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Vestigo hits the stands
Issue 4 of Vestigo, the Basic Sciences magazine, is out!
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Johnston named ACS fellow
Jeffrey Johnston (Chemistry) has been honored as a 2022 American Chemical Society fellow in recognition of his contributions to science.
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2022 Dean’s Award winners announced
Nine graduate students have been recognized for the originality, significance, and rigor of their dissertation research, earning them the 2022 Dean’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in Graduate Studies:
- Nicolas Shealy (Microbe-Host Interactions, Mariana Byndloss lab)
- Tierney Baum (Cell and Developmental Biology, Vivian Gama lab)
- Stephanie Cajigas (Neuroscience, Erin Calipari lab)
- Jeanette Miller (Microbe-Host Interactions, Eric Skaar lab)
- Emilie Fisher (Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Jeff Rathmell lab)
- Yasminye Pettway (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Al Powers lab)
- Zahra Farahbakhsh (Neuroscience, Cody Siciliano lab)
- Emily Overway (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Richard O’Brien lab)
- Rebecca Buchanan (Neuroscience, Fiona Harrison lab)
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Trainees earn fellowships
The following trainees earned grants from a variety of funding agencies:
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Erin Green (Eric Skaar lab), Hualiang Pi (Eric Skaar lab)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Jen Peek (Cell and Developmental Biology, Matthew Wilson and Lauren Woodard labs)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Eli McDonald (Chemistry, Lars Plate and Jens Meiler labs)
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Fathi earns GLI award
Payam Fathi (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Julio Ayala lab) was awarded a Fall 2022 Dissertation Enhancement Grant from the Vanderbilt Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute.
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Emma Guiberson awarded the Armstrong Prize
Emma Guiberson (Chemistry, Richard Caprioli lab) was awarded the Richard N. Armstrong Prize for research excellence in chemical biology at the 2022 VICB Student Research Symposium.
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VICB Symposium award winners
- Oral session winners: Eli McDonald (Chemistry, Lars Plate and Jens Meiler labs), Matthew Munneke (Microbe-Host Interactions, Eric Skaar lab)
- Poster session winners:
- Chemical Synthesis- Payton Stone (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, John Wilson lab) and Zachary Austin (Chemistry, Gary Sulikowski lab)
- Systems Analysis- Hualiang Pi (Eric Skaar lab), Kayla Hess (Chemistry, Lauren Buchannan lab)
- Molecular Discovery- Yufan "Fiona" Shan (undergraduate, Kathy Gould lab), Jenny Tran (Biochemistry, Breann Brown lab)
- Therapeutics and Translation- Christopher Hansen (Pharmacology, Jennifer Herington lab), Brynn Roman (Biological Sciences, Lars Plate)
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VCoM holds first retreat, recognizes efforts
- 1st place– Angelo Morales (Cell and Developmental Biology, Matthew Tyska lab)
- 2nd place– Nicole Sarna (Biomedical Engineering, Michael King lab)
- 3rd place– Katie Young (Biomedical Engineering, Cynthia Reinhart-King lab)
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Cajigas receives travel grant
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Hudson and Aspirnaut program on NBC nightly news
Now in its 15th year, VUMC's Aspirnaut program was featured on an NBC Nightly News broadcast. This STEM program, established and directed by Billy Hudson (Medicine), provides underrepresented high school and undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in summer research and learn science communication skills.
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Basic Sciences leaders graduate from, participate in Vanderbilt Leadership programs
Vanderbilt Human Resources’ Employee Learning and Engagement holds two programs for diverse groups of university leaders from both academic and administrative areas. This year, the Vanderbilt Leadership Academy welcomes Alyssa Hasty (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics) and Claudia Paz (chief business officer, Basic Sciences) to its 12th class. In turn, the Vanderbilt Leadership Enrichment program welcomes Tiffany Lawrence Givens (director of human resources, Basic Sciences) and Kimberly Turner (assistant dean of administrative operations) to its 4th class.
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Reña Robinson leads Murray House
Reña A.S. Robinson (Chemistry) is the new faculty head for Vanderbilt’s Murray House. She is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with and learn from her residents.
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Ready to spill the tea?
The STEM Tea podcast, hosted by Antentor Hinton Jr. (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), is all about the latest in social, societal and scientific developments in STEM.
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How childhood trauma affects brain development and risk for incarceration
Missed our last Lab-to-Table conversation in which Joey Barnett (Pharmacology) led a panel discussion on childhood trauma, brain development, and the risk for incarceration? View it on YouTube!
Want to keep up with these monthly events? Sign up for email alerts.
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Fresh-from-the-oven grads!
The following graduates successfully defended their dissertations this past month:
- Chemistry: Emma Guiberson, Ph.D.
- Pharmacology: Rebecca Winfree, Ph.D.
