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BSCI Faculty Involved in $1.1M Grant to Support Inclusive Learning
Dec. 8, 2022—Vanderbilt University has been awarded $1.1M as part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) Initiative. $530,000 will support Vanderbilt University initiatives directly, while the additional $577,000 will be administered by Vanderbilt University to support activities of the broad collaborative effort. Biological Sciences’ faculty Kathy Friedman and Cynthia Brame serve as co-Program...
Vanderbilt biologists discover genetic pathways linking the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes during infection
Sep. 7, 2022—Sep 7, 2022, 9:37 AM By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Vanderbilt biologists have discovered the genetic pathways that link the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes during the fight against infection. A mosquito fighting infection of malaria or bacteria attracts immune cells to its heart that filter microbes that are flowing in its...
Amanda Lea has been named 2022 Searle Scholar
May. 13, 2022—Amanda Lea, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, has been named one of fifteen 2022 Searle Scholars for her work on “Environmental determinants of health: molecular mechanisms and inter-individual variation”. You can read more about the award here.
Graduate student publishes high impact study on mitochondria
Apr. 27, 2022—James Held, a graduate student in the Patel lab, discovered a novel way in which cells sense and respond to stressed mitochondria. The study, entitled, “A tRNA processing enzyme is a key regulator of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response” is published in a high impact journal called eLife. Link to the publication can be found...
Vanderbilt researchers suggest that complex bird songs might require large populations
Apr. 26, 2022—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Growing up in a small community has its advantages, but if you want to learn from world experts, you may have better luck in a big city. This is the case in the world of birds as well. Large populations of birds might be better able to...
Graduate Student Grub receives NDSEG Fellowship from the Department of Defense
Apr. 20, 2022—Lantana Grub, Ph.D. Candidate in the Patel Lab, has received NDSEG fellowship from the Department of Defense. This award will support Lantana’s proposal to study mitochondrial epigenetics. Congrats Lantana!
Vanderbilt researchers use new method to target potentially undiscovered beneficial therapeutic chemicals
Apr. 20, 2022—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator A team of researchers from the Eichman lab and associated with the Evolutionary Studies Initiative led a project that was recently published in mBio. Graduate student Noah Bradley and undergraduate student Katie Wahl (BA21, BCB) were co-first authors on the work studying chemical compounds produced by bacteria. Brandt Eichman Specifically, the group was interested...
Two BSCI Graduate Students Receive Edward Ferguson Jr. Graduate Award
Apr. 20, 2022—Noah Bradley, Ph.D. Candidate in the Eichman Lab, and Jacob Steenwyk, Ph.D. Candidate in the Rokas Lab, have each been awarded the Edward Ferguson Jr. Graduate Award. On behalf of the Graduate School, “this award supports deserving graduate students at the Graduate School who demonstrate excellence in research”. Congratulations Noah and Jacob!
Graduate Student Jacob Steenwyk Weintraub Award Recipient
Mar. 3, 2022—Jacob Steenwyk, Ph.D. Candidate in the Rokas Lab, has been selected as a recipient of the 2022 Harold M. Weintrau Graduate Student Award, a prestigious award in biological sciences. “The Weintraub award recipients were selected for the quality, originality and significance of their work, representing a diverse range of research topics,” said Dr. Susan Parkhurst,...
Patel Lab earns new grant to study evolutionary trade-offs between reproduction and aging
Feb. 14, 2022—Feb. 4, 2022, 9:00 AM By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Initiative scientific coordinator Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Maulik Patel and his lab have received a Pilot Research Grant from the Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative to study reproduction and aging. Submitted Photo | Patel, Held and their team take a basic science approach to study...