Research

Adapted from a press release written by Arizona State University The experiences we face early in life may leave lasting marks on our health that echo across decades—even throughout the body. Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Scholar in Biological Sciences Rachel Petersen A new study published in Science (DOI), “Age… Read More

Dark energy makes up roughly 70 percent of the universe, but it remains one of the greatest mysteries of physics that scientists have been trying to answer for decades. From left: Oem Trivedi, Alfredo Gurrola, Robert Scherrer Dark energy is speeding up the expansion of the universe and shaping the… Read More

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Alexandre Tiriac has received a 2026 McKnight Scholar Award to expand his research on brain development. Started in 1977 by the McKnight Foundation, the McKnight Scholar Awards are granted to early-career scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to neuroscience. The highly completive… Read More

Adapted from a press release written by Kate Barnes, University of Michigan According to a new study, a Florida law designed to prevent gun violence by temporarily removing firearms from people at risk of harming themselves or others is used unevenly across the state. These findings could help researchers and… Read More

William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences Brandt Eichman is the first Vanderbilt faculty member to be awarded the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship. Jointly funded by the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation, the fellowship invites outstanding international researchers… Read More

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than one million violent crimes are committed in the United States every year. While data on the attacks, the victims, and the larger community abounds, rarely have researchers explored how incidents of crime impact the mental health of nearby residents. Photo by… Read More

Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. each year than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined. But how can we address a seemingly natural force? Heat can often seem solely weather-related, with policies trying to find a solution through temperature metrics, cooling technologies, and alerts. However, a new report from… Read More

Photo by Kate Snyder Most of us have heard the phrase “it takes a village” when it comes to childcare. This age-old saying holds true for some songbirds, and a new study has found that this “village” has evolutionary consequences for their songs. Birdsong is often framed as a sexually… Read More

Freshly brewed coffee. Cut grass. Campfires. Spring flowers. Reading these words may conjure a specific scent in your mind. Scent is everywhere, and there is a shared experience in how different cultures and individuals use and depict fragrance. A new exhibit currently on display at the Vanderbilt University Museum of… Read More

Photo by Lucius Outlaw Over the next year, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair and Professor of Psychology Sohee Park will work to develop a novel approach to examine the nature of the body and the self in those with schizophrenia. Park will be conducting this research as part… Read More

Svalbard, Norway, a cluster of islands north of the Arctic Circle, is rich with paradox. A former international whaling base and subsequent site of extractive coal mining, Svalbard is now home to the Global Seed Vault, which stores more than one millio... Read More

Vanderbilt University has announced its fall 2025 recipients of the Seeding Success, Scaling Success and Rapid-Advancement MicroGrant Program awards, providing internal funding to help faculty launch new research directions, strengthen proposals and co... Read More

Illustration by Liz Chagnon Artificial intelligence has become increasingly present in our everyday lives—embedded in our cell phones, popping up on social media platforms, and incorporated into many business operations. With this rapid adoption comes many emotions ranging from excitement about having a technological aid that makes life more efficient… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy is the new U.S. institutional home for the Comparative Study of Election Surveys, a leading global resource for understanding elections and democratic governance. This move strengthens Vanderbilt’s le... Read More

Can you tell the difference between an artificial-intelligence-generated face and a real one? In an era of digital misinformation, where fabricated images can spread widely across news and social media, this skill is proving invaluable. A new study has found that a person’s object recognition ability, or the ability… Read More

Whether Major Jackson is teaching, writing or critiquing, at the center of his work is a voracious hunger for artful language—underpinned by a commitment to painting the quotidian in new and unexpected ways. Read More