- Neuroscience: Megan Aumann, Ph.D.; Corey Bown, Ph.D.; Sarah Naguib, Ph.D.
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Welcome, BRET team members!
The Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training recently welcomed four team members. Stephanie Richards is now the assistant director of recruiting for the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program. Nick Ward is now a program manager for the Office of Outcomes. Also new to BRET are Rakeem Daniels, training grant specialist and Kali Horman, administrative assistant.
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Simple Beginnings ceremony upcoming
The annual Simple Beginnings ceremony commemorates each new class of doctoral students with the presentation of a personalized lab coat. Incoming students will be presented with their lab coats in person on September 2 at 4:00 p.m. Friends and family are invited to celebrate the new class virtually from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. by registering in advance. Those wishing to donate a lab coat to an incoming student may do so by giving to the Simple Beginnings Fund by August 31.
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"So you think you want to be an entrepreneur"
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MEGAMicrobe
MEGAMicrobe will take place on September 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School.
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DEI in the Lab: Creating an Interdependent Laboratory Culture
Antentor Hinton Jr. (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics) and lab members Heather Beasley, Andrea Marshall, and Zer Vue will speak at an upcoming Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists faculty webinar, “DEI in the Lab: Creating an Interdependent Laboratory Culture.” This ABRCMS webinar, which will take place on September 20 at 2:00–3:00 p.m. EDT*, will provide insight into cultivating an inclusive lab atmosphere, which is key to developing innovative science.
*note time zone
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Postdoc “Speak Easy” series
If you are a postdoc interested in polishing your scientific communication skills in a fun, casual setting, sign up to talk at the “Speak Easy” talk series. There is one more date—September 22—which will include a cocktail hour with appetizers. Join from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the graduate student lounge in Alumni Hall. You must register in advance.
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VI4 DEI Symposium
This year’s VI4 DEI Symposium, “Careers in STEM: Perspectives from Latin Scientists” will take place on September 23. Speakers from four institutions will discuss their unique experiences and research endeavors.
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Flulapalooza
Flulapalooza is back for 2022! The mass vaccination event will be held on September 28 from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in an outdoor tent between Light Hall and the Veterans Administration.
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BioRender coming to Basic Sciences
Thanks to a partnership between Basic Sciences, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and the Office of the Provost, all Basic Sciences investigators (primary faculty in all tracks, staff, postdocs, and graduate students) will have free access to BioRender Premium through an institutional license for a one-year pilot program beginning on September 1.
If you're a Basic Sciences investigator, keep an eye out for an email with instructions on how to sign up or tie an existing account to our institutional license.
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Microscopy education opportunityStudents and trainees: apply now for the fall semester of the Widening the Lens Microscopy Education Program. Beginner microscopists welcome.
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Get help with grant submissions and resubmissions
Looking for an extra set of eyes on your upcoming grant? Edge for Scholars offers an internal review by senior faculty of any R, K, or F application, plus applications for other federal and foundation funding sources. Visit their website for more details, including deadlines.
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NIH Director's Pioneer Award
The Pioneer Award offers funding opportunities for exceptionally creative scientists proposing pioneering approaches to major challenges in biomedical, social science, and behavioral research. Applications are due September 9, 2022.
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Have a job opening you’d like to promote? Send us a link or a description and contact info, and we’ll post it here for three issues. Renew postings anytime!
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About this issue’s banner
In celebration of Larry Marnett’s tenure as dean, the cover for issue 4 of Vestigo is dedicated to his work with COX-2, a human enzyme that is targeted by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This image is based on the structure of the NSAID isoxicam when bound to COX-2, a structure that Marnett’s lab determined nearly eight years ago (2014).
Water molecules mediate a crucial aspect of this interaction at amino acid residues R120 and Y385. Oxicams (including isoxicam) are the only class of NSAIDs for which water-mediated binding to COX-2 is observed. The structure, including the water molecules, is essential for explaining the structure-activity of this series of drugs. The illustration was made by Kendra H. Oliver (Pharmacology).
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Catch up on Basic Sciences news!
We regularly update our website with some of the latest VU Basic Sciences news stories.
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Faculty and facility profiles
Check out our faculty interviews and our facility highlights here.
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About the newsletter
This 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 new 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
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If your paper has been accepted...
We're really excited to promote your papers—by sharing on social media, writing a press release or story, making a video about your research, or other promotion as capacity allows—help us by letting us know if your paper has been accepted (preferably before the embargo is up) or recently published!
Fill out this form and tell us a little about your paper and its impact.
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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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Faculty profile: Yi Ren
Yi Ren, assistant professor of biochemistry, provides an overview of her research into mechanisms of mRNA nuclear export and how different viruses exploit this critical step of gene expression. View the interview on YouTube.
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