News

Announcing eI² – The Enabling Innovation Initiative

Rob Carnahan and Chuck Sanders, in collaboration with Alan Bentley and the CTTC (Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization), are launching a new program, eI², with the mission to embrace a culture of innovation to promote discovery and facilitate the dissemination of new knowledge through entrepreneurial pathways. Starting in January, eI² will sponsor a monthly seminar on topics of innovation and entrepreneurship. The first seminar, featuring Dr. Chase Spurlock (CEO of iQuity) and Dr. Thomas Aune (VUMC Professor of Medicine & co-Founder of iQuity), will be held Jan. 5^th at 3:00 PM in 214 Light Hall. See the complete speaker schedule. Learn more about eI² in the December issue of Basically Speaking.

PhRMA Research and Hope Award

Kudos to Jeff Conn, winner of the 2017 PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America) Research & Hope Award for Excellence in Academic Research in recognition of his outstanding research in the area of mental health.

Levi Watkins Jr. Student Award

Congratulations to Romell Gletten (Schey lab) for winning the 2017 Levi Watkins Jr. Student Award, presented each year to one graduate and one medical student who have made outstanding contributions to the School of Medicine by fostering a more diverse environment.

Lou DeFelice Travel Award Winner

Undergraduate trainee Andrea Mancheno Lopez and her mentor Ken Lau traveled to Salt Lake City for the 2017 SACNAS Conference after Andrea won a Lou DeFelice travel award. Up to three Awards are presented each year. Learn more about this great opportunity.

Christopher C. Harris Travel Award Winner

Congratulations also to Mike Goodman (Marnett lab), who won the 2017 Christopher C. Harris Travel Award for Graduate Students sponsored by the Eicosanoid Research Foundation. The award supported Mike’s travel to the Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Related Diseases conference in Mexico, where he presented his work.

Great Representation at SACNAS!

Congratulations to Garbriela Alvarado (Crowe Lab) and Bianca Flores (Delpire lab), both Vanderbilt IMSD graduate students who received travel awards to attend the 2017 SACNAS Conference. Gabby presented a poster, and Bianca gave an oral presentation at the conference.

Welcome New Faculty!

The Basic Sciences welcomes:
Julio Ayala, Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Erkan Karakas, Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Erin Calipari, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Teresa H. Sanders, Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Jenny Schafer, Research Assistant Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology
Jun-Song Chen, Research Instructor in Cell & Developmental Biology
Rocco G. Gogliotti, Research Instructor in Pharmacology

Core of the Month

Looking for that perfect illustration for an important seminar or high impact publication? Thinking of creative changes to your lab website? Designing a graphic that conveys your lab’s brand? All of these services and more are available at the Biomedical Illustration Core. Check out their website, or contact Rachel Chandler for more information!

New Discoveries

Novel Therapeutic Target for Autoimmunity

A recent report from Manuel Ascano and his laboratory outlines their discovery of small molecule inhibitors of cyclic GMP-AMP cyclase, a novel target for interventions in autoimmunity, inflammation, and possibly cancer.

Fluid Flow Drives Autophagy

Work in the Ken Lau lab reveals the link between the sensing of shear forces by microvilli in the gut and the process of autophagy.

Ca²⁺ Signaling During Wound Healing

Andrea Page-McCaw, her colleague Shane Hutson, and their labs report on complex Ca²⁺ fluxes in response to laser-induced wounds in vivo.

Probing the Secrets of DNA Unwinding

Neil Osheroff and his lab reveal the unique properties of bacterial DNA gyrase that enables it to very efficiently unwind (+) supercoiled DNA.

Ca²⁺ Regulation in Pancreatic β-Cells

New research from David Jacobson and his lab demonstrates the role of the TALK-1 potassium channel in regulating ER-dependent Ca²⁺ fluxes in insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas.

New Mouse Model for Kidney Fibrosis

Raymond Harris and his lab have developed a model of persistent EGFR activation in the kidney, enabling them to test their hypothesis that this signaling pathway plays a role in diabetic nephropathy and kidney fibrosis.

Epigenetic Basis for Drug Resistance

A recent report from Robert Coffey and his collaborators identifies the MIR100HG long non-coding RNA as an important contributor to resistance against anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer.

New Funding

Brian Lehmann (Biochemistry) has received a $300,000 award from the Susan G. Komen Foundation to support his efforts to discover potential therapeutic targets for triple negative breast cancer.

Funding Opportunities

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is terminating its Program Projects Grant program and will replace it with a new funding mechanism entitled “Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams” (RM1).

University Courses
Faculty are encouraged to consider submitting proposals for the University Courses program, which seeks to encourage the development of new, creative, interdisciplinary courses that leverage synergies across Vanderbilt’s schools and colleges. Proposals are due Nov. 13^th. Read more here and here.

New Program Provides Grant and Funding Support

A new group fostering research efforts has launched on campus to support faculty as they develop grant proposals and pursue funding opportunities. The Leveraged Proposal Organization and Development program, or L-POD, offers a suite of activities, including proposal development assistance and activities to build relationships with sponsors. Read more here.

Limited Submissions Opportunities (LSOs)

Improved Limited Submissions Opportunities Process
Limited submissions opportunities (LSOs) are funding opportunities offered by sponsors that limit the number of applications that can be submitted from each institution. The Provost’s Office has now started an initiative to increase awareness of these opportunities and streamline the application process to become Vanderbilt’s nominee. Basically Speaking highlights LSOs prior to the application deadline (see below), but all interested parties are encouraged to sign up to receive updates.

Dana Foundation David Mahoney Neuroimaging Grant Program
Vanderbilt University together with VUMC can nominate one applicant for the David Mahoney Neuroimaging Grant program, which provides grants of up to $200,000 over three years in support of research on imaging innovations that help reveal how the brain functions in health and disease. Applications to be the Vanderbilt nominee are due Nov. 9.

Moore Inventor Fellows
Vanderbilt University expects to be able to nominate up to two applicants for the Moore Inventor Fellows competition, which provides grants of up to $675,000 over three years in support of development of early stage inventions that tackle an important problem in the areas of scientific research, environmental conservation, or patient care. Applications to be the Vanderbilt nominee are due Nov. 16.

The Keck Foundation Research Program
Vanderbilt University can nominate two applicants, one in research and one in science and engineering for the W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program, which provides grants of ~$1 million in support of research that has a distinct and novel approach, questions a prevailing paradigm, or has the potential to break open new territory in the field. Applications to be a Vanderbilt nominee are due Dec. 31.

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