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Space Force Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond visits Vanderbilt, laying groundwork for future partnership
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FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH
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Research Snapshot: Early longitudinal study on impact of pandemic shows increase in depression, less social anxiety among young adults
Autumn Kujawa, assistant professor of psychology and human development, has been conducting one of the first studies tracking people’s response to stress exposure before and during the pandemic. Kujawa’s team set out to determine the mental health effects of the pandemic on young adults and how differences in neurophysiological reactivity may make some more vulnerable to depression and anxiety after stressful events brought on, in this case, by the pandemic. The study’s findings underscore neural measures of emotion as a promising tool to distinguish risk for depression and trauma-related anxiety, which can inform tailored prevention efforts by clinicians. [This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.] MORE
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Research Snapshot: Bees can tell time by temperature, Vanderbilt research finds
Bees are known to tell time by light and social cues. Now, postdoctoral scholar in biological sciences Manuel Giannoni-Guzmán and researchers . . . have shown that the circadian clocks of bees can be altered by another surprising factor: temperature cycles inside the hive. The discovery that bees can tell accurate time from temperature cycles inside the hive shows that on a cloudy day or when bees aren’t going outdoors, they have other means to tell time accurately. This will affect the way that researchers understand, interpret and integrate what they know of bee behavior. More broadly, as more extreme weather events occur around the world, bees will face challenges to maintaining the activities that keep them and the agriculture they support healthy and vibrant. It is those considerations that will influence colony health or possible colony collapse . . . . This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health. MORE
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Research with six Tennessee school districts shows inequities in how students experienced schooling during COVID-19
[T]he Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University released a report highlighting major findings from their work over the course of the fall semester with six Tennessee school districts. They examined student and teacher experiences during COVID-19 with the goal of planning how best to help systems recover from and compensate for the effects of the pandemic. To help inform district decision-making around student and teacher supports this school year, TERA analyzed data typically collected by schools—such as enrollment, attendance and teacher retention data—and supported the districts in conducting surveys. These results speak to the ongoing challenges educators and students faced during the school year and point to important considerations for districts for next school year, such as providing targeted supports for students who have missed the most instruction during the pandemic and offering mental health supports for students and teachers. MORE
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Vanderbilt neuroscientists uncover a novel means of interneuronal communication using extracellular vesicles
An international collaboration led by Vanderbilt researchers has found that a novel form of brain cell communication may influence brain function. For the first time, researchers have been able to understand how synaptic proteins that are transported via extracellular vesicles—signaling particles that contain lipids and proteins—can impact neuronal function, including what happens when neurons age and lose the ability to communicate. EVs allow the exchange of synaptic vesicle proteins, which could modify the protein composition and signaling properties of target brain cells, or neurons. Healthy cells regularly release them in a process similar to sweating, and much like the small water orbs our skin releases when we perspire, released EVs resemble bubbles. Studying these EV secretions provide researchers insight into the inner workings of the mother cell that carries a cargo of proteins, DNA and RNA. Studying this cargo helps researchers understand the cells the EVs came from. MORE
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Vanderbilt postdoctoral fellow studies impact of relational meetings on community organizing
In new research . . . Aaron Stauffer, a postdoctoral researcher at the Vanderbilt Divinity School and the Wendland-Cook Program in Religion and Justice, explores the impact of shared sacred values on the efficacy of community-organizing initiatives. In his research, Stauffer examines the role of “relational meetings” between stakeholders as a means to build power and expand the coalition. He argues that effective community organizers ground these relational meetings in shared sacred values between stakeholders. Stauffer believes that relational meetings are an important tool for community organizers fighting for marginalized communities. When effectively implemented, relational meetings can strengthen broad-based community-organizing efforts fighting for racial and economic justice, LGBTQ rights, and access to health care and education. MORE
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University updates COVID-19 protocols following CDC guidance; vaccine required for Vanderbilt University-employed faculty and staff
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Vanderbilt announces new collaboration to accelerate efforts to address its carbon footprint and tackle climate change
Vanderbilt University announced a new collaboration with the nonprofit organization Climate Vault that allows the university to address the full extent of its carbon footprint now, achieving carbon neutrality decades ahead of its initial goal. The new initiative will effectively remove carbon pollution permits from regulated carbon markets while simultaneously stimulating research into emerging carbon removal technologies. In 2019, the university set a goal to power its campus entirely through renewable energy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. While the university continues to push action and innovations on several fronts, it has identified a near-term opportunity to work with Climate Vault and use the cap-and-trade market—which is designed to limit harmful emissions—to accelerate its impact, allowing it to become the first member of the Association of American Universities to achieve carbon neutrality. MORE
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Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam leads discussion on the positive role faith can play in politics
Rather than allowing faith to fracture our politics, it should be used as a guiding force to help unify our communities, said former two-term Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam in a virtual discussion on May 25 with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Rev. Emilie Townes and author and political columnist Peter Wehner. The talk was part of a series of events led by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, which Haslam co-chairs. It was presented in conjunction with the Fetzer Institute and Vanderbilt Divinity School. Haslam called on faith leaders to help their followers learn how to listen more and interact on social and political issues as “broken, imperfect people” to find common ground. MORE
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Six students graduate from Next Steps at Vanderbilt in Class of 2021
Six students graduated from the Next Steps at Vanderbilt program as part of the Class of 2021 this May. Housed in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College of education and human development, Next Steps at Vanderbilt provides students with intellectual disability an inclusive, transformational higher education experience that embodies the values of equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors. While in the program, students work with Next Steps at Vanderbilt staff to create a self-directed program of study focused on academic development, independent living skills, career exploration and campus life. Students also can participate in up to two Vanderbilt courses per semester. They participate in individualized on-campus internships during their first two years and in off-campus paid internships in their field of interest during their last two years. 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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