received a $593,957 grant from the National Science Foundation to study why people of color remain underrepresented and marginalized throughout engineering training and employment. McGee’s grant allows her a chance to further explore an issue known as equity ethic. MORE
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Engineering professor Audrey Bowden is recipient of Lewis Latimer Fellowship for Black innovators
Audrey K. Bowden, Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor Faculty Fellow and associate professor of biomedical engineering and electrical engineering, has received a 2022 Lewis Latimer Fellowship. Bowden’s research is focused on the design and development of biophotonics (light-based) tools for applications to medicine and biology, such as for early detection, diagnosis and therapy for cancer; development and deployment of low-cost, high-performing point-of-care technologies for rural and global health applications. In 2021, Bowden and a colleague at Stanford University developed a prototype headband that children and teens diagnosed with attention deficit disorders could wear at home. The headband measures brain activity and it could have widespread application in studying and ultimately treating ADHD and other neurological disorders. Bowden is a fellow of The Optical Society, AIMBE, and SPIE, international society for optics and photonics. She is the recipient of a number of awards and honors, including young investigator and teaching awards. MORE
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Blending hobbies and academic research is a thought to ‘harp’ onPh.D. student Mayna Nguyen recently combined a longtime hobby with her study of biomedical optics with dazzling results: a playable laser harp that embodies both her love for the instrument and her research into photonics. The second-year student first brought the idea to her faculty mentors, biomedical engineering professors E. Duco Jansen and Anita Mahadevan-Jansen. Jansen, an avid amateur musician, said he was very excited when Nguyen brought up the idea. Nguyen’s research is exploring the stimulation of neurons using light, including lasers. MORE
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REGISTER: Author and advocate Cyntoia Brown Long, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to discuss criminal justice reform
For the first time since former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted clemency to sex trafficking victim and convicted murderer Cyntoia Brown Long, the two will sit down together for an event at Vanderbilt University to discuss criminal justice reform. The event, “Reform for Redemption: Cyntoia Brown Long and Gov. Bill Haslam on Criminal Justice Reform and the Power of Mercy,” will be in Langford Auditorium and livestreamed on March 15 at 6 p.m. CT. The in-person and virtual event, hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, is open to the public. Registration is required. Register for the event here. MORE
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Billie Jean King and Candice Lee discuss progress made and challenges remaining for equality in sports
As part of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series, sports icon and champion for equality Billie Jean King joined Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, on March 1 for a conversation titled “Game, Set, Match: A New Era of Equality in Sports.” In the wide-ranging conversation, presented in partnership with the Nashville Public Library Foundation’s Votes for Women, King shared the story of her life and reflected on progress made and challenges remaining in the fight for equality and inclusivity in sports. The virtual event kicked off Women’s History Month and was part of the university’s yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. MORE
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REGISTER: Experts to discuss what comes next in the COVID-19 pandemic
Registration is now open for a special panel discussion about the future of COVID-19, featuring some of Vanderbilt University’s leading experts in COVID vaccines, infectious disease and public health. The virtual discussion, “ The COVID Conundrum: What’s Next,” will be Thursday, March 10, at noon CT. Panelists will talk about the trajectory of variants, global travel, and the accessibility and equity of vaccines and boosters, among other timely topics. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier will host the event with opening remarks. The virtual panel is hosted by the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Lecture Series in partnership with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences. The event is open to all. Registration is required. REGISTER FOR THE VIRTUAL EVENT. MORE
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Portfolio of alumnus-led green roof company includes top NYC projectsThe Javits Center, the United Nations, and the Chrysler Building share more than status as New York City landmarks–they all have, or will have, green roofs designed by a company co-founded by a Vanderbilt engineering alumnus. Sulman Usman, BS ‘12, is the CEO and a co-founder of Adaptive Green, a leading startup in sustainable roof technology. He also is a Vanderbilt Posse Foundation Scholar alumnus and recently joined the program’s Advisory Board. Usman credits the Vanderbilt Engineering and the Posse Foundation for providing him the tools to excel. He also credits the Engineer’s School’s interdisciplinary Engineering Science major and Engineering Management Professors Kenneth Pence and John Bers, who was his academic advisor, for providing him a foundation of engineering in practice. He said these early lessons help drive his business decisions every day. 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